430 SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp446–7 and pp448–9
THE SOČA FRONT (ISONZO FRONT)
During World War I, Italy declared war on Austria-
Hungary in 1915, believing that victory would lead
to territorial gains in the northern Adriatic Sea. The
Soča Front, extending from north of Bovec through
Kobarid to north of Trieste, Italy, served as the front
line for almost three years. The Austrians used the
mount ainous terrain to their advantage, hurling back
12 successive Italian offensives. In 1917, the Italians
were forced to retreat in the 12th battle, known as
the Battle of Caporetto. Memories of the Soča Front
are poignant for the Slovenes, who fought and died
along side Croats and Czechs, in defence of an
Austro-Hungarian Empire that collapsed in 1918.Lipica 9
86 km (53 miles) SW of Postojna.
*120. £ @ http://www.lipica.org
Located near the Italian border
in the hills above Trieste, the
village of Lipica is synony-
mous with the Lipizzaner
horses bred here since 1580.
Established by the Habsburg
Archduke Charles of Styria,
the Lipica Stud Farm crossed
Arab horses with local steeds,
resulting in the uniquely
graceful white Lipizzaner.
The breed found favour with
the prestigious Spanish Riding
School (see pp400–401) in
Vienna and has been consi d-
ered an aristocrat in the
equine world ever since.
Tours of the stables allow
visitors to see the horses
at close quarters, while the
Classical Riding School stages
shows in which the horses
perform complex routines.
Horse and carriage trips
can be arranged between
April and October and it is
also possible to book riding
sessions provided reservations
are made in advance. The
stable complex also contains
an art gallery devoted to
August Černigoj (1898–1985),
the avant-garde painter who
spent his final years in Lipica.
Lipica Stud Farm
Lipica 5. Tel (05) 739 1580.
# Jan–Mar & Nov–Dec:
10am–3pm Tue–Sun; Apr–Jun
& Sep–Oct: 9am–5pm Mon–Fri,
9am–6pm Sat & Sun; Jul & Aug:
9am–6pm daily. & 8 tours
of the Lipica stables take place
on the hour. Classical Riding
School # Apr–Oct: 3pm Tue,
Fri & Sun. 0 - =
http://www.lipica.orgIdrija 0
70 km (44 miles) W of Ljubljana.
* 6,500. @ from Bovec.
n Vodnikova 3, (05) 374 3916.
http://www.idrija-turizem.siOne of the largest mercury
mining centres in the world,
Idrija once provid ed 13 per
cent of the global out put. Since
active mining came to a halt
in 2008, the town has begun
to develop into a major centre
of industrial heritage tourism.
The best way to get a feel
of Idrija’s mining past is to
take the tour of Anthony’s
Shaft (Antoniev gred), a net-
work of tunnels excavated in- The tour starts with a
video presentation about the
history of the mine. Visitors
are then led down the shaft,
where mining techniques of
the past are demonstrated.
The Town Museum (Mesni
muzej), housed in the 16th-
cen tury Gewerkenegg Castle,
contains an exhibition on
min ing history as well as an
Portraits of World War I heroes in the
Kobarid Museum (see p432)interesting display on Idrija
lace-making – a house hold
industry. Several industrial
monu ments are loca ted
around the town cen tre. The
pavil ion at St Francis’ Shaft
(Jašek Frančiške gred) con-
tains a display of min ing mach-
in ery, while the recon structed
19th-century Miner’s House
(Rudarska hiša) shows how
miners’ families used to live.Environs
Some 25 km (16 miles) north
of Idrija is the Franja Partisan
Hospital, a timber-built
field hospital used by Slovene
resis tance fighters during
World War II. Active from
December 1943 until the
end of the war, the hospital
under restoration was
damaged by floods in 2007.E Anthony’s Shaft
Kosovelova 3. Tel (05) 377 1142.
& 8 10am & 3pm Sat & Sun.
E Town Museum
Prelovčeva 9. Tel (05) 372 6600.
# 9am–6pm Mon–Fri. & =The colourful walls of Gewerkenegg Castle, Idrija