Slovenia - The Walk of Peace from the Alps to the Adriatic – Heritage of the First World War

1. The Walk of Peace (in Slovenian: Pot miru) Log pod Mangartom: Štoln GPS: 46.40485, 13.59631 UTM: 46°24'17.5"N 13°35'46.7"E Gorjansko GPS: 45.80457, 13.70899 UTM: 45°48'16.4"N 13°42'32.4"E 2. Vršič: Russian Chapel (in Slovenian: Ruska kapelica); Heritage Register Number http://rkd.situla.org/ - HRN #855 GPS: 46.4429, 13.7677 UTM: 46°26'34.4"N 13°46'03.7"E 3. Log pod Mangartom: WW1 Military Cemetery (in Slovenian: Avstro-ogrsko vojaško pokopališče iz prve svetovne vojne); HRN #409 GPS: 46.404223, 13.599363 UTM: 46°24'15.2"N 13°35'57.7"E 4. Kobarid (in Italian: Caporetto): Italian Charnel House (in Slovenian: Italijanska kostnica); HRN #227 GPS: 46.247144, 13.584251 UTM: 46°14'49.7"N 13°35'03.3"E 5. Ladra: WW1 Military Chapel (in Slovenian: Italijanska vojaška kapela iz prve svetovne vojne); HRN #5074 GPS: 46.237127, 13.604304 UTM: 46°14'13.7"N 13°36'15.5"E 6. Zaprikraj: The Krn Range – Historical Area (in Slovenian: Krnsko pogorje – Zgodovinsko območje); HRN #7162 GPS: 46.293371, 13.613884 UTM: 46°17'36.1"N 13°36'50.0"E 7. Tolmin: German Charnel House (in Slovenian: Nemška kostnica); HRN #766 GPS: 46.175179, 13.732540 UTM: 46°10'30.6"N 13°43'57.1"E 8. Mengore: WW1 Historical Area (in Slovenian: Zgodovinsko območje iz prve svetovne vojne); HRN #7165 GPS: 46.166621, 13.721516 UTM: 46°09'59.8"N 13°43'17.5"E 9. Javorca: Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit (in Slovenian: Spominska cerkev sv. Duha); HRN #200 GPS: 46.2352, 13.7197 UTM: 46°14'06.7"N 13°43'10.9"E 10. Sabotin: WW1 Historical Area (in Slovenian: Zgodovinsko območje iz prve svetovne vojne); HRN #15446 GPS: 45.99156, 13.631566 (hut), 45.982664, 13.643273 (top) UTM: 45°59'29.6"N 13°37'53.6"E (hut), 45°58'57.6"N 13°38'35.8"E (top) 11. Solkan: WW1 Military Cemetery (in Slovenian: Avstro-ogrsko vojaško pokopališče iz prve svetovne vojne); HRN #672 GPS: 45.97622, 13.64894 UTM: 45°58'34.4"N 13°38'56.2"E 12. Bohinj Railway (in Slovenian: Bohinjska železnica); HRN #8117 Bohinjska Bistrica: Bohinj tunnel (in Slovenian: Bohinjski predor) GPS: 46.26806, 13.95888 UTM: 46°16'05.0"N 13°57'32.0"E Bača pri Modreju: Railway bridge (in Slovenian: Železniški most) GPS: 46.14425, 13.76816 UTM: 46°08'39.3"N 13°46'05.4"E Štanjel: Water pumping station at Podlazi (in Slovenian: Črpališče za vodo v Podlazih) GPS: 45.83161, 13.84260 UTM: 45°49'53.8"N 13°50'33.4"E Nova Gorica: Railway station (in Slovenian: Železniška postaja) GPS: 45.95531, 13.63482 UTM: 45°57'19.1"N 13°38'05.3"E Nova Gorica: Railway workshops (in Slovenian: Železniške delavnice) GPS: 45.95926, 13.63922 UTM: 45.95926, 13.63922 Nova Gorica: Water tower (in Slovenian: Vodni stolp) GPS: 45.96029, 13.63957 UTM: 45°57'37.0"N 13°38'22.4"E Solkan: Railway bridge (in Slovenian: Železniški most) GPS: 45.97882, 13.65184 UTM: 45°58'43.8"N 13°39'06.6"E 13. Gorjansko: WW1 Military Cemetery (in Slovenian: Avstro-ogrsko vojaško pokopališče iz prve svetovne vojne); HRN #149 GPS: 45.80457, 13.70899 UTM: 45°48'16.4"N 13°42'32.4"E 14. Črniče: WW1 Military Cemetery (in Slovenian: Avstro-ogrsko vojaško pokopališče iz prve svetovne vojne); HRN #86 GPS: 45.90532, 13.77727 UTM: 45°54'19.1"N 13°46'38.2"E 15. Štanjel: WW1 Military Cemetery (in Slovenian: Vojaško pokopališče iz prve svetovne vojne); HRN #229 GPS: 45.82085, 13.84790 UTM: 45°49'15.1"N 13°50'52.4"E The mountainous region extending from the south-eastern edge of the Julian Alps down to the Gulf of Trieste had been for thousands of years a contact zone between East and West. In order to protect the Roman Empire a defence system, Claustra Alpium Iuliarum, was established. There the Langobards and the realm of Charlemagne spread their political and cultural power. Later the Isonzo (in Slovenian: Soča) River and its surrounding territory became the border area between the Republic of Venice and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It represented the western border of the Illyrian Provinces during the Napoleonic era. It became the western border of the Habsburg monarchy after 1866.

Slovenia - Fuzina Hills in Bohinj

The area encompasses the settlements of Studor and Stara Fuzina and the alpine pastures known as the Fuzina Hills. The altitude varies from 540 m in Stara Fuzina to 1,700 m on top of Mt Tosc. The area covers approximately 50 kmr. The function of the Fuzina Hills was the result of the specific needs of pasture cattle-raising, where it is common for cattle to gradually move up to the highlands in the summer months in the search for grazing. The area, at an altitude of 1,000 m above sea level, is very diversified and picturesque. The following types of landscape can be found in this area: - a glacial valley which is agriculturally cultivated and, from the aspect of town planning and architecture, the old, fine settlements of Studor and Stara Fuzina; - forests and pastures on the slopes; - there are alpine pastures in the Karst region with an altitude of more than 1,000 m which were cleared for grazing in the Middle Ages. Bohinj is the main centre in the Julian Alps due to the extent and intensity of alpine cattle rearing. In this area the alpine pastures are most numerous and most densely distributed and they extend right under Triglav. The farming community of Studor - Stara Fuzina has 4 meadows (llkanc, Blatca, Voje and Vogar), low-lying alpine pastures (Hebet, Vodicui Vrh, Blato, Grintavca, Vrtaca and Trsje) and 6 high alpine pastures (Pri Jezeru, Dedno Polje, Visevoik, Laz, Zg. and Sp. Tosc). The cattle rearing character of the mountainous settlements is evident from the farm structures - primarily hayracks - both isolated and in groups (the group of hayracks below the village of Studor is the most famous). During the s~mmer herdsmen move to the hills with their cattle and stay in traditional wooden buildings (herdsments huts raised on posts) which are organised in a typical spatial manner (in a cluster or longitudinal ). Similar herdsmen's huts also used to be erected in other parts of the Julian Alps but now they are only preserved in this archaic form in Bohinj. At the beginning of the century numerous alpine pastures acquired their own cheese dairy and the tradition of cheese making in this alpine area has been preserved to the present day. The area is protected as part of the Triglav National Park and a lively tradition of alpine herding is preserved in the customs and minds of the people.

Slovenia - Franja Partisan Hospital

The Franja Partisan Hospital is a cluster of functionally arranged hospital facilities located in the narrow, barely accessible Pasica gorge, which is itself a natural attraction. The hospital complex is comprised of 13 wooden buildings and several small auxiliary facilities which were gradually set up in the period from December 1943 to May 1945. The hospital. was among the best equipped clandestine partisan hospitals, with an operating room, X-ray apparatus, an invalid care facility, and a small electric plant. Most of the equipment is preserved in situ. The hospital had a capacity of up to 120 patients, and provided treatment to a total of 522 severely wounded persons. Some 1000 wounded soldiers of various nationalities were treated in Franja and its dislocated units alongside Slovenes and citizens of Yugoslav nations, including Italians, Frenchmen, Russian, Poles, Americans and an Austrian. One of the patients, a captured German soldier, joined the hospital sta.ff after his recovery and remained there until the end of the war. During the entire period of the hospital's operation, 61 patients died. Conspiracy and security were of crucial importance to all clandestine partisan hospitals because, if discovered, they lacked effective defense mechanisms. Most of the route leading to the hospital ran along a stream flowing through the gorge. The wounded were blindfolded and carried to the hospital by its staff, most often at night. In selecting its location, consideration was also given to adequate self-defense in the form. of minefields and machine-gun nests, and for this purpose the hospital was accessible only by footbridges and drawbridges hidden in the steep Pasica gorge. Still preserved in the steep walls rising above the stream are several fortified bunkers and natural caves - hiding places for the wounded. Although enemy forces launched several searches for the hospital, it was never discovered.

Slovenia - Classical Karst (in Slovene language: Klasicni kras)

The Classical Karst is part of the Dinaric Karst. Dinaric Karst is a typical karst landscape located in temperate latitudes, the largest continuous karst surface in Europe and belonging among the largest karst surfaces in the world. The karst landscape is the most widespread landscape type in Slovenia. Classical Karst covers the area between the Ljubljana Marsh (Ljubljansko barje) and the Bay of Trieste. There are around 6,000 known and explored caves in this area that cover approximately 6,400 km2 or 27% of the territory of Slovenia. The geological strata of the Classical Karst comprise Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous limestone and dolomites, as well as Palaeocene and Eocene limestone to a lesser extent. The bottoms of poljes are backfilled by Quaternary alluvium from rivers and streams. The geomorphology of the Classical Karst strongly reflects the tectonic processes. The area of the Classical Karst has an extremely diverse relief. The higher relief in the central area comprises high karst plateaus that drop off in cascades into lower-lying karst plateaus or poljes. Rivers that spring from non-carbonate rocks disappear at the contact with the karst landscape and form blind valleys or cross the karst via karst valleys and gorges. Numerous extensive and complex cave systems were formed by the disappearing streams and are connected to the surface by numerous shafts. Fluvio-karstic phenomena such as dry valleys are frequent on the dolostone basement. Karst rivers appear only at the bottom of poljes.