Sorica
Sorica is a picturesque village on the farthest SW slopes of the Škofja Loka Hills (Škofjeloško hribovje). It belongs to the Železniki Municipality in the Škofja Loka region but it’s first inhabitants settled here much before Železniki in Selška Valley had began to develop, probably as early as 1291. They came from Tyrol and were sent here to exploit the waste woods for the benefit of the Bishops of Freising from Bavaria who used to own both territories.
Železniki and Selška Valley are not on the beaten tourist track themselves but Sorica is even less so since it is a 20 minute drive from Železniki into the hills away.However, it is positioned at the interesting crossroads. One road from here leads to the Upper Primorska region (Tolmin) through a very narrow valley of Baška grapa. The road is very windy and extremely narrow but it is definitely worth a try. The second road is even more interesting since it connects Sorica (and Upper Primorska) with Bohinj Lake and of course also with Bled and Lake Bled.
No, this is not a road to Bohinj Lake, that one is an ordinary concrete road (and much better that the one to Primorska). It passes a ski resort Soriška planina which is still a pasture land during the summer.
In fact Sorica consists of two parts, Spodnja (Lower) and Zgornja (Upper) Sorica, the later being squeezed between two slopes. In the background Ratitovec overlooks the whole of Selška Valley and surrounding hills and villages. It is the last mountain (SE) of the Julian Alps and even the last of the whole Alps.
Over the veduta of Spodnja Sorica is a good view on Davča, village of isolated farms which takes place over 10 km in lenght and covers similar area as the capitAl of Slovenia, Ljubljana. A church marks the entrance into the village what is also specific for the settlements around here – church is not in the centre of the village but rather on the hill near it.
This territory didn’t have good traffic connections with others so a specific dialect developed here, in the even more distant village of Danje a few km above Sorica even Tyrolean dialect was spoken well into 20th century (1950), which had nothing in common with Slovenian language.
Also the architecture of the houses is based on the Tyrolean architecture.
Today Sorica is best known among bikers and gliders and being a hometown of Ivan Grohar, famous Slovenian impressionist painter and traces of the rich history are slowly giving it’s way.
The best views can be find just below the church (bellow and the first photo with bench) and around church at the beginning of the village if coming from Železniki.
The second POV is at the coordinates given on the map which are above the village next t the road to Tolmin/Podbrdo. There is a place for a car or two at the first right bend, then enter the small path (photo with a second bench).
