Posts

Tolminski Lom – Široko

A great number of small rural settlements in Slovenia in positioned on the slopes of the steep hills. Narrow, steep and windy road is usually included in the effort to reach such settlements. However, such an effort usually pays off with an experience of secluded and mostly untouched nature, traditional rural architecture and sometimes really great views which only a few know about. Tolminski Lom above the Soča Valley is one of those settlements.  If your starting location is in Soča Valley north of the town of Most na Soči, this small town is the best starting point.

Just above the Široko Tourist Farm you will find some amazing views towards Julian Alps over the Baška grapa Valley and the part of Soča Valley around Tolmin.

The spot is pretty small so just follow the road on the ridge to change the views.

You can even use some framing with the object on the top.

The tourist farm is pretty popular and can be crowded on weekends. Since the parking place is very limited and not very user friendly you would probably need to find an alternative somewhere along the road. There is also a renovation project in progress,

Text and photo: Zoran Leban Trojar

Kozjak Waterfall

 

The Veliki (Big) Kozjak waterfall is a pretty popular sight of the Soča Valley. The waterfall is very picturesque since it is caught in a kind of a stony amphitheatre.  There are two accesses to the waterfall but we would definitely recommend the one crossing the Soča River. The reason is quite obvious.

The bridge is located behind the camping site of Kamp Lazar. Don’t try to park there in the season.

The Kozjak stream is feeding the Soča river from the  left. It springs high beneath Mt. Krnčica (2142 m) and makes six waterfalls and many pools. There is a small waterfall under the stone bridge half way to the Veliki Kozjak. The path which takes apr. 20 minutes is following the stream from there on.

The access is over the kind of a wooden bridges and usually slippery.

The waterfall carved an underground hall. Its bottom is covered by a vast blue and green pool, and its walls are reminiscent of those in the Karst caves.

A 15 meter high white water column offers its visitors an unforgettable scenery.

Only a small amount of light gets into the hall so it is difficult to make a good shot of the amphitheater. The best conditions are probably in the early fall and spring when more light enters from behind.

Of course one can always try to come closer but be careful!

All photos taken with mobile HuaweiP20Pro!

Text and photo: Zoran Leban Trojar

Boka Waterfall and the bridge over the Soča River

Let’s get some facts in the perspective first: Boka waterfall is a 144 high and 18 wide waterfall, considered to be one of the most magnificent waterfalls in Europe. It is definitely the most majestic waterfall of Slovenia and we have plenty of them here. Surely many would disagree if they were not lucky to see it in its full season when its water flow rate can reach 100m3/s. In the summer it can drop to only 2m3/s, so the seasonal flow rate ratio is 1:50! Not this summer though!

The waterfall from the bridge over the Boka stream

The waterfall is visible already from the bridge over the Boka stream in the vicinity of which most of the visitors park their cars and bikes. However, just behind the corner lies the Boka Hotel with its own parking lot which is sooo close to the another bridge, one of the only few bridges over the mighty Soča river itself. The famous shots of the kayakers on the translucent water are usually taken from the Napoleon Bridge in Kobarid – and from this one which  leads to the small settlement of the Log Čezsoški, one of the few settlements on the left bank of the river.

Towards Bovec

We were not lucky with the kayaks this time but the river itself is always beautiful and the view from this bridge is different from what we usually see in the media: it is an upstream view towards the town of Bovec and surrounding peaks of Julian Alps which just after the town divide the upper Soča Valley (Trenta) and Koritnica.

Mt. Bavški Grintavec in the background

There is even more to it – the waterfall is visible from this bridge too and the sight is even better! So if in a hurry a photo can be taken from the bridge – with a good camera it should be decent enough for a memory or a social media post.

Boka from the bridge over the Soča river

Our posts are focused on the mobile photography trying to show places where ordinary tourists can get decent photos without an expensive gear from the reachable spots. We have been doing Instagram and blog for almost 6 years now using phone cameras exclusively.  Ever since we have begun to use HuaweiP20Pro our horizons are widening – it has extremely powerful zoom which can be used handheld: the photo bellow is a zoom up from the same spot as the above photo was taken.

Zoom in from the bridge – amazing zoom of HuaweiP20Pro

 

After passing the hotel building and crossing the road just before the bridge a narrow path opens leading to the viewpoint which is accessible in some 15 minutes. It is not difficult but we would still recommend to wear a pair of decent shoes. Walking along the bed of Boka in the summer one can imagine the amount of water which flows here when the snow of the Kanin massif begins to melt (up to 8 m of snow can be accumulated in some winters there).The karst terrain with large caves can be deadly for skiers leaving the official ski runs.

The Boka stream bed

The path leading to the viewpoint is mostly in a pleasant shade of the trees with only some tricky places to watch your step.

Pleasant shade

The viewpoint is situated on the slope across the waterfall and can be pretty crowded but the views are much better than from the bridges.

 

The viewpoint view

Zoom in from the viewpoint

Most of the visitors turn around here but some other viewpoints can be reached which are higher on at the slope and a bit closer to the waterfall. Reaching them is not so easy anymore, the path gets pretty steep and can be slippery as well. We needed another 15 minutes to the next viewpoint following the orientation signs on the rocks and trees.

 

Orientation signs

Some unexpectedly good sights of the valley towards Bovec awaited us on the path.

 

The Soča Valley towards Bovec

The water is collected in the karst cave system and spring just above the waterfall, falls freely for 106 m, followed immediately by another 30m drop. The source is situated at an altitude of 725 m, the average temperature of the water is 4,5 degrees Celsium. Since the rock is pretty soft the waterfall  still increases!

 

Standing closer 

Watching this power of nature from the higher and closer viewpoint and without disruptions from other people is definitely worth all the effort!

 

Zooming in again

Returning on the the mountain paths is always more dangerous than going up so be careful stepping down! But don’t overlook this sight with which this whole short photo trip can be rounded up: the road to Log Čezsoški.

 

Left bank of the Soča river towards Log Čezsoški

Of course we had to check the situation on the bridge again when we returned to the parking lot.

Preparations

Some more luck though but not the proper light to get the effect of the kayaks hovering on the water.

 

From the bridge

Nevertheless this bridge offers excellent up and downstream views on the river and the valley caught amidst the steep mountains and it is worth to stop there for the bridge itself. The sights are ever changing.

Downstream view towards Žaga

Hey, there is some shadow underneath the kayak after all:)

Photo and text by @zokus

 

Soča Valley Instameet

Soča Valley is one of the most beautiful and most visited parts of Slovenia, but a bit remote too – it takes two hours to get there from Ljubljana by car! It was the sixth Instameet by Igslovenia but first one at such a remote location so it took us a while to finally decide to do it. We have partnered with Dolina Soče tourist organisation and it’s representative and @socavalley administrator, Tatjana, has greeted us on Saturday morning in the charming small city of Kobarid. It was the first time that Sanja and me didn’t meet any of the participants before and they didn’t know each other so we were breaking the ice with coffee while waiting to enter the small bus, courtesy of Dolina Soče.

FullSizeRender-21

It didn’t take long since the light is important for photographers and we were all there just for that – to take some photos together.

Soča Valley is very beautiful, long and popular. Success of the photos with Soča River can be compared to those with Bled Island, at least on our Instagram account. These photos are usually taken from 4 – 5 different locations  between Kobarid and the end of Trenta Valley (where is the source of Soča River). But the valley has so much more to offer and we are never satisfied with the obvious so we decided to start with some parts of the valley which are not so well known.

FullSizeRender-20

Nadiža River is technically not a part of the valley – it’s turqoise waters, torrential during the frequent storms, originate under the massive Stol range. At the foot of mount Matajur it turns south, crosses the border into Italy and concludes it’s 60 kilometer journey when it joins the river Ter (Torre). Who would care about details like this since it is only a few minutes drive from Kobarid and it is in summer populated not only by locals but by people even from Nova Gorica, almost 50 km away – still  by the Soča River. And with a reason – it is very warm and has carved out pools and gorges, as well as depositing numerous shingle beaches. It is one of the cleanest and warmest Alpine rivers, some even say it has healing properties.

IMG_5577

Tatjana was also part time our tour guide and she proposed to start exploring with Nadiža throughs, one of the most beautiful parts of the river and even less crowded since the access by cars is forbidden. We parked the bus in a small village Kredo to reach the river after 10 minutes walk which was not without surprises.

IMG_5569

We had to cross the river with a hanging bridge and find a narrow steep path to the throughs – not without some effort but for a good reason though!

 

FullSizeRender-12

The untouched wild beauty just put everybody in his own movie and the day finally really begun.

FullSizeRender-13

More surprises on the way back to the bus – how to persuade one of the two horses to step over the wires back into its designated places. Just one hint – success is not proportional to the number of photographers who want to help:).

FullSizeRender-14

Next stop on the Nadiža River was the famous Napoleon Bridge. The famous stone bridge crossing the Nadiža gorge dates to around 1812 and stands mute testament to the routes crossing the area since at least the time of Ancient Rome. The bridge used to form part of the ancient route from Pradol and Robidišče along the Nadiža riverand further to the east. Current bridge was built at the time of the French emperor’s conquests, hence its name. Its uniqueness and technical accomplishment make it a precious architectural monument and a memorial to times past.

FullSizeRender-15

The bridge is just a few steps from the road so we were all immediately in full action – searching for different views, angles and approaches.

IMG_5590

We were never short of voluntary models.

IMG_5593

Of all sexes…

IMG_5584

and species…:)

IngmarWein_Exploring_InstaMeet_Slovenia-47

Photo by Ingmar Wein

There is a great photo of our dog, Tara, also in @sebo262‘s feed!

 

Our next destination was Robidišče: The village of Robidišče lies on the western edge of Slovenia. From the north, west and south it is enclosed by the state border. Across the border lies the Venetian Slovenia to which the village always gravitated. The old village is itself a living monument of times past.

After WW2 in 1947 Robidišče was cut off from Venetian Slovenia by the Iron curtain. Because of this more than 150 locals packed their belongings onto wagons, crossed the border into Italy and never returned. The village was drastically changed in 1976 when an earthquake with magnitude 8 on Richter scale shook the village. The reconstruction of the village was never completed and the village decreased. In 1869 the village had 178 inhabitants and in 1910 the number rose to 228. In 1991 there were only 17 people living in Robidišče and the number fell to 8 in 2000.

 Robidišče is a nice starting point for hiking in the neighbourhood and admiring the old architecture. The highlight is the Vanče’s house which is over 300 years old and in which the original smoke kitchen is preserved. /breginjskikoten.wordpress.com/

IMG_5600The village is charming but we have to admit that itself does not offer many photo opportunities – the village is small and houses renewed . We didn’t say it offers none though:)

IMG_5601

There is a magnificent view on Mt. Stol just beside the village but the sun was already pretty high and the skies clear – sunrise or sunset are definitely worth trying.

It was a hot day and after two working stops a short break with courtesy refreshments at Turistična kmetija Robidišče made no harm to anybody. The all local food was great too but we had to leave. Hop-on, Hop-off bus was waiting on us. It was his first day on duty in the season or better to say, a pre-day of duty since it served only our group – otherwise it is a seasonal service which a few times a day drives to some more remote tourist destinations like Robidišče. Visitors thus don’t need to drive their cars or rent them and are also start their cycling or hiking tours at the optimal starting points etc..

FullSizeRender-19Narrow and steep road took us again over the Nadiža upper stream, a pretty popular bathing spot and quite crowded already, so we just checked out @ingmarwein‘s levitation skills. We have already found out before that Tina of @followsunsets is a great model:)

Our next destination was Breginj, a village nested bellow Mt. Stol. The clustered old Breginj was an architectural pearl of Venetian Slovenian architecture. The ground plan of the village was round with concentric alleys called landrone. Most of the houses were built from stone with wooden exterior corridors (gank), stairways, balconies (linde) positioned on wooden or stone pillars with big overhangs and agricultural frescoes on the facade. The farmhouses were joined by intriguing sets of underpasses and overpasses. After the earthquake of 1976 the whole village was completely rebuilt. The remaining traditional houses are now a local museum/breginjskikoten.wordpress.com/

IMG_1350

Unfortunately rebuilding the village was focused only to give the people shelter and no historical elements were taken into account. Bot location itself is a very charming one and there are some views on the village, the mountains and the church above the village we wanted to explore.

FullSizeRender-25

A short examination from the best photo spot above the village cut down our expectations  – it was middle of the day and clear skies, the light not appropriate for taking photos there so we decided to leave it for some other time. Photos above are from our previous visit.

FullSizeRender-17

One of the most popular destinations around Kobarid and in the valley itself is a Kozjak Waterfall. The picturesque Kozjak waterfall is caught in a stony amphitheatre not far away from Kobarid. It can be reached by an easy walking path by the riverbed of the emerald Soča River. /www.dolina-soce.com/

FullSizeRender-5

The Kozjak brook, feeding the Soča river from the east (on the left), springs high beneath Mt. Krnčica (2142 m), and runs through many pools making six waterfalls. One of Slovenia’s most picturesque waterfalls, the Veliki Kozjak, was created in the outlet of the lower Korita of the Kozjak Brook.

Approximately 250 meters lower, the water falls again. Here, the waterfall carved an underground hall. Its bottom is covered by a vast blue and green pool, and its walls are reminiscent of those in the Karst caves. A 15 meter high white water column offers its visitors an unforgettable scenery./www.dolina-soce.com/

Unfortunately popularity equals crowd. It is tough already to get a decent picture of the waterfall given the closed natural amphitheater with scattered source of light. When crowded it is even more difficult to get a shot without people standing in the way. But for dedicated photographer nothing is too difficult:)

IngmarWein_Exploring_InstaMeet_Slovenia-159

Photo Ingmar Wein

Activity on the photo is illegal though:) You can check out a bit more classical take at the waterfall on @lukakotnikphoto‘s, @alanjereb‘s and @dejskovski‘s feed.

It was time for beer, some great pancakes (salty editions) in the camp near the river and slowly saying “goodbye, nice meeting you”. Phones were also ready for first posts:) Also girls from @igposocje took break in their studying for exams to greet us on their home territory.

IMG_5808

On the way back to Kobarid some of us stopped at another classic spot to photographing Soča River, another bridge called Napoleon’s:).  @dani.kla got his classic shot with kayaks there (check out in his feed) and I got @ingmarwein  and @feinerkerl in action.

FullSizeRender-18

Some of us stayed for the rest of the day or even weekend, some headed for other great photo spots in the area. A week would probably be enough to cover only the best spots of the valley, not even trying to hike the less accessible waterfalls, villages, pastures and peaks.

We had a great day, made great photos and most important – some new friends! We thank everybody for joining us and especially Dolina Soče for hospitality!

More photos from the event: #instameetsoca and feeds of the participants. More detailed descriptions of some destinations are available in Where to in Slovenia section and we will be adding more of them.

Photos @zokus_gf ,  @sanya_lt  and @ingmarwein.

Narration:@zokus_gf .

Instameet in Soča Valley

Yes indeed, finally we are meeting in the beautiful Soča Valley! On Saturday, 17th June at 8.00 we meet in Kobarid in front of TIC Kobarid (Trg svobode 16) and leave to explore some more distant parts of the valley at 8.30 with a mini bus Hop ON, Hop OFF (special route for us courtesy of @socavalley).

We will be heading  to Nadiža River first – Podbela and Napoleon Bridge, followed by a visit of Robidišče, an old village on the border with Italy. Next stop will be in Logje on our way to Breginj.

FullSizeRender-4

We will be back in Kobarid sometime in early afternoon, proceeding on our own with exploration of Soča river and probably some waterfalls, depends on the weather and inspiration.

IMG_5324

Number of participants is limited. Apply by email: info@igslovenia.si. Please state your full name and your Instagram user name in application.

See you there!

Nadiža Valley and Napoleon Bridge

Nadiža River is one of the cleanest and warmest Alpine rivers. Locals also believe the river has healing powers and in the hot summer days one can sometimes gets impression that that whole nation is seekin therapy there. That’s why we came to take photos at the sunrise and since the valley is pretty narrow and that part of the river flows NE, it is not neccesary too early. Out of the season any time of the day would be fine.

FullSizeRender-1

Its turqoise waters, torrential during the frequent storms, originate under the massive Stol range in Slovenia. Short after that it becomes a border river between Slovenia and Italy, than enters Slovenia again and at the foot of mount Matajur turns south, crosses the border into Italy and concludes it’s 60 kilometer journey when it joins the river Ter (Torre).

FullSizeRender-2

The Nadiža has carved out pools and gorges, as well as depositing numerous shingle beaches. It’s most picturesque part is difficult to access and if you want to be more on your own, trailing by the river is the only, but very worthly solution. It is home to the marble trout, rainbow trout and the local crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes italicus. As such it is a natural paradise for bathers and fly fishermen.

FullSizeRender-4

The famous stone bridge crossing the Nadiža gorge dates to around 1812 and stands mute testament to the routes crossing the area since at least the time of Ancient Rome. The bridge used to form part of the ancient route from Pradol and Robidišče along the Nadiža riverand further to the east. Current bridge was built at the time of the French emperor’s conquests, hence its name. Its uniqueness and technical accomplishment make it a precious architectural monument and a memorial to times past

FullSizeRender
To protect the harmony between nature and the numerous visitors in the summertime, the Kobarid municipality has implemented a parking regime by the river Nadiža. There are four maintained parking lots by the river bank (in Robič,Podbela, Napoleon bridge and Logje); a parking fee applies in June, July and August.

Source: http://www.dolina-soce.com/en/

Zoran Leban Trojar, @zokus_gf

igposocje

Who? @igposocje is an account on Instagram presenting the beautiful Soča Valley. We are a group of 7 students from Slovenia and we started this profile to show you just how beautiful our valley is.

@brigitaperdih – medical student who loves to travel. The more world I see the more I realize how truly beautiful my hometown is and I would recommend it to any traveler.

@lucijacernilogar – from Idrsko, master student of special education on Faculty of education. Nature and animal lover, who likes to run, cycle and hike. One of my favourites are all those breathtaking moments spent in our beautiful mother nature.

lucija_razgled z krna

@mancacujec – from Poljubinj, studying on Faculty of Education. I have many interests and i can never sit still. I like to take photos of everything, but the most special to me are photos of my family and nature.

manca_kobala

@marjacujec – administration student who loves baking and all food related stuff. Nature admirer, especially in love with my home town and the Soča Valley.

@monikamanfreda – master student of chemistry on University of Ljubljana, bookworm and nature lover, that appreciates and adores her home- the Soča valley even more, since studying in Ljubljana.

monika_izvir tolminke

@natalijahauptman – from Kobarid, student of kinesiology. I believe that nature in connection with movement can heal all of your problems. I am also good food lover and like to explore new cultures.

@tejaistenic – master student of education on University of Ljubljana. Sports addict who also likes drawing. I like being in nature and admiring its beauty, especially in my hometown, which is also home of one of the most beautiful rivers – Soča River.

teja_solarije (1)

 

Why Instagram? We have decided to use Instagram, because we believe it provides a great way to reach people and to pass on photos and information. We use it for our own contentment, to share pictures from our everyday life on our personal profiles. In addition to that, we also have a joint account called @igposocje. The purpose of this account is to make the users of Instagram aware that in the northwest of Slovenia there is a gorgeous part of our beautiful country and the home of one of the most stunning rivers in the world – the Soča River. The Soča Valley or Posočje is often overlooked by many tourists and travelers. Our eyes can only appreciate nature briefly, but luckily there are people who capture images of nature and transform them into everlasting photography.

What can we show you in Slovenia?  We know the Upper Soča Valley very well, including many hidden places, walking paths and sights. Tolmin, Kobarid, Bovec and their surroundings; these are also our favourite parts of Slovenia.

Oh, and we almost forgot! You can also follow us (and ask us anything) on Facebook! 🙂