Re: Old & New Carantania (journey story)

Posted by: veloträumer

Re: Old & New Carantania (journey story) - 12/19/15 11:10 PM

CHAPTER V
Bloody history and springs of life between Alps and Karst:
Looking for footprints in Kolovrat, Banjsice, Trnovski Gozd & Idrijsko


Fr 3.7. Camp Lazar – Slap Kozjak (walk, ca. 1 h) – Kobarid (Visit Kriegsmuseum, ca. 1 h) – Idrsko – Livek (690 m) – Livske Ravne (1037 m) – Kolovrat max. (1169 m) – Na Gradu – Sedlo Solarji (996 m) – Sleme (865 m) – Planinski Dom pod Jezo – Pusno – Kambresko – Slap Sovink – Preval (339 m) – Rocinj – Kozarsce – Preval Poljance (253 m) – Most na Soci
Ü: H Lucija 40 € mFr (normal 45 €)
AE (Gostilna Skrt): Gnocchi m. Steinpilzen, Putenschnitzel, Pommes, Rotwein 18,20 € (*)
B: Kobarisko Muzeji 3 €
51 km | 10,4 km/h | 4:46 h | 1225 Hm

After the walk to the waterfall I visited the Kobarid Museum. This is a war & peace museum, its main topic is the World War I. Kobarid and its surrounding was one of the main battlefields during Isonzo battles 195-17, at least 12 battles, just the last battle has brought movement in the front. You’ll find a lot of memories and equipment from the soldiers. Everything is explained in different languages. Even you get to see a video about the regional war history. The most emotional affect you’ll have if reading the notes of the soldiers. You can’t accept war any more, if you look at the lies of the generals (it’s all time the same) and shamed brutality of war mentality. A second section considers Slovenian history and traditions and prominent figures of the history like the poets. You can follow the Way of Peace from Log pod Mangartom to Sistiana/Monfalcone at the Adria. Not every part is for cycling, but next Kolovrat route is important part of it. It’s a steep way to Kolovrat, first Livek, but even higher further on. Close to the highest point of the route there is another museum – this time open air, to get impressions from war system. From pass Solarjii ongoing is an unpaved part, but easy to ride. With first village asphalt is still back. If going down in Kambresko to Soca, notice the waterfall direct at the road. I was a little bit lucky to find stone holes there, because another thunderstorm had come over me.

Sa 4.7. Most na Soci – ? (580 m) – Tolminski Lom – Kanalski Lom – ? (798 m) – ? (888 m) – Kal Nad Kanalom – ? (813 m) – Lokovec – Cepovan – Grgar – Preval (336 m) – Trnovo – Lokve (947)
H/Gostilcne Winkler 38 mFr
AE (dito): Gnocchi m. Kräutern & Schinken, Roastbeef pikant, Pommes, Gemüse, Joghurt Cake m. Erbeersauce, Rotwein ? € (*****)
59 km | 9,4 km/h | 6:11 h | 1735 Hm

In the north you are leaving alpine region and you reach Karst region in the south. The most exciting route is between Kanalski Lom and Kal Nad Kanalom with mystical wood, full of sun through the leaves. The Cepovan valley is less important, you are always in the sun. From the pass close to Grgar you can look down to Soca and Nova Gorica, Gorizia etc., looking on the two bridges. The railway bridge is a protected historical building. I’ll come back to that place later, but today I continued to Lokve. From Trnovo to Lokve you’ll see the typical troughs of the Karst – most time in wood, but even some meadows. It’s always steep with short up and downs. In Lokve is the best place of all villages in that area to find a good restaurant and different kind of accommodations. The pot roast there was the best I ever could smell. Best quality out of homemade products. The restaurant strictly recommended, the hotel not so important.

So 5.7. Lokve – ? (968 m) – Cepovan – Preval Drnutk (761 m) – Dolenja Trebusa – Krt – Slap Prisjak (walk, ca. 1 h) – Gorenja Trebusa – Mrzla Rupa/Pstota (924 m) – Vojsko (1077 m) – Idrija
Ü: C wild 0 €
AE (Gostilna pri Skafarja): Ravioli m. Kart.füllung & Lamm, Skafar-Schnitzel m. Schinken, Pommes, Salat, Eis, Rotwein 26,50 € (***)
52 km | 9,5 km/h | 5:20 h | 1180 Hm

The unpaved road down to Cepovan is very steep and maybe hard to climb in opposite direction. After short part on asphalt there is another offroad part through a wonderful pass with a lot of stony sculptures (Preval Drnutuk). The road is a little better than Lokve – Cepovan. From Dolenja Trebusa you follow a wonderful valley up to Gorenja Trebusa. There is another waterfall to reach by foot, but not easy to reach. Some other bathing places you’ll find close to the road. Asphalt ends close after Gorenja Trebusa (just a small bistro) and next climb to Mrzla Rupa is very hard with heavy gravel and enormous steepness. In Mrzla Rupa you are back on asphalt, but again one steep part to Vojsko. Then the road goes down, but steep down just in the last part to Idrija (difficult road there). Mercury mining had been crucial for Idrija for some hundred years, one of biggest mining in the world. Of course they had a lot of insane people with that kind of mining. Unless, Idrija today looks comfortable and you see a lot of sportive people there.

Mo 6.7. Idrija – via Krajinski Park Zgornja Idrijca (channel way) – Idrijska Bela – Zadlog – Crni Vrh – Strmec/Godovic Pass (852 m) – Col – Soteska Bela (Walk, 0,5 h) – Vrhpolje – Vipava – Mance – Kobdilj – Dobravlje – Kazlje – Storje
Ü: C Kamp Storje 10,65 €
AE: Selbstversorgung, Weißwein gratis
75 km | 13,0 km/h | 6:45 h | 1065 Hm

There is a special canal way, possible to ride with bicycle. At the end you have to cross the Idrijca by a walking bridge. It’s a recreation area, with shadowed wood. Maybe it’s better to use the road, because otherwise you miss the Divje jezero, a small Karst lake with the shortest river of Slovenia. Up to Idrijska Bela you follow the river on asphalt road. There is a recreation era at the end with some infrastructure. There are unpaved roads further more to reach Mrzla Rupa or Vojsko. I didn’t proof that. To climb up to Zadlog is hard, partially unpaved with some sandy parts. In Zadlog you have reached a Karst plateau. From Crni Vrh you follow a road with more traffic because road is important for transit. Coming down the other side, you can look at the breaking off of the Karst. Next region begins with Vrpolhje, the Vipava winery route. The Vipava spring you can see at an idyllic place in Vipava. Then I had to hurry for the rest of the day, because there is little infrastructure in the villages – even just a few of them. This way winery tourism is less important than at the Karst winery route. Unfortunatly, the good restaurant in Storje was closed on Monday. So I had just a quarter of wine from the camping, every guest gets for free.

Music: Peter Savli represents the young composer generation of Slovenia. This sample shows unusual instrumentation for marimba and orchestra. There are different influences in the music including ragtime rhythms finally: Peter Savli „Koncert za marimbo in orkester” (14:53 min.)

Photo gallery chapter V (142 photos):



to be continued