from 110 €

Magical Goriška brda

Goriška brda, the land of hills, is located on the other side of Mt. Sabotin, not far from Solkan and Soča Fun Park. Nestled halfway between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, the rolling hills with their rich heritage and beauty conjure up authentic experiences to be savoured and felt by anyone visiting this remarkable region. Offering an abundant harvest of succulent fruit, premium wines and delectable dishes, the region also invites visitors to its green vineyards, orchards and olive groves for some peace and tranquillity under the lush vine canopy. The itinerary includes a short introduction to the history and cultural landmarks of the region, a typical regional lunch and a tasting of premium regional wines.

Welcome drink
Soča Fun Park adventure
Typical local lunch
Stroll through the medieval village of Šmartno
Stroll through the oldest olive grove, visit to the church in Gradno
Tour of a typical wine cellar and tasting of local wine samples and local olive oil
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ADVENTURE WITH A TASTE OF QUALITY WINES AND SWEET CHERRIES
Designed for groups or as a team building, the program is a combination of challenges for overcoming obstacles at the adventure park Soča Fun Park and a tour to the winegrowing region of Goriška brda. The path will guide you along the Solkan bridge over the Soča River to Goriška brda, a magical land vineyards, orchards and olive groves, where you will experience the hospitality of its inhabitants and taste the delicious local products.

TO BEGIN, AN ADVENTURE AT THE SOČA FUN PARK
In the morning, we meet in Solkan, in the courtyard of the Kayak Canoe Centre Solkan, where experienced and qualified instructors of the adventure park greet you. While you sip you morning coffee or juice and enjoy your croissant on the riverbank of the Soča River, the instructors present you the program. After the welcoming part, you board the raft and accompanied by instructors you cross the emerald Soča River. On the right bank of the river, you enter the Soča Fun Park and under the auspices of the instructors, you face a two-hour adventure among the treetops, overcoming the obstacles in the adventure park at a height of 2 to 10 meters above the ground. At last, you face the unforgettable "descent of courage" – you return to the left bank along a 300 meters long zip-line, 40 meters above the ground.

TO THE MAGICAL GORIŠKA BRDA
After the experience at the adventure park, you head towards Goriška brda (locally also called just “Brda”), crossing the Solkan bridge from where a breath-taking view opens over the emerald Soča River and the elegant stone railway bridge with the largest stone arch in the world. The so-called Osimo road, which runs partly on the Italian territory, takes you over the slopes of Sabotin hill to Goriška brda. You drive through the villages of Podsabotin, Hum and Kojsko. The picturesque landscape of the Brda vineyards and orchards accompanies you forward to Gonjače, where you climb up the 23-meter high view tower. From this point, a view opens over the entire Brda and much further, to the Julian and Carnic Alps, the Dolomites, through Friuli to the Adriatic Sea, the Karst, the Vipava Valley and the Trnovo Forest, all the way to Mt. Nanos; a fairy-tale landscape, which has a special, magic power.

Brda, a land of hills nestles halfway between the Alps and the Adriatic, maintains and develops its tradition, protects its beauty and bestows beneficial effects that can be recognized and felt by everyone who comes to this region. Brda is the place where juicy local fruit grows, excellent wines are produced, delicious local food can be tasted; a place where you can walk through green vineyards, orchards and olive groves and find inner peace in the authentic nature.

After the visit of Gonjače you have a typical Brda lunch and enjoy the view over the Brda hills. After lunch, you head towards the medieval village of Šmartno, first mentioned in 1317, surrounded by walls and fortified with five towers, which stand by three entrances. When entering the Šmartno fortification and walking around the narrow streets among the old and newer houses, the feeling of being in a medieval labyrinth crosses your mind. Here you can see a typical house of Brda, a house with »spahnjenca« (open fireplace on the exterior part of the house) and the House of culture. The church of St. Martin that was painted by Tone Kralj, gives a beautiful image to the village. In the past, its campanile was one of the defensive towers.

The next stop is Gradno, a small village full of interesting details. Its name probably derives from “graden” (sessile oak), an oak species that was once the most common tree in Brda. Here stands the picturesque Church of St. George where Stations of the Cross were painted partly by the world-renowned painter Zoran Mušič and partly by the painter and graphic artist Lojze Spacal. On the church wall there is a memorial plate dedicated to a priest, a prominent national revival figure, a publicist and a pedagogue Andrej Žnidarčič who served in Gradno for 28 years and whose efforts were dedicated to restraining the penetration of the Italian spirit organized in the Lega Nazionale. In the village you can see two nice examples of renovated dry stone walls made of local sandstone. This kind of walls are a true rarity nowadays in Brda. Above one of these walls, the oldest olive grove in Brda stands in the sun. From the olive grove, you drive to the centre of Brda, Dobrovo. The path leads you past the largest Slovenian wine cellar Klet Brda and the Renaissance castle of Dobrovo. You continue through Medana to a typical Brda homestead, where you visit the wine cellar. The winemaker invites you to taste different samples of the typical local wines and olive oil. After the tasting, in the afternoon hours, you say goodbye to Goriška brda and return to Solkan passing over the Italian part of Brda (Collio).