Panovec – Kostanjevica

Start: car park next to Koren Stream

An urban forest, Panovec is criss-crossed with roads, paths and trails. It features a marked fitness trail, a jogging track and a forest learning trail. Stretching over 380 ha, the forest is a popular destination for locals as well as out-of-town visitors. A perfect place for jogging or hiking, it’s also great for serene walks under the canopy of trees. In terms of its flora, Panovec is particularly exciting due to its many species trees – the result of the systematic tree-planting undertaken in the past. It is home to many animals, the most fascinating being the Italian agile frog. In 1985, Panovec has been declared a natural monument.

The forest can be accessed from several directions, most commonly from the centre of Nova Gorica. Leave your car at the car park in the city and head east towards Streliška Street. The trail runs under a bridge and past an outdoor gym. It mostly runs on gravel paths and forest trails. It’s only in the western part where it leaves the forest to cross the main road, leading to the Kostanjevica Monastery, which is one of the sightseeing highlights of the city’s surrounding area. From here, you can either descend to the city or return to where you started.

The Panovec trail is walkable year-round, but can get very muddy in places after heavy rainfall, making it less advisable.