The Crystal Clear Water of the Vipava Valley, and the Captivating Soča River

Water is one of the biggest assets of the Vipava Valley. The Vipava River which gave the valley its name, is fed by a number of creeks that spring forth at the foot of high karst plateaus and hills. Virtually every village in the Vipava Valley has its own water spring. The pure and crystal clear water comes from the depths of plateaus which remain unpopulated and almost primordial in their character. The valley folk cherish its water and carefully protect it from pollution. The main springs which are natural sights in their own right on account of their specific features are particularly well protected. Meanwhile, smaller streams create a friendly, almost postcard-like image of the countryside.

Where the Vipava Valley opens up into the Goriška Plain and where Mt Sabotin, the last hill of the Dinarides, rises above Solkan, two river basins meet almost seamlessly. The emerald green Soča – for many one of the most beautiful rivers in Europe – flows straight from the heart of the Julian Alps. A few kilometres downstream, in Sovodnje, Italy, the Vipava River discharges into the Soča. The area that these two rivers delineate before they combine their water in one riverbed is today known as the border-free Goriška Region.