About this tour
Let’s take a walk on Sabotin hill, enjoy the views and explore the remnants of World War I and Soča front.
Walk through the trenches
(coming soon)
Walk to the TITO sign
(coming soon)
Ruins of St. Valentine’s church
(coming soon)
About this car tour
Meet a local winemaker and taste his wines, explore remnants of millenia of history while being completely care-free – I will be your chauffeur and tour guide!
- visit the top sights and the hidden gems of Vipava valley
- completely adapted to your wishes and preferances
- meeting the locals and trying their products
Not just the main sights but also hidden spots only locals know about
You wouldn’t want to miss the main sights in the picturesque Vipava valley – especially its cities with long history (medieval Vipavski Križ, Roman and modern industrial Ajdovščina, the young metropolis Nova Gorica) and sweeping views of quaint little villages and vineyards. But … I can also add in some special places with fascinating stories that only rarely get visited by tourists – but they will definitely not leave you indifferent.
Meet the locals and try their goods
I like to arrange for you to meet down-to-earth locals who pour their heart and soul in what they are doing and allow you to get to know them better and try their delicious goods. You can try a wide variety of home-made products – wine, spirits and juices, cheese, jams, olive oil, dried meats…
Complete flexibility and adapted to your wishes and preferances
Tell me what you wish to see and experience and I will do my very best to bring that to you. Do you wish to focus more on the food or are you a history buff? Do you wish to see the best places to take a stunning selfie or see all the essentials without having to worry about driving in a foreign country? The best trip is a mix of all of these and we can definitely achieve that!
About this car tour
If you prefer a care-free exploration of the region, an all-day car tour is perfect for you. You tell me what you wish to see and experience and then just relax and sit back and experience the best Soča valley has to offer!
- visit the top sights and the hidden gems of Soča valley
- completely adapted to your wishes and preferances
- meeting the locals and trying their products
Not just the main sights but also hidden spots only locals know about
You wouldn’t want to miss the main sights in a picturesque Soča valley – especially driving by the emerald Soča river and exploring the millenia of rich history of it. But … I can also add in some special places with fascinating stories that only rarely get visited by tourists – but they will definitely not leave you indifferent.
Meet the locals and try their goods
I like to arrange for you to meet down-to-earth locals who pour their heart and soul in what they are doing and allow you to get to know them better and try their delicious goods.
Complete flexibility and adapted to your wishes and preferances
Tell me what you wish to see and experience and I will do my very best to bring that to you. Do you wish to focus more on the food or are you a history buff? Do you wish to see the best places to take a stunning selfie or see all the essentials without having to worry about driving in a foreign country? The best trip is a mix of all of these and we can definitely achieve that!
About this car tour
If you prefer a care-free exploration of the region, an all-day car tour is perfect for you. You tell me what you wish to see and experience and then just relax and sit back and experience the best Goriška Brda has to offer!
- visit the top sights and the hidden gems of Goriška Brda
- cmpletely adapted to your wishes and preferances
- no need to worry about drinking and driving
Hunt for the best views
Let’s discover the best views in Goriška Brda – from typical spots (the viewing tower, driving through the villages…) to more unconventional spots with breath-taking vistas that only locals know about.
Fascinating facts from perspective of a local
Let’s chat amicably while I tell you interesting tidbits about our region’s rich history, geography and economy next to the Italian border. If you ever wondered how locals live, now’s the perfect chance to learn about it.
Complete flexibility and adapted to your wishes and preferances
Tell me what you wish to see and experience and I will do my very best to bring that to you. Do you wish to focus more on the food and wine or are you a history buff? Do you wish to see the best places to take a stunning selfie or see all the essentials without having to worry about driving in a foreign country? The best trip is a mix of all of these and we can definitely achieve that!
About this tour
Let’s take a walk through Kanal and explore its illustrious history.
Medieval Kontrada square
(coming soon)
Kanal castle
(coming soon)
Bridge over Soča river
(coming soon)
About this tour
Let’s take a walk through Kanal and explore its illustrious history.
Medieval Kontrada square
(coming soon)
Kanal castle
(coming soon)
Bridge over Soča river
(coming soon)
About this walking tour
Let’s take a stroll through the ages of the settlement on this hill – from its glorious times after it was made the smallest city in Austro-Hungarian empire to its religious rebeliousness to its lively daily life today.
- a walk through the city with lots of visual aids
- learn interesting facts from various time periods, lots of visuals fo better immersion
- visit to a local gift shop
Mighty city walls
The city, which had a different name in that time due to its strategic position, was first surrounded by one set of walls and later on with another that included the castle as well. Why and when were they built and why were the city right even gifted to this small settlement? Hint: it has something to do with their private army, called Kriška garda.
Cobbled city streets with typical architecture
Typical architecture derived directly from local climate and weather conditions – admire these old houses and marvel at the people’s ingenuity! There were two roads through the city in the past, the royal road and the dirt road – learn who was walking on which and how they differed… Stand on the steps that saw Primož Trubar’s infamous speech which caused the city to be struck from all chronicles for a time! See the ruins of a WWI prison and a remnant Napoleon left behind after he conquered the city…
Castle with newer city square
The castle was the stronghold and home to local lords and ladies, who developed the city further – through encouraging of trade, bringing in monks and building a monastery… and later on the most prominent families left the cramped inner city and build beautiful state houses in the square close to the castle. We will conclude our tour with the visit to the local gift shop, where you can also taste local wines or beer.
About this walking tour
Join me on a walk through time on the cobbled streets of the idyllic village Šmartno in the picturesque Goriška Brda region in Slovenia, a small country in the heart of Europe.
What plans did Leonardo da Vinci have with this region? Who were koloni and how did they live? How did being on the front line of Soča front in the first world war change the village? Why was it in such disrepair in the 80s? How does the heart of this medieval jewel beat today? Learn this and more on my walking tour of Šmartno!
- taking a stroll in picturesque alleyways
- experience how locals used to live in the past
- personalized services and local souvenir shop
Map of the region and the village itself
Learn about Goriška Brda as a whole – what are we most known for and which spots shouldn’t be missed while visiting. Learn about this area from Roman times up to the reasons for building the fortress that gives Šmartno its distinctive skyline even 500 years after it was built. Who built it and why? Who defended it and how was their life like?
Briška hiša museum
Visit a fully furnished house of kolon, a typical farmer in this area from cca 1850s. Learn about koloni and their daily life while exploring the (wine) cellar, kitchen and bedroom with a balcony with amazing view of the rolling hills. Watch the 10-minute movie of Brda in the 1960s with live commentary from your tour guide.
From fortress towers to typical Brda countryside architecture
Take a stroll in the wonderful narrow alleyways called gase and try and find all of the remaining fortress towers… Hint: you can see 5 of them from Šmartno, 1 is not accessible during the tour. Admire charming houses and learn about the genius ways they are built! Why are the roofs not steep and what are those beautiful geometric shapes under the roofs?
Church of St. Martin
The church stands on the rised level above the village which was not that peaceful in the past… What all happened here before the largest church in the region was built here in the 18th century and what was so special about its building process? Admire the Tone Kralj’s paintings in vibrant colors and learn about the hidden meaning in some of them.
About this walking tour
Join me on a walk through time on the cobbled streets of the idyllic village Šmartno in the picturesque Goriška Brda region in Slovenia, a small country in the heart of Europe.
What plans did Leonardo da Vinci have with this region? Who were koloni and how did they live? How did being on the front line of Soča front in the first world war change the village? Why was it in such disrepair in the 80s? How does the heart of this medieval jewel beat today? Learn this and more on my walking tour of Šmartno!
- taking a stroll in picturesque alleyways
- experience how locals used to live in the past
- personalized services and local souvenir shop
Map of the region and the village itself
Learn about Goriška Brda as a whole – what are we most known for and which spots shouldn’t be missed while visiting. Learn about this area from Roman times up to the reasons for building the fortress that gives Šmartno its distinctive skyline even 500 years after it was built. Who built it and why? Who defended it and how was their life like?
Briška hiša museum
Visit a fully furnished house of kolon, a typical farmer in this area from cca 1850s. Learn about koloni and their daily life while exploring the (wine) cellar, kitchen and bedroom with a balcony with amazing view of the rolling hills. Watch the 10-minute movie of Brda in the 1960s with live commentary from your tour guide.
From fortress towers to typical Brda countryside architecture
Take a stroll in the wonderful narrow alleyways called gase and try and find all of the remaining fortress towers… Hint: you can see 5 of them from Šmartno, 1 is not accessible during the tour. Admire charming houses and learn about the genius ways they are built! Why are the roofs not steep and what are those beautiful geometric shapes under the roofs?
Church of St. Martin
The church stands on the rised level above the village which was not that peaceful in the past… What all happened here before the largest church in the region was built here in the 18th century and what was so special about its building process? Admire the Tone Kralj’s paintings in vibrant colors and learn about the hidden meaning in some of them.
About the tour
Admire the breath-taking view from the Adriatic sea to the Julian Alps and after take a stroll through fortified village Šmartno and breath in its rich history and vibrant streets.
If you need a transfer from another location, I will gladly come pick you up and keep you company on the way to our wonderful Goriška Brda region. For prices and availability check here.
- what can be seen from the top of the viewing tower
- drive or a leaisurely stroll towards Šmartno
- walking tour through history of Šmartno – from Roman times until the vibrant life today
- taking photos in wonderful spots along the way
Ascent to the top of the viewing tower
Learn about the main sights in Goriška region and farther, admire the view from the sea to the mountains and the confluence of wine regions on both sides of the border. Learn about our region and what we are most known for while seeing it all from up top.
A stroll to Šmartno (recommended)
Let’s take a leisurely walk through the vineyards toward Šmartno and admire nice vistas of Šmartno and the most of the region all the way. If you do/can not want to walk, I can also do a transfer, no additional fee.
A walk through time in Šmartno
We will start with the small Roman fortress and then slowly move through time and see how Šmartno as we see it today came to be. From turbulent times of Habsburg-Venetian wars to peaceful time of koloni until around a century ago, when both world wars and natural disaster really did a number on Šmartno… we will conclude on a positive note by recounting Šmartno’s renovation and its lively daily life and immense charm today.
