Soca Valley

The Soca river runs through its valley in the western Julian Alps in a colour that has to be seen to be believed, a luminous, milky turquoise, tumbling over rapids, cutting slot gorges and pooling emerald green beneath the peaks. A paradise for rafting, kayaking and hiking, and the scene of terrible First World War battles, it is one of the most beautiful valleys in the Alps.

Background

The Soča, Isonzo in Italian, is 138 kilometres long, 96 of them in Slovenia and 43 in Italy. It rises in the Trenta Valley of the Julian Alps at 876 metres and flows past Bovec, Kobarid, Tolmin, Kanal ob Soči, Nova Gorica, where the Solkan Bridge crosses it, and Gorizia, reaching the Adriatic near Monfalcone. Its basin covers 3400 square kilometres and its average discharge is 172 m3/s. Snowmelt drives its flow in the upper course and rain in the lower.

Source: Wikipedia, "Soča"

What you'll find

• The turquoise river - the extraordinary milky-green Soca and its pools.
• The Great Soca Gorge - the narrow slot the river carves.
• Rafting and kayaking - the whitewater sport the valley is famous for.
• The First World War heritage - the Kobarid museum and the Walk of Peace.

When to go

Late spring to early autumn for the river, rafting and hiking; snowmelt gives the river its fullest turquoise in early summer. The Vrsic Pass access closes in winter.

Good to know

It is a valley of scattered spots and activities rather than a single sight, so a car and a plan help. The river is cold, beautiful but bracing. The war history adds a sombre depth to the beauty.

Nearby

Triglav National Park and the Vrsic Pass are to the east; the Italian border and Friuli lie west.

Key facts