Stanjel

Štanjel is built up a Karst hill in courses of grey limestone with a walled top, and its silhouette, the church with its cylindrical tower and the roofs stepping down the slope, is one of the standard images of the Karst. Almost all of it was destroyed at the end of the Second World War and much stood ruined for decades. The architect Max Fabiani, born nearby and mayor here between the wars, laid out the Ferrari Garden on the terraces below the castle, with a pool, pergolas and a water system.

What you actually see

• The Ferrari Garden - Max Fabiani's terraced garden with pool, pergolas and stairs.
• The Karst stonework - courses of grey limestone in walls, roofs and lanes.
• The castle - the hilltop complex holding a gallery and the village offices.
• The church tower - the cylindrical tower that gives the village its outline.

When to go

April to October; the garden is at its best in late spring. Summer heat on the stone is heavy at midday. The bora wind is strong in winter and the village is exposed.

Honest expectations

Much of the village is still restoration in progress and some houses remain shells. The garden is small and can look sparse outside the growing season. Parking is below the village and the lanes are steep and cobbled.

Nearby

Vipava Valley is north, and Sezana is southwest.