Honey

The days of wine and poetry are known far and wide, because in addition to the lively events, visitors are impressed by the friendliness and authenticity of the area. And although it is already too late for this year's participation, the location of the event - Medana is still a good enough reason to go on a journey to this wine-growing region with interesting stops along the Vipava Valley.

Grapes and bourbons

And we have already stepped into the autumn season, when nature shows itself in a new guise with dominant earthy colors. The smell of roasted chestnuts mingles in the air, with which we like to drink a glass of good wine. "Wine is a wonderful drink for man, if he drinks it judiciously and in the amount that is adapted to him," says Hippocrates, and we nod to him as we devise a plan for our new escape from the city center. Let us be seduced this time by one of the most wine-producing and picturesque parts of our country, the Goriška brda, which, in addition to good wine, can boast of many manors and castles, many natural and cultural attractions, and the interweaving of folk customs and hospitality. In order to experience as much as possible, we drive to Nova Gorica as early as possible, treat ourselves to one of the various teas in Čajnica and cafe ŠeŠe, open every day from 7 a.m., except Sundays and holidays. Then, from the city center, continue the journey to Kostanjevica hill (143 m), where there is a famous Franciscan monastery. Several valuable incunabula and a copy of Bohorić's grammar are stored in his library. Some members of the Bourbon royal family are buried in the catacombs under the church. Above all, Kostanjevica hill is an unavoidable spot for all flower lovers, as there is a collection of roses from the bourbon group, named after the island of Ile de Bourbon in the Indian Ocean. With 49 varieties, the collection is one of the most complete and largest collections of bourbon roses in the world, so let's indulge in the blooming and fragrant atmosphere and then continue our trip.

Castle lunch

Let's drive to the village of Kromberk, where we will see the castle of the same name from afar at an altitude of 116 m above sea level. In its current form, Kromberk Castle was built at the beginning of the 17th century based on the example of Northern Italian architecture of the 16th century. The main entrance to the castle leads from the courtyard on the north side and leads us to the ground-floor hall, which houses a small lapidary. On the first floor, we find a gallery of older fine art, where works from the Middle Ages to the Baroque era are on display, a cultural and historical section, which is equipped with paintings and furniture from the 19th century, and a wedding room for the needs of the municipality of Novi Gori and the wider area, in which hang among others, also valuable portraits of the Gori painter Josip Tominac. The surroundings of the Kromberk castle have not yet been completely landscaped, but it is still pleasant for a walk and a stop with a view of the wine-growing region. At the place where the stable once stood, there is now a well-maintained parking lot and direct access to the Grajska klet restaurant, where everyone is calling for lunch. The restaurant offers delicious delicacies every day from noon to 10 p.m., except Wednesday and Thursday, when the castle gates are closed to visitors.

Afternoon on elastic bands!

Let's drive to the Renaissance Vogrsko Castle, where we can see the Renaissance roundel and the castle chapel of St. Rok and Barbara from 1764, and then let's continue to the Solkan bridge. The Solkanski Most is a 220-meter-long railway arch bridge over the Soča River with the largest arch made of worked stone in the world. The events on the Soča front in the First World War were fatal for him, as the main arch of the bridge was blown up in the fighting for Gorica in 1916. The Solkan bridge narrowly escaped a cruel fate even in the Second World War, as only one of the many Allied bombs hit it. With the mighty bridge in the background, we will witness the adrenaline-pumping feats of those who decide to bungee jump from the bridge. Safety and necessary equipment are provided by Top Extreme from Nova Gorica, which organizes jumps on Saturdays and Sundays between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. until the end of October. For a brave act, it is necessary to pay 42 euros per person, but they also offer various discounts for groups, students, families, etc. But don't let the adventure end yet, so let's explore the Goriška brda with a stop in the village of Dobrovo, which houses a Renaissance castle with baroque elements, built around 1600. For many, it is more tempting to visit the Movie House, which is owned by the Kristančič family, known for establishment of the Movie and Vila Maria wine brands. It will be hard to resist tasting their high-quality wines. A few more turns and we are already in Medana, an idyllic village that has been combining wine and poetry for many years and revitalizing the happenings in the area. There are still so many things worth seeing and tasting ahead of us, so let's consider extending our trip, find a nice place to stay and save a rich range of activities for the next day, when we can choose between visiting wine cellars, the village of Šmartno with its Turkish walls and a typical farmhouse house, a visit to Gradnik's homestead and his birthplace, a walk to the Krčnik natural bridge, cycling through the hills of Briška and much more.