FINALIST#1: By bike from fort to fort – an expedition into the past in the Karst

On a two-day cycling trip, we move the time machine for almost two thousand years back and explore the homes built by the inhabitants of the area at the time. Vulnerable and inextricably linked to nature, they sought security above all else, so they looked for hills in the hilly karst landscape, from where they could observe what was happening around them. They further protected themselves from the intrusion of unwanted or hostile visitors by erecting walls from the material available to them in the immediate vicinity and fortified settlements were formed. In the Karst, these are called hill forts and a little further south in Istria and Dalmatia, Croatia, they are called casteliers or gradinas.

We visit ten locations of forts in the Karst area, from Tomaj to Štanjel and from Trstelj to the Raša valley on the eastern edge of the Karst. We look for paths and trails that were chosen on foot or by riding animals by the inhabitants of Gradišče at the time. As a rule, they were as direct as possible and with milder slopes than later paved roads, and they were separated from the fields and groves by the same stone walls that protected their dwellings. Binding material was not available, so they trained in the art of ‘’dry’’ stone stacking. Over the centuries, these dry-walled companions of the Kraševci trail have acquired a noble patina of time and connected with the vegetation of the surroundings into a stunningly beautiful whole.

But to round the experience, we do not stop at dwellings and trails. The meadows and gardens of the Karst still grow plants and spices that were there centuries ago. The natives knew them in every detail, and we also use them to prepare the culinary experiences to round out the feelings of this exciting expedition.

Day 1
9:00 gathering in Pliskovica
9:00 – 9:30 morning snack with Karst delicacies and frtalja
9:30 – 13:00 cycling through Tomaj and Kazlje to Štanjel and visiting the forts Tabor and Vahta
13:00 – 14:00 lunch in Štanjel
14:00 – 15:00 tour of the landscaped area of ​​the former fort of Gledanc in Štanjel
15:00 – 17:00 cycling from Štanjel to Kosovel and Pliskovica, in between a tour of Gradišče and Gradina
17:00 – 18:00 accommodation in rooms, shower, change of clothes
18:00 – 20:00 dinner as in the past, by a live fire and food from the kettle and embers
20:00 – 22:00 local wine tasting and socializing

Day 2
8:00 – 9:00 breakfast
9:00 – 12.30 cycling through Volčji grad and Zagrajc to Temnica, in between a tour of the Debela griža and Brith forts, java and dry-walled shepherd’s huts
12:30 – 14:00 visit to the ancient sanctuary of Gulak near Temnica
14:00 – 18:30 cycling through Trstelj, Sveto, Pliskovica, in between a tour of the forts of St Ambrož, Lipovnjak and Martinjak
18:00 – 19:00 snack and drink to say goodbye and finish

Contact of the Provider:

Območna razvojna agencija Krasa in Brkinov
Štanjel 1a, 6222 Štanjel
T: +386 (0)5 734 43 62
E: info@ora.si
W: www.visitkras.info

Gremo zeleno | Go Green Way, potovalna agencija za zeleni življenjski slog
T: +386 (0)40 264 433
E: info@gremozeleno.eu
W: https://gremozeleno.eu/