At the foot of the mountains, high above the Tolminka River in western Slovenia, in a long and secluded valley, there is a small, wooden church. It is a sacred place, a memorial of reconciliation, the Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit in Javorca.
I had been in the valley a few times already, but I thought it was the right time to return. We are fully immersed in the summer; the temperatures are reaching 30 degrees Celsius and more. At the beginning of the weekend, they were announcing some rain and storms and the weathercast was showing that the temperatures would go down a little bit. That is why we’ve decided to go for a walk in the Javorca valley. Unfortunately, the weather forecast was wrong, and the air was still quite hot and humid, but we still had a great day in this peaceful valley.
The road that leads from Tolmin to Javorca is very narrow, but to preserve the natural environment, there is a special traffic regime in the summer months (high season). The road is closed for cars and you can reach the valley on foot, by bike, or by taking the shuttle minibus from Tolmin.
There are 8,5 kilometres from Tolmin to the Javorca memorial. We’ve decided to take the minibus up to the valley and return on foot.
We parked the car in Tolmin and jumped on the minibus that was waiting for us at the main bus station (tickets can be bought online or on the spot). The drive was pleasant, but yes, the road is narrow, and I noticed that my wife was quiet. I guess she was thinking that this was definitely not the road where two cars could meet. The minibus brought us up to the valley and we started our walk to the church. There is about 15-20 minutes’ walk uphill to reach the church.
This small wooden shrine is dedicated to fallen Austro-Hungarian defenders of the Isonzo Front battlefield (1915–1917). The church was built by Austro-Hungarian soldiers who were skilled in various trades.
The lower part of the church and the stairs are made of stones, while the upper part is made of wood. When you reach the entrance to the church and take a breath from the steep climb and the uphill walk, you have a magnificent view of the surrounding mountains.
Above the entrance rises a bell tower with a solar clock and the inscription PAX (peace). The exterior is adorned with the crests of the 18 provinces that formed the Austro-Hungarian empire, plus the crests of Rijeka and Trieste.
The shrine is a great example of Secession art. The interior of the church is painted blue and black combined with gold ornaments.
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Beside the beautiful and powerful interior and prevalent blue colour, visitors cannot overlook the big oak panels. The panels symbolise the pages of a memorial book. In this "book," you can find the names of 2565 Austro – Hungarian soldiers who fell on surrounding battlefields and are buried in the military cemetery in Loče pri Tolminu.
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This more than 100-year-old church (construction was done in 1916) was well preserved thanks to the efforts of many generations. The last one was done after the strong earthquake in 1998; renovation ended in 2005, and then painting and the bell tower were restored in 2016 and 2017. There is a small entrance fee to visit the interior of the church.
The Church of the Holy Spirit has proclaimed peace for many decades. During the wars, it provided shelter and some consolation to soldiers of various creeds. Today, it is still a symbol of peace and reconciliation, as it is the location of Catholic mass on White Sunday and Orthodox mass on St.Vitu’s day.
Just by coincidence, when we were visiting the church, there was the Orthodox celebration and mass taking place. We visited the church before the mass and left the location before the ceremony started.
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The church was placed on the list of particularly important European historical and cultural heritage in 2007 and received the European Heritage label in 2018.
This hidden valley of the Tolminka River also encloses some Alpine pastures. Only a short walk from the church is Alpine Pasture Polog, where you can buy cheese and cottage cheese.
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Further on, there is Apline Pasture Prode. We’ve walked towards it, but we just want to reach the Tolminka river and I wanted to show to my son the "funny way" how you cross the driver. Of course, he had to try it 😊.
We refreshed ourselves a little bit with the cold water and started our walk back to Tolmin. On the way back, we stopped at one of the bunkers. In the period between the wars, the area was right on the border between Italy and Yugoslavia and in 1930s, the Italian army built three large concrete bunkers. It was really impressive to see how large the bunker is.
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With a light on my phone, we walked a part of the bunker, which was really refreshing in the hot summer air, but honestly, it was great to be back on the daily light and not thinking of all the horrors of the war.
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While having fun in the valley, we almost forgot that we had to walk all the way down to the car. At the beginning, we had a jumpy step, but the sun was really strong and the air was getting hotter and hotter. Especially in the last part of the walk, as it was on asphalt and without any shadow of the trees. Two-thirds of our family (my wife and son) were almost dragging their feet on the asphalt, and they were barely speaking. I thought it was better not to make any comment and I was just hoping that we would reach the car soon.
It was a nice and peaceful day and I will definitely return to the valley, just on a cooler day (or on the return ride with the minibus).
Thanks for reading,
feel free to leave a comment, I will be glad to reply to.
Best regards, @miljo76
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Such a stunning place. The church built on that place is heavenly. What a beautiful church.
It's really very lovely, and the wood inside gives it a special warmth. The nature around here is truly amazing 😮
I was captivated by your vivid storytelling and could almost feel the summer heat as you embarked on the journey to the valley. The church's rich history and stunning architecture, built by skilled Austro-Hungarian soldiers, left me in awe. Your mention of the Orthodox celebration added a cultural dimension to your experience I think. It's amazing how this peaceful place serves as a symbol of peace and reconciliation. In my opinion the mention of the Alpine pastures and the concrete bunkers further enriched your adventure. As a couple who loves travelling We're inspired to visit this hidden gem someday.
I would like to ask;
How did your visit to the Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit in Javorca impact your understanding of the region's history and its significance as a symbol of peace and reconciliation?
Hi @norwaylife, thank you for your comment and compliments! I live in the area where the Isonzo Front took place during WW1, over a length of 90 kilometres, from the Rombon Hill in the north to the outflow of the Isonzo River (Soca River) in the Gulf of Trieste in the south. It was one of the bloodiest and most destructive fronts in history, with more than one million casualties. As a result, there are many monuments and memorials of this kind in the area. So I'm quite used to going to places like this. Still, it does not change the fact that I always think about the horrors, that people had to endure at that time. These memorials encourage us to learn from history, so that such atrocities do not occur never again. When we read/watch the news, we see that, unfortunately, this is not exactly the case. That's sad!
Thank you very much for your support, I really appreciate it!
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Amazing blog @miljo76
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Thank you @yashjain, I'll check out your community!
The church looks so beautiful! And the views over there as well!
Those stone steps added to its beauty for sure!
Well done preserving the church!
And oh, your photos really captured its beauty!
Thank you for your compliments @wittyzell! The location is wonderful and this little church in the middle of unspoilt nature is truly a hidden gem. They are trying to preserve the original appearance of the church and they are not widening the road either. The road is really narrow, so they close it in high season and offer a bus service to the site. Thanks for dropping by!
WOW I really need to visit Slovenia better, I have only seen Lubljana for now and I love... but it is so close to Italy that I must go and check also places like this... thanks a lot for sharing
It is a pleasure to share my travels with you. I agree, since you are our neighbour, I warmly recommend you to come and visit our little big country 😀Ljubljana is also a very beautiful city, as you already know! Thanks for stopping by!
Perhaps I have not seen a brighter and more colorful-looking Christian church with such a positive mood :)
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Spectacular. That place is charming, you always learn a lot from all those historical sites. Cultures and their traditions and customs in short. Charming
Hi @denisda! Visiting this place was really something special, a mixture of a little bit of everything, culture, history, nature, recreation, etc., as you wrote 😉See you around!
You are welcome bro 😎. I hope continue learning with your content
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awesome photo . glad you enjoy the journey. I wish i ll start to travel again sooner
Hi @tommyl33, it was a wonderful and relaxing trip. I wish you to start travelling again as soon as possible and to travel to the places you want to visit. Thanks for stopping by!
The use of blue and gold colour, and wood to add warmth, creates a really pleasant atmosphere inside the church. Thank for the tip and for stopping by!