Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
fied village with stone walls and a 16th-century tower, which now contains a
gallery
(
031 715 861; Šmartno 13)
. Visit
Brda House
(Briška Hiša; Šmartno 48; 10am-3pm
Thu & Fri, 2-6pm Sat & Sun)
for an idea of what life was like in medieval Brda.
Central Primorska
Central Primorska is a land of steep slopes, deep valleys and innumerable ravines, with
plenty of good hiking, the magical Idrijca River and a couple of interesting towns. The re-
gion is dominated by the Cerkno and Idrija Hills, foothills of the Julian Alps.
Nowhere else in Slovenia are fields found on such steep slopes and houses found in
such remote locations as in the regions around Idrija and Cerkno. The ravines and valleys
were very useful to the Partisans during WWII, and the region is dotted with monuments
testifying to their presence.
IDRIJA
05 / POP 5955 / ELEV 325M
Idrija means three things:
žlikrofi
(ravioli of cheese, bacon and chives), lace and mercury.
The women of Idrija have been taking care of the first two for centuries, while the men
went underground to extract the latter that made Idrija one of the richest towns in Europe
during the Middle Ages.
History
The first mine opened at Idrija in 1500; within three centuries Idrija produced 13% of the
world's quality mercury. Miners faced many health hazards, but the relatively high wages
attracted workers from all over the Habsburg Empire - and because of the toxic effects of
mercury, doctors and lawyers flocked as well.
The mines are no longer in operation - the price of mercury collapsed in the 1970s and
in 2011 exports of mercury from the EU were banned. But an expensive legacy remains.
Idrija sits on 700km of shafts that descend 15 levels. The first four have now been filled
with water and more have to be loaded with hard core and concrete to stabilise the place.
Otherwise, they say, the town will sink.
