Hiša Barut

For those who are not intrigued by the hustle and bustle of the coastal area, however, being active tourists want to enjoy the fast access to key locations in the surrounding areas, Gabrovica is the ideal choice.

Worth visiting are also the old villages under the Karst Edge, and the natural attractions in the surrounding areas. After the war, only a few houses in Gabrovica were reconstructed in their characteristic architectural style of the Karst Edge area, among others also the Barut House which still preserves its traditional design and construction method (stone walls, wooden floors and roofing). The traditional building blocks with narrow streets and indoor courtyards can be seen in the nearby Osp and Črnotiče, while a visit to Črni Kal will give you a chance to see Benkova Hiša (Benko’s House) from 1489, which is considered to be the oldest farmhouse in Slovenia.

Some defence and observation towers and smaller fortified shelters have been preserved from the time of the Turkish invasions under the Karst Edge, which used to provide basic shelter to the villagers during the invasions. In the surroundings of Gabrovica you can thus see the defence tower above Črni Kal, the defence walls under the climbing wall in Osp (Osapska Stena), the tower in Podpeč and, in particular, the world-known fortified Church of the Holy Trinity in Hrastovlje from the 15th century, with frescoes depicting the Dance of Death. It is also worth paying a visit to the Socerb Castle with its breath-taking view of the Gulf of Trieste and the nearby Sveta Jama (Sacred Cave).

The cities worth visiting at the seaside are Koper and Piran with their beautiful city centres, which have been preserved from the times of the Venetian Republic, not to mention the many museums and galleries. When in Koper, which is considered to be one of the oldest Slovenian cities, it is especially worth visiting the Tito Square with the Loggia Palace, the Praetorian Palace and Assumption Cathedral with its 53 m tower, which can also be accessed. As a regional and administrative centre, Koper has been rapidly developing in the recent years in the direction of active tourism, which includes various sports events.

In Piran, visit St. George's Parish Church, located high above the sea on a prominent spot dominating above the city centre, the Tartini Square and the harbour. Whoever plans to visit Izola and Muggia (Italy), will soon discover similarities between these historic cities, as these – unlike Trieste – were part of the Venetian Republic for a long time. While in Piran, it is worth visiting the nearby salt pans and the Strunjan Cliff.

As the access to the motorway is very fast and comfortable, we also recommend visiting some of the slightly more distant attractions, such as the Lipica Stud Farm, where the world-famous Lipizzaner horses are bred (26 km), the widely known Škocjan Caves (24 km from Gabrovica) and the Postojna Cave (49 km from Gabrovica), the fortified medieval settlement of Štanjel on the Karst Plateau (50 km), the Duino Castle from the 14th century owned by the Thurn und Taxis family (41 km), the Miramare Castle with its extensive park from the middle of the 19th century, which served as a summer residence to the brother of Emperor Franz Joseph (24 km), and last but not least, the mouth of the Soča River (67 km). A slightly longer drive will get you to Ljubljana (95 km) and Venice (190 km), both of which definitely deserve a full-day visit.

The coastal area hosts numerous events and concerts for all kinds of tastes: the Tartini Festival of chamber music in the summer, the Marezijazz big band festival in Marezige, the Frivolus street art festival, the Kino Otok – Isola Cinema film festival in Izola,
the summer jazz festival Trieste Loves Jazz, and many others. If, however, you are looking for a relaxed summer break, we can recommend the numerous beaches at the seaside.