The most prominent of the settlements west of Ajdovščina is Vipavski Križ, a fortified town on a hill. It has always attracted visitors due to its long and turbulent history, and with unique characteristics which has been preserved to this day. In 1482. the Counts of Gorizia surrounded the settlement with a strong wall to repel the Turkish and Venetian invasions. In 1507, it obtained market rights, and in 1532 Emperor Ferdinand granted it the status of a town. The oldest part of town consists of narrow alleys with one-storey or two-storey houses. The 1637 Caphucin Monastery, which the Counts Attems helped to build, contains the greatest Baroque painting in Slovenia, The Glory of the Holy Trinity, and an  impressive library.  
Vipavski Križ is the birthplace of Janez Svetokriški, who wrote five books of seroms entitled Sacrum Promptuarium - The Holy Guidebook. The parish church contains beautifully carved altars, an elaborately carved marble main altar, oil paintings and a lavish stucco work in the Chapel of the Holy Cross.