Slovenias WWI heritage project on UNESCO’s tentative list

Western Slovenia, where the Soča river connects the Alps with the Adriatic, has been a place of many historical events. One hundred years ago, World War 1 and the Isonzo Front shaped the history of the region. Today, the memories and remains are connected into the Walk of Peace, which has made it onto the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. The network of 230 kilometres of hiking trails reveals the cultural and natural heritage of one of the bloodiest mountain fronts in world history. This is the 6th Slovenian site on the Tentative list, waiting to join the three UNESCO World Heritage sites that Slovenia already has.

Registration on the UNESCO experimental list is the first step in the process of nominations for the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List. Successful preliminary discussions with Italy and Austria have confirmed their support in the nomination process.

UNESCO’s tentative list of world heritage sites includes six entries from Slovenia: the Classical Karst, the Fužina Hills in Bohinj, the Franja Partisan Hospital, the beech forests, and the timeless, humanistic architecture of Jože Plečnik in Ljubljana and Prague.

The Walk of Peace from the Alps to the Adriatic takes you along the former territory of the Soča Front (1915-1917), where a series of battles between the armies of Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire took place. It is dedicated to the memory of all those who suffered during World War I, and promotes the values of peace, mutual respect and cooperation. Apart from preserving the heritage of the Battles of the Soča Front, it is also stunningly beautiful, with unspoilt natural wonders of the Alpine, pre-Alpine and Karst areas. In meadows where battles were once fought, today cows graze freely, inviting you to stop and relax. Visit Kobarid and indulge in the culinary delights of the best Slovenian Chef, Ana Roš at Hiša Franko, or taste the delicious local cheese at the Kotlar restaurant. For a relaxing break you can literarily book a room in heaven - Nebesa. The locals explore their past and are always glad to share many exciting stories with you, or even invite you to explore the woods where you can still find hidden treasures from the time of the war, like buried beer bottles – some might be empty but some might be still full! What a treasure...

The main aim of The Walk of Peace is to promote the value of peace and opportunities for common development. By presenting the rich cultural and natural heritage along the Isonzo (Soča) Front, featuring military cemeteries, caves, trenches, charnel houses, chapels, monuments, outdoor museums and other memorials, it is regarded as part of the significant material and non-material heritage of European history.

Back to news