Stanjel and the Karst

The Karst or Kras plateau lies southeast of Nova Gorica with the medieval village of Stanjel being one of the region’s oldest settlements. Stanjel dates back to prehistoric times and has remains from Roman times with Stanjel castle dominating the village since the 16th century. As well as the castle you can also visit the Church of St Daniel and it’s gothic bell tower, karst house and the wonderful Ferrari gardens. We enjoyed strolling along the narrow streets enjoying the panoramic views of the Vipiva valley and admiring the terraces of Turn Hill upon which Stanjel is built.

We also found a little restaurant where we enjoyed the local Teran wine which is a red wine made from the Refosk grape. It has a complicated history. Is it a Slovenian, Croatian or Italian wine, and what is the true grape variety? You try working it out, we just enjoyed the wine we were served and the view.

We stayed at the lovely Vila Ana, host Mateja helped us to squeeze through the ancient fortified gates, with millimetres to spare, to our parking space for the night. The next morning we explored the Teran wine route which is an easy 2-3 hour hike along country paths and quiet roads where we pass traditional home and a couple of wineries along the way.