A fragment of our history - the Monument of Peace

Hi, first of all I would like to wish is a happy, healthy and peaceful 2022. I'm writing today, but this post refers to the last week of the year 21, when I went for a walk on a historical trail and reached the 25-metres high Monument of Peace (West Slovenia) that was built to preserve the memory of all defenders of the Slovenian land.

The Monument of Peace stands on the Cerje lookout, on the western edge of the Karst plateau, from where you can admire the northern part of the Adriatic Sea, Friuli region, the Dolomites, the Julian Alps and the Vipava Valley. It shelters a gallery with permanent and temporary exhibitions. There is also a small bar/restaurant with outside terrace.

All trails are well maintained and signposted. Visitors can choose between more or less demanding trails and take a longer or shorter route along the plateau. Whatever they chose they will enjoy views of the Adriatic Sea on one side and the Alpine peaks on the other.

The Monument on Cerje is easily accessible by car, but we prefer walking 😊 (from the main parking place at the bottom of the hill). It is an easy walk, that takes you 30-45 minutes🚶🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️.

Just before arriving to the top, we passed a strip of newly planted trees – The tree-lined avenue of Gratitude. The area of newly planted trees has been set up after the huge fire in August 2019. The fire destroyed almost 100 hectares of forest along ˝Walk of Peace on Karst˝. Individuals, associations and companies from Slovenia and abroad raise funds and reforested the area with autochthonous trees.

The Monument of Peace is part of so called ˝Walk of Peace on Karst˝ - 5 hiking trails on Karst plateau that preserve the heritage and the history of the WW1. The trails are of different lengths and will take you through peaceful and unspoilt areas of the Karst plateau, along paths and former military roads, to see the remains and monuments from First World War.

Between September and October 1916, the seventh and eighth offensive of the Isonzo Front took place in this area. The Italians wanted to capture the area of Cerje. The Italian brigades made several attempts to attack, but without success. This area was not captured until the ninth offensive of Isonzo Front, when Cerje were also taken.

Less than half an hour's walk away from Cerje you can stop by “Borojevic's stone throne”. The monument is dedicated to the famous "Lion of Isonzo", as the Austro-Hungarian commander Svetozar Borojevic von Bojna was called. He planned and led the final 12th battle that defeated the Italian army.

Thanks for reading,
feel free to leave a comment, I will be glad to reply to.
Best regards, @miljo76