Karst and Lipica

The Karst (Kras) is a limestone plateau in southwestern Slovenia, between the Gulf of Trieste and the Vipava Valley, next to the Italian border. It was here that geologists first described the landforms created by water in limestone, and the region’s name came to denote this type of landscape worldwide. The scenery is made up of oak and pine woods, dry stone walls, sinkholes and villages with stone houses.

Sežana, the main town, lies at the border, about 17 km from Trieste, on the old railway between Vienna and Trieste. A few kilometres away are the Lipica stud farm, founded in 1580 by the Habsburgs and birthplace of the Lipizzaner horse, and the Vilenica cave, near Lokev, which has welcomed visitors since the 17th century. In the town centre, the botanical garden of the Mirasasso villa preserves plants brought from various parts of the world.

Further north, Štanjel crowns a hilltop, enclosed by 15th-century walls, with stone streets, a castle and the church of Saint Daniel, with a lemon-shaped tower. The architect Max Fabiani, who was the village mayor between the wars, designed the terraced Ferrari Garden there.

The Karst is also a land of wine and prosciutto. Teran, a deeply coloured red made from the refošk grape on the plateau’s red soils, and kraški pršut, ham cured by the bora wind, appear in the cellars and taverns of villages such as Tomaj, Dutovlje and Štanjel.

This destination brings together 2 cities: Sežana, Štanjel.