Javorca

Find inspiration

Find Soča Valley activities, attractions, entertainment or choose from our travel tips

Buy ticket

european_heritage_label.png

High above the bed of the Tolminka River, there is a wooden sacred place, the Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit in Javorca, which bears the European Heritage label.

The church celebrates the fallen Austro-Hungarian defenders of the Isonzo Front battlefield (1915–1917). As the most beautiful World War I memorial in the area of the Republic of Slovenia, it was placed on the list of particularly important European historical and cultural heritage back in 2007 and received European Heritage label in 2018.

Javorca is a memorial of reconciliation and a unique example of Secession

The Church of Holy Spirit in Javorca was built by Austro-Hungarian soldiers, masters of various crafts. It stands as a symbol of a call for reconciliation and a witness to the connecting strength of joining the artistic creation with construction. There is a bell tower with a solar clock, the coat of arms of the monarchy and the inscription PAX (peace) above the entrance.

Coats of arms of Austria-Hungary and Rijeka and Trieste

The exterior is adorned with coats of arms of the twenty lands, which formed Austria-Hungary.

Javorca-Luca_D_Agostini.jpg

The interior is decorated with oak pannels, which symbolise pages of a memorial book, with 2,564 names of fallen Austro-Hungarian soldiers who died in the nearby battlefields. Their names were burnt into wood according to the system of the military hierarchy.

The plans for the church, which celebrated its one hundredth anniversary of construction in 2016, were created by Remigius Geylinga, a painter from Vienna, who was a senior lieutenant back then. The construction was led by Géza Jablonszky, a lieutenant of Hungarian origin. It was thoroughly renovated in 1934, in the beginning of the 1980s, in 2005 and in 2016.

A picturesque point on The Walk of Peace from the Alps to the Adriatic

The Church of the Holy Spirit in Javorca will not only enthuse you with its historical message and incredible construction. From the terrace next to the church, there is a view of the mighty Rdeči rob, the charming chain of the Tolmin – Bohinj mountains. The church is one of the selected points on the famous Walk of Peace trail, which connects memorials and remains of World War I in the Soča Valley.

Javorca - European Heritage Label

Since the beginning of 2018, the Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit in Javorca is officially among the giants of the European Heritage, which emphasize common European values. In 2018, it was formally awarded a special recognition by the European Commission - the European Heritage Label.

Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit in Javorca

Map
Close
1 / 4

Javorca - INFORMATION ⓘ

Soča Valley Tourist Board - TIC Tolmin
Mestni trg 6, SI-5220 Tolmin

T: +386 (0)5 380 04 80
E:
W: www.javorca.info

Explore more

Stay with us

Subscribe to our mailing list and stay up to date with news about events, offers and travel tips in Soča Valley