EU-funded GeoKarst geopark launched across Karst plateau in Italy and Slovenia

A new EU-funded cross-border geopark called GeoKarst has been established across the Karst plateau spanning western Slovenia and eastern Italy.

The Karst is noted for porous, soluble limestone that produces lined rock, surface hollows called dolines, and thousands of caves, sinkholes and subterranean rivers beneath the surface. Visitor highlights mentioned include Vilenica, thought to be the first cave opened to tourists with records of visitors dating back to 1633, and Škocjan, where an underground river thunders through a chamber almost 150 metres high. The area includes bilingual villages along a border that shifted several times over the 20th century.

The region has established GeoKarst to showcase its shared history, nature and culture and is hoping to secure Unesco designation. Organisers are promoting slower, more local experiences to help combat overtourism; attractions cited include the medieval village of Štanjel, the city of Trieste, the Via Napoleonica route and family-run osmice such as Cantina Parovel. The trip was provided by Promo Turismo FVG and Visit Kras; doubles at Savoia Excelsior Palace in Trieste are listed from £153 and at Hotel Maestoso in Lipica from £122.

Key Topics

World, Geokarst, Karst Plateau, Vilenica, Škocjan, Štanjel