Holiday apartment in Renče: Nature, History and Wine

In the lower Vipava Valley southwest of Renče lie the Renče clay extraction areas and their immediate surroundings. Together, they form the Important Bird Area of the same name. A birdwatching station is located near the abandoned Renče clay extraction site, and the area is Slovenia’s only confirmed breeding ground of the greylag goose.

Culture

In the centre of Renče, a hundred-year-old plane tree stands in Grajski vrt and is protected as a natural monument of local significance. Another notable place is today’s Stari plac: a remnant of the Renče castle or manor shapes today’s Stari plac in Renče. The origins of this complex date back to the 13th century, when a medieval manor stood on the same site.

The parish church of St Mohor and Fortunatus also combines several periods. It was first mentioned in 1470; the present late Baroque building was erected in the second half of the 18th century. A regional tradition can be seen in Škuljanje. This traditional social and sporting game of the Primorska region consists of an individual or team throwing a flat, shaped stone or half a brick onto a playing field and getting it as close as possible to the target stone. One club has a section in Renče; demonstrations of the game are part of the tourist offerings of the Municipality of Renče-Vogrsko during holidays, gatherings and events.

History

The Field Hospital Museum is located in the former mortuary of the Renče cemetery and presents the work of the Renče field hospital. Original objects and the uniform of a nurse from Austria-Hungary are on display. Visits are possible during the opening hours of TIC Nova Gorica; after a phone call, the staff open and close the exhibition remotely.

In the hamlet of Vinišče, the First World War memorial park preserves trenches, bunkers, a cavern and landscaped paths. Next to the cavern, a six-metre-high wooden bell-shaped tower stands on the hilltop as a memorial. Local remembrance culture also includes a small museum collection about the Aleksandrinke. These were women from Renče and the surrounding area who worked in Egypt from the second half of the 19th century until the Second World War.

Paths

A 22.6-kilometre section of the Walk of Peace between Nova Gorica and Lokvica runs through the Municipality of Renče-Vogrsko. From Renče, this route begins to climb towards the Karst. The Vinišče First World War memorial park is part of the Walk of Peace between the Alps and the Adriatic.

A route beginning in Renče is dedicated to Simon Gregorčič. An information board at the starting point provides a short biography of the poet. At the individual stations, boards provide information about his life and anecdotes related to his writing. A two-kilometre footpath also leads around the lake to the birdwatching station at the Renče clay extraction area.

Wine

The “Wine Under the Bridge” festival takes place in Renče beneath the bridge over the Vipava. It combines a charitable purpose with wine tastings and local cuisine. Another annual speciality also takes place beneath the bridge: divers submerge an iron cage containing wines from local winemakers in the Vipava.

Further destinations: Šmartno, Šempeter Pri Gorici, Šempas, Podsabotin, Sela Na Krasu, Dobrovo, Lokve, Solkan.

For the broader travel overview: Nova Gorica.