Hotels in Renče: Birdlife, Trails and History along the Vipava

Southwest of Renče, the Renče clay quarry areas and their immediate surroundings lie in the lower Vipava Valley. Together, they form the eponymous Important Bird Area. A birdwatching station is located near the abandoned Renče clay quarry; at the same time, the Renče clay quarry area is Slovenia’s only confirmed breeding ground for greylag geese. A two-kilometre footpath leads around the lake to the birdwatching station.

Nature and Landscape

A protected natural monument can also be found in the centre of Renče: the century-old plane tree in Grajski vrt is of local importance. The landscape can also be viewed in the context of the Walk of Peace. A 22.6-kilometre section between Nova Gorica and Lokvica runs through the municipality of Renče-Vogrsko. From Renče, the trail begins to climb towards the Karst.

History and Culture

The parish church of St Mohor and Fortunatus was first mentioned in 1470. The church’s present late Baroque building was constructed in the second half of the 18th century. A remnant of the fortress or castle of Renče characterises today’s Stari plac. The origins of this fortress or castle date back to the 13th century, when a medieval manor stood on this site.

The Field Hospital Museum is located in the former mortuary of the Renče cemetery and presents the work of the Renče field hospital. The exhibition includes original objects and the uniform of a nurse from Austria-Hungary. The museum can be visited during the opening hours of TIC Nova Gorica; after a phone call, staff open and close the exhibition remotely.

The culture of remembrance includes the Vinišče First World War Memorial Park, which lies in a hamlet of Renče and preserves trenches, bunkers, a cavern and landscaped paths. Beside the cavern, a six-metre-high wooden bell-shaped tower stands at the top of the hill as a memorial. The memorial park is part of the Walk of Peace between the Alps and the Adriatic.

Renče also has a small museum collection about the Aleksandrinke. It is dedicated to women from Renče and the surrounding area who worked in Egypt from the second half of the 19th century until the Second World War.

Trails and Regional Stories

The trail begins in Renče; an information board provides a short biography of Simon Gregorčič. At the individual stations, boards provide information about the poet’s life and anecdotes about his writing. Another cultural speciality is Škuljanje, a traditional social and sporting game of Primorska. In it, an individual or team throws a flat, shaped stone or half a brick into a playing field and tries to bring it as close as possible to the target stone. The association has a section in Renče; demonstrations of the game are part of the tourist offering of the municipality of Renče-Vogrsko during holidays, gatherings and events.

Wine and Local Traditions

Every year, divers sink an iron cage containing wines from local winemakers into the Vipava beneath the bridge in Renče. The “Wine Under the Bridge” festival is also held beneath the bridge over the Vipava in Renče. It combines a charitable purpose with wine tastings and local cuisine.

More Destinations

Šempas, Vitovlje, Sela Na Krasu, Branik, Podsabotin, Prvačina, Bilje, Dobrovo

To the overarching travel overview: Nova Gorica.