Trail nr. 15: Idrija – Gore Mercury Trade Route
HIKING AND CYCLING TRAILS
Starting point
Idrija Police Station
The peaceful and quiet village of Gore is located on the eastern edge of the Idrija basin and boasts a history spanning half a millennium. On a lookout on the edge of the village, it is adorned by the 15th-century Church of St. Mary Magdalene.
Several legends speak of Gore, yet historical data is scarce. In Roman times, a pagan temple is said to have stood here, followed by a Christian chapel. According to a legend from Turkish times, the Turks rode from Krnice to Gore. Then, the church was obscured by fog and the Turkish horses began to sink into the ground and Gore were saved. However, the Turks probably only visited Gore.
Until 1850, most of Idrija’s mercury was transported across here from Idrija, via Rebro pod Gorami, Dole, Veharše, Medvedje Brdo to Ceste, from there via Zaplana to Vrhnika and then along the Karst trade route via Logatec to Trieste and then into the world.
From Kovačev Rovt, you can enjoy a unique view of the Idrija basin and Idrija, which cannot be seen in its entirety from any other vantage point.
Attractions
- Rudarska ulica
Rudarska ulica, the Miners’ Street, is a string of ten detached two-family houses on one side and three large two-storey blocks on the other. The mine houses or blocks (prhavzi) were built by the Idrija mine from the late 19th century onwards to accommodate its workers. - Hg Smelting Plant
- Raufnk
- Turška noga
Turška noga, or the Turk’s Foot, is a rocky outcrop below Marutni vrh. Due to its position along the path, it has always stirred the imagination of passers-by, especially because of the indentation at the top of the rock, which resembles the imprint of a human foot. Two interesting stories have been preserved through folklore, each of which gave the rock its name, and both of which are linked to the Turkish invasions at the beginning of the 16th century, when the mercury mine was already operating in Idrija.
- Marutnik
Marutni vrh (892 m) is a peak in the vicinity of the village of Gore. - Church of St Joseph (Idrija)
- Church of St Mary Magdalene (Gore)
Local services
Trail map
Trail description
Reaching the starting point: Coming from Ljubljana, turn right at the second traffic light and then immediately right again: you can park on the large gravel parking lot by the pharmacy or the Idrija Health Centre.
Trail description: From the parking lot, go towards the Idrija Health Centre. When you reach it, turn right and walk a few 10 m to the road. On your right, you will se the Idrija Police Station, but turn left and go uphill on the asphalt road. You will go past a veterinary clinic and go straight agaid past blocks of flats. Behind them, turn right and go uphill, past an old miners’ house and keep right, on the steep uphill path. On top of the hill, turn left and pass two residential building to reach the forest. Keep to the paths leading to the right and follow red blazes. The trail will lead past a water reservoir. When you reach a gravel road, turn right onto a road that will soon turn into an asphalt road. Continue to the main road Idrija–Gore (Kovačev Rovt), where you turn left. After a kilometer, you will reach the address of Kovačev Rovt 37; turn left and uphill in the serpentine and continue walking between two residential houses on a path that leads into a forest. You will soon reach a cart track; in the serpentine, keep left. When you reach the next crossroads, choose the right-hand, flatter track that leads past a wooden shed under the road. Continue on the path that will turn into a forest road. A few 100 m later, you will reach a meadow. Continue on the road and soon you will see the Church of Mary Magdalene, Gore, on the hill to your left. When you reach asphalt, turn right(if you go left, you will reach the church) and continue to the first crossroads, where you turn left onto the main road that goes under the church. Soon you will notice a gravel road on your left, but continue to the next branch that turns left and goes downhill. Along the road, you will notice blazes. Follow them to Turška noga/Marijina skala (Turk’s Foot/Mary’s Rock). From here, choose the right-hand path and follow markings for Raufnk. Be careful: in parts, the trail descends steeply. A good kilometer later, you will have reached the Raufnk viewpoint, where you can enjoy in the panorama of Idrija. From here, turn in the direction of your arrival, and a few steps later you will notice a path on your left. Follow it to the asphalt road, where you turn left. Keep right on the first crossroads; the path will go steeply downhill and soon turn left. Take the Rudarska ulica (Miners’ Street) past Merkur and straight on to your starting point.
VISIT IDRIJA
