Things to do
5-
Dobrovo Castle
A square Renaissance castle with corner towers sits in the middle of the village, with a restaurant, exhibition rooms and the regional wine shop in its cellars. The wine shop stocks bottles from many Brda producers and runs tastings, which makes it a useful first stop before choosing cellars to visit. The castle rooms hold a collection of prints by the painter Zoran Mušič.
-
Gonjače Lookout Tower
Built as a memorial to the region's dead of the Second World War, the concrete tower near Gonjače rises about 23 metres above the vineyards. A stair inside leads to a platform with views over Brda, the Friulian plain and, on clear days, the Julian Alps and the sea. It is a short drive from Dobrovo, with a café beside it.
-
Kostanjevica Monastery
On a hill above Nova Gorica, about ten kilometres east of Dobrovo, this Franciscan monastery keeps a crypt with the tombs of members of the exiled French Bourbon family. Its library holds old manuscripts and printed books, and the garden holds a large collection of Bourbon roses. The roses peak in May, and the crypt opens at set hours.
-
Šmartno
Within stone walls on a hilltop a few kilometres from Dobrovo, this fortified village packs narrow lanes, stone houses and a large church into a small circle. Parts of the old defensive towers survive, and several houses now hold guest rooms and restaurants. It is best walked in the late afternoon, when the light warms the stone.
-
Solkan Bridge
Spanning the Soča at Solkan in one stone arch of 85 metres, this railway bridge on the Bohinj line is often cited as the longest stone rail arch in the world. The view is best from the riverbank below, where kayakers put in on green water. It is about ten kilometres from Dobrovo, on the northern edge of Nova Gorica.