Večen bo na vas spomin - Manica Koman, 1915

Cerje Monument and Walks of Peace in the Karst Region

Photo: Municipality of Miren-Kostanjevica. Source: Walk of Peace Foundation

The memorial to the defenders of the Slovenian homeland stands on Cerje hill on the western edge of the Karst Plateau, featuring a panoramic view of the northern part of the Adriatic Sea, the Friulian lands, the Dolomites, the Julian Alps and the Vipava Valley. The initiative to build this memorial dedicated to those who fought and were killed in this territory came from TIGR, a patriotic organisation. Both the location and the content design of the memorial were subject to careful consideration.

The memorial was designed as a seven-storey fortress connecting the past with the future. The seven floors take the visitor on a walk through landmark periods of Slovenian history, spanning from prehistoric times to the periods of the world wars and the war for Slovenia’s independence, the top floor offering a panoramic platform which symbolises a view into the future.

The museum’s collection is currently still being prepared, but the memorial has been open to the public since the multimedia exhibition on the Isonzo Front opened on the occasion of the International Day of Peace on 21 September 2013.

Walks of Peace in the Karst region (in the immediate vicinity of the Memorial) take you along peaceful, unspoilt areas of the Karst Plateau on a tour of some of the most fascinating monuments and other structures from the rich legacy of WWI. They run far from the main roads, along the existing earth tracks, paths and former military roads.

All trails are well maintained and marked, and are suitable for hikers, bikers and horse riders. Visitors can choose between more or less demanding tours, and embark on a longer or shorter route across the plateau, offering beautiful views of both the expanse of sea and Alpine peaks.