Soča
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| Soča/Isonzo | |
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| Origin | Julian Alps, west of Triglav |
| Mouth | Adriatic Sea, near Monfalcone |
| Basin countries | Slovenia, Italy |
| Length | 140 km (99 km within Slovenia, 41 km within Italy) |
| Source elevation | 1,100 m |
| Avg. discharge | 140 m³/s |
| Basin area | 3,400 km² |
The Soča (in Slovene) or Isonzo (in Italian) or Lusinç (in Friulian) or Sontig (in old German) is a 140 km long river that flows through Western Slovenia and North-Eastern Italy. An Alpine river in character, its source lies in the Trenta valley in the Julian Alps of Slovenia at around 1100 metres of altitude. The river runs past Slovenia's highest peak, Triglav (2864 m) before heading south past the towns of Bovec, Kobarid, Tolmin, Kanal ob Soči, Nova Gorica (where it is crossed by the Solkan Bridge) and Gorizia, entering the Adriatic Sea close to the Italian town of Monfalcone.
The Soča Valley was the stage of major military operations including twelve battles on the Italian front in World War I between May 1915 and November 1917 in which over 300,000 Austro-Hungarian and Italian soldiers lost their lives.
Some people in Slovenia call the river "the Emerald Beauty" because of its emerald green waters. It is said to be one of the rare rivers in the world which retain such a colour throughout their length. The Soča inspired the Slovene poet Simon Gregorčič to write his best-known poem Soči (To the Soča), one of the masterpieces of Slovenian poetry.
The Soča is also well known for its unique trout species Salmo trutta marmoratus (known as the marble trout), which lives in the upper course of the crystal-clear river. This species is endangered due to the introduction of other non-indigenous trout species sometime between World War I and World War II.
This region served as a film location for the 2008 Disney film Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- The Walks of Peace in the Soča Region Foundation. The Foundation preserves, restores and presents the historical and cultural heritage of the First World War in the area of the Isonzo Front for the study, tourist and educational purposes. The website is in Slovenian, English, Italian, and German.
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