Vipava, the town of springs and wine

The Vipava springs and bridges

This is where the Vipava Valley begins. The Vipava river emerges in several karst springs right below the slope of Nanos, where people settled in prehistoric times because of the plentiful clean water. The delta-shaped source, which the valley’s tourist board presents as unique in this part of Europe, is the town’s defining feature. Over the centuries as many as 25 bridges were built to span all the springs and channels, which is where the Venice comparison comes from. Crossing them to the springs, with the sound of the water and every shade of green in the river, is the best part of a visit.

The Lanthieri mansion and the castle

Water, a mild climate and fertile soil drew noble families here. Above the river stand the ruins of old Vipava Castle, from the late 11th century, reached by a path with good views, and in the town centre is the Baumkirchner Tower, part of the Tabor Castle fortifications. The centrepiece is the Baroque Lanthieri Mansion on the square, with a back courtyard leaning against the river’s largest spring, a park full of stone cherubs and a Venetian-style façade.

The Lanthieri counts also commissioned the nearby Renaissance manor of Zemono, which today has one of the country’s finest restaurants according to the valley’s tourist board. And the Austrian diplomat Anton Laurin, born in Vipava, brought two Egyptian sarcophagi some 4,000 years old, which now stand in the cemetery. For art, the church of St Stephen has a Classicist white-marble altar and frescoes from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Zelèn and Pinela, Vipava’s wine

For many, wine is the reason to come back to Vipava. The town is surrounded by vineyard hills on three sides, ideal for the native varieties that locals have kept alive for centuries. Standing out is the completely indigenous Zelèn, followed by Pinela, in whites, reds, rosés and orange wines. In neighbouring Vrhpolje a nursery has been growing vines for more than a century, and Lanthieri Mansion houses the school of viticulture and oenology and the first wine museum. There’s more in the guide to Slovenian wine.

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Climbing and trails

Vipava is also a very popular climbing destination, especially in winter, with more than 50 routes on the walls of Nanos. The Tura sports centre, with a campsite, is at Gradišče beside the climbing area, and many walking and cycling routes start from the town. A few kilometres away lie Ajdovščina, with its Roman fort, and the walled hilltop village of Vipavski Križ.

If you are short on time, see the best tours in Vipava and pick one that fits your day.

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