On a journey across the Karst, attention is certainly drawn by Komen, which lies in the middle of the Komen Karst, and by karst villages such as Volčji Grad, Štanjel and others. Among them the best known is certainly the village of Štanjel with its stone houses gathered on the slope of a hill. Komen with more than 700 years of histwine is today the cultural and economic centre of the municipality. In the period between the world wars Komen became famous as an important tourist centre, to which townspeople came on holiday and Sunday outings from Trieste, Monfalcone and even from Venice. Because of the favourable climate it also became a health centre. VILLAGES OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF KOMEN THE BRANICA RIVER VALLEY   (Kodreti, Dolanci, Čehovini, Koboli, Večkoti, Trebižani) The Upper Branica valley closes off the northern edge of the Karst plateau where it descends to an altitude of 80 – 100 m and continues into the southern edge of the Vipava valley, that is into Vipavska brda. Sights: – The parish church of St Catherine in Kodreti – The monument to Baron Andrej Čehovin in Dolanci – The bridge over the torrential Raša in Koboli – Several memorial plaques in memory of the National Liberation Struggle – Church wayside shrines – pili in Čehovini Well-known people: – Andrej Čehovin KOBDILJ Kobdilj is a clustered settlement on the north-eastern edge of the Komen Karst, right beside the medieval settlement of Štanjel. The most important mark on local history was left by the Fabiani family, attested here from the 17th century onwards. Sights: – The square in lower Kobdilj – The Fabiani villa in upper Kobdilj – ”the Serzent homestead”¨, house no. 39. – A centuries-old mulberry tree – A permanent water source – The little church of St Gregory – The Fabiani path – a network of walking trails from Kobdilj to Štanjel Well-known people: – Maks Fabiani – Anton Mahnič   KOBJEGLAVA The village community of Kobjeglava is made up of the larger clustered village of Kobjeglava, which lies on the eastern part of the Komen plateau, and the smaller village of Tupelče, which spreads just behind the village of Kobjeglava on the Komen side. According to folk explanation the name of the village Kobjeglava is connected with the name of the highest peak behind the village, Kop, which was the head of the other two peaks, hence ”kop je glava” – Kobjeglava. According to another explanation the name is connected with the stables for horses and mares, hence the name kobila-glava. Sights: – parish church of St Michael: the main altar of St Michael is one of the finest Baroque stone altars in the wider Primorska region, from 1768; – monument to the National Liberation Struggle: in the form of a stylised Karst house with a column, a well, stone walls and a roof covered with stone slabs. The stones around the monument, joined by a chain, symbolise the fallen fighters; – footpaths in the surroundings of the village.   Famous people: – Josip Abram – Filip Abram – Anton Rudež HRUŠEVICA Hruševica is a medium-sized clustered village on the eastern side of the Komen Karst. The first data on the settlement of this area reach back to the period of primitive community; here lies a smaller hillfort – Debela griža, which pine forest has been overgrowing since the beginning of the 20th century. There was once a quarry here too, where dark grey Karst marble was cut. Sights: – The filial church of St Joseph – The statue of St John of Nepomuk – The monument to the fallen of the National Liberation Struggle – A church wayside shrine – a pil   TOMAČEVICA Tomačevica is a smaller village spreading east of Komen. Through the village led the well-known pilgrimage route to the church of the Virgin Mary of Obršljan, which lies in the immediate vicinity of the village. Sights: – The memorial to the fallen of the National Liberation Struggle – The memorial plaque to the national hero Anton Šibelja-Stjenka – The village walking path among the pines to the hill of Zajčevc – The filial church of the Virgin Mary in Obršljan – the old pilgrimage church of the Assumption of Mary Well-known people: – Anton Šibelja – Stjenka    KOMEN The village of Komen is first mentioned in 1247. It came to life as an important administrative, economic, political and cultural centre already towards the end of the 19th century, when numerous craft activities, catering, shops and administrative functions developed in the village. In the period between the world wars the village became famous as an important tourist centre, to which townspeople came on holiday and on Sunday outings from Trieste, Monfalcone and even from Venice. Sights: – the parish church of St George; – the central square with the cultural centre and the monument; – the former Villa Storici – today's health station; – the Cirje forest park; – the Austro-Hungarian military cemetery from the First World War in the Draga wood.   SVETO PRI KOMNU   Sveto pri Komnu is known above all for the church dedicated to St Giles with its distinctive octagonal main nave, a unique example of 16th-century architecture in the wider area. In the village there is also a First World War cemetery, in which mostly Hungarian soldiers are buried. Sights: – the church of St Aegidius-Tilen: – a centuries-old linden tree: a natural heritage monument; a cemetery from the First World War; – a walk through a typical Karst village,   VOLČJI GRAD Volčji Grad is a small village that can openly boast of a rich natural and cultural heritage, above all of a rich stonemasonry legacy. In the immediate vicinity of the village are the remains of the Hallstatt fort Debela griža, one of the best-preserved hillforts on our soil, dating to the second millennium before Christ. Sights: – the prehistoric hillfort – Debela griža; – the hamlet »Brith«and the church of St John the Baptist; – the abandoned water supply from the First World War; – the remains of the quarries; – the shepherds' huts; – a walk along the laid-out walking trail – the Stone Path. ŠKRBINA A special historical mark was left on it by the events of the Second World War, for various national liberation organisations had their outposts here, as numerous memorial plaques point out. Sights: – the Spacal homestead: house number 24; – several memorial markers in memory of the National Liberation Struggle; – the pilgrimage route to Sv. Katarina – the remains of a homestead in the »Laz«: the homestead was abandoned in the middle of the 19th century, when on 2.9.1864 water from the nearby torrential spring flooded it. According to oral tradition the water flowed from one valley into another. This is attested by a stone with the date of the resettlement; – an excursion through the hinterland of the Isonzo Front on the Karst.   GORJANSKO Sights: – the Austro-Hungarian military cemetery from the First World War: it is the largest cemetery of the Austro-Hungarian army in the area of the Isonzo Front,since more than 10,000 soldiers of various nationalities are buried here; – the birthplace of the linguist and collector of folk treasures Dr Karel Štrekelj and of the agricultural expert Anton Štrekelj. BRJE PRI KOMNU In the surroundings of Brje pri Komnu there are 4 military cemeteries from the First World War. Across the surrounding commons a field narrow-gauge military railway ran during the First World War. Because of the proximity of the Isonzo Front, Austrian soldiers set up outposts and a hospital here. In the centre of the village is the village well, where on its stone slab is is carved a motif of two people beside a well, most probably a biblical motif of Christ and the Samaritan woman. BRESTOVICA Brestovica is known for a large number of natural phenomena, dolines and karst caves, among which the Dolenjca and Drča caves are especially important, connected with the underground course of the Timava River. In Klariči there is also a water pumping station for the Karst water supply, which supplies the inhabitants of the Karst and Slovenian Istria with drinking water. Sights: – filial church of St Anastasia: it was built in the 15th or 16th century. According to oral tradition there was a station and resting place here for pilgrims to the monastery in Štivan. – Grofova jama: it is a sloping fossil cave with five entrances. In the 1st World War the cave was converted into a shelter for Austro-Hungarian soldiers. In the surroundings there are many remains of fortifications, trenches and caverns; – the »Moritz« cavern: it is in a doline in the immediate vicinity of Grofova jama, where there was an Austro-Hungarian artillery position and a hill fort that surrounds the top of the hill Gradina in the immediate vicinity of Grmada; – »Jerihovca« or Valska jama: in the 1st World War it served as a hospital for Austro-Hungarian soldiers, today the steps and the remains of the kitchen of the Austrian soldiers are still preserved. Look through accommodation and taste the food and drink on offer in Komen and the surrounding area.