Slap Veli Vir, Sokoliči
| Region | Coastal - Karst Statistical Region |
| Starting point | Marked parking lot in the village of Sokoliči |
| Route length | 0,5 km (0.3 miles) |
| route duration | 30-40 min |
| Best time to visit | spring, summer, autumn, winter |
| Appropriate for | Baby Carriers , 1-3 years of age , 3-6 years of age , 6+ years of age |
| Level of difficulty | Easy route |
Route Description
If you like to roam around the Coastal-Karst region, love the smell of pine trees, but hate the crowds, a visit to the Veli Vir Waterfall in Sokoliči is the perfect choice for a nice family trip.
After a few days of vacationing on the Slovenian coast, we went on a short hike to the Veli Vir Waterfall. This remote location does not have many tourists. Even we got lost on our way to the waterfall because the navigation device set the neighboring village as the starting point of the trip.
It is important to set the village of Sokoliči as the starting point. Use our map for further help (you will find GPX maps in the attachment). Sokoliči is a small village in the Municipality of Koper that lies in a secluded position between tightly packed ravines. There are only a few houses in the village, most of which are holiday cottages. Leave your car at the marked parking, walk to the end of the village and look for a signpost (at the address Sokoliči 12) for the waterfall. Only a 30-minute walk separates you from your finish line. The waterfall is about eight meters (26 feet) high and it dries up in summer or during longer periods of drought. The trail to the waterfall is undemanding, forested, beautifully landscaped and suitable for everyone, even kids aged 2+ and older. You can easily carry your baby in a carrier, since there is no heavy ascent.
The waterfall is a magnificent sight in spring and autumn, since in summer it dries up. Nevertheless, the surroundings are beautiful at that time of the year and the smell of pine trees and "singing" of pine processionnaires makes you feel like you are on a holiday.
Interesting Facts
Only a few km from Sokoliče stands the famous Church of Holy Trinity in the village of Hrastovlje.
The Church of Holy Trinity stands on a small elevation above the village, within the walls built for protection. It was sanctified in 1475. The interior is entirely covered by an exceptional medieval and renaissance fresco cycle, the best known in the Slovenian part of Istria. An unusual scene appears in the northern apse. The three Wise Men are seated on the throne and next to them stand the saints Cosmas and Damian. The cycle of the Passion of Christ covers the western and a part of the southern wall, the bottom area of which shows a detailed scene of the Dance of Death. (Source: Istria-culture.com website)
Dance of Death is a fresco covering a part of the Church of Holy Trinity wall in the village of Hrastovlje. John from Kastav (Johannes de Castua) signed it and wrote the year of its creation (1490).
The seven-meter (22-feet)-long fresco depicts a procession in which representatives of various strata of society and all ages move towards the tomb. From pope, king and queen to monk and citizen to beggar and child, each time paired with a skeleton who does not joke around, does not take bribes, and treats all people equally. Death is relentless and laughs at everybody’s faces. Everyone arrives with her at the same destination: her kingdom of graves. The fresco was probably created under the impression of medieval plague epidemics.
Listen to a fairy tale about an Istrian shepherd and fairies.
Map
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Nearby Restaurants
Švab Inn in Hrastovlje
Exhausted and hungry from a family trip to the waterfall and the church in Hrastovlje, we decided to have lunch at an authentic coastal inn. Their menu is full of local Istrian cuisine. The staff prepares dishes according to old recipes, just as mothers, aunts and grandmothers used to prepare them at Istrian hearths for centuries. They serve grilled and sauce ombolo, veal and pork legs, steaks, pork medallions, trout of every kind in polenta, etc. Are you drooling already ;)? We gobbled up the homemade bread before the entrees, and the staff was so friendly that they even mashed a stew specifically for our baby girl, who had only 3 teeth at the time. There is a small children's playground outside and a changing table inside. We highly recommend this inn!
Hrastovlje 53
6275 Hrastovlje
+386 (0)41 688 156,
+386 (0)41 685 408
