Hubelj River Spring
| Region | Gorizia Statistical Region |
| Starting point | Pale Sport Park parking lot |
| Route length | 3 km (1.15 miles) |
| route duration | 1-2 h |
| Best time to visit | all year |
| 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
In Slovenia, there are many gorgeous lakes, waterfalls and rivers that people visit and photograph en masse. Hike the Hubelj Educational Trail to the beautiful spring and all of your friends will want to know where you found this hidden pearl.
Hubelj is a river (according to some sources it is a stream), during rainy times mountain torrent, which flows along the border between cadastral municipalities Lokavec and Šturje. It originates from three karstic springs (waterfalls) at the foot of the hill Navrše, where the water comes out from a numerous more or less accessible caves of Karst underground (Source: travel-slovenia.si website). The first iron works here were built as early as 1569, and a hydroelectric power plant has been in use since 1930.
We can park at the Pale Sport Park in the town of Ajdovščina. If your kids are adrenaline junkies, don't forget to bring their bikes, because the park has a mountain bike track for downhill and four cross (4x) trails. Even observers can get their share of thrill.
The educational trail is about 3 kilometers (1.15 miles) long and has as many as 24 information boards. Kids will love the hunting observatory and the wooden suspension bridge and recreational devices. Let us compete and see who does more sit-ups: mom or dad? :)
If you still have a lot of strength and a desire to walk, you can continue the trip to the Otlica Natural Window (Otliško okno), Mali Golak Mountain or Sinji vrh Hill.
Interesting Facts
Legend about Hubelj...
One of the shortest rivers in Slovenia, called the Hubelj, flows through the Vipava Valley. It originates below the Gora Mountain, passes through the town of Ajdovščina and soon empties into the Vipava River.
The people who lived there have always been hardworking and honest people. The mountain became very inhospitable in winter. The burja wind blew so much snow that it reached the roofs. The locals were, of course, accustomed to such weather and lived with nature in good and bad times.
Legend has it that the people of Vipava Valley had many fields and meadows and that the drought frequently destroyed the crop, so they were often starving. They knew that there was a spring on the Gora Mountain; however, it was closed by a rock on which a giant was sitting.
The inhabitants of Ajdovščina asked the fairies to persuade the giant to withdraw from the rock. The giant took pity on them and so began to move the rock. It was very heavy and because of that the giant grunted: “HU HU HU”.
The fairies also called the mountain dwarves for help, as they saw that the giant would not be able to do it alone. The dwarves, however, were tiny and strong enough, so they helped as much as they knew and could.
The giant moaned “HU HU HU” and the dwarves encouraged him: “PUSH PUSH PUSH” (In vernacular Slovene “BELJ BELJ BELJ”).
Suddenly the rock fell off and water flowed into the valley. Ever since this event, the stream has been called HUBELJ.
Map
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Nearby Restaurants
Halo Erik
The restaurant has a very impressive pizza menu. The very friendly staff served us quickly, and in the meantime, the kids went to play in a nearby park.
Goriška cesta 11
5270 Ajdovščina
Mila and Staš Recommend
The Hubelj River Spring is one of the main karst springs in the Vipava Valley, important for its integrity and purity, as it is one of the most potable waters in the valley. You can actually catch its water into your water bottle and drink it on the spot :).
