Coastal–Karst

Coastal–Karst

Drive from the mysterious underground world of massive caves to the salty air of the Adriatic coast. In Coastal–Karst, you can start the day at the **Lipica Stud Farm** to see the elegant white Lipizzaner horses before exploring the giant canyons of the **Škocjan Caves**. The landscape of the Karst plateau is defined by gray stone walls and red soil. It creates a dramatic and rocky backdrop for your journey. The road eventually leads to the sea where the medieval town of Piran sits on a narrow peninsula filled with **Venetian** architecture. You can visit the **Sečovlje** salt pans to see how salt is still harvested by hand using 700 year old methods. The scent of wild rosemary and bay leaves fills the air as you walk along the waterfront or explore the narrow streets of the old ports. In the karst villages, stop for a plate of **jota** stew and some air dried pršut ham, which is cured in the local bora wind. You can wash it down with a glass of dark Teran wine, which grows only in this specific red soil. Coastal–Karst is a region of deep contrasts where the rocky heart of the country meets the blue horizons of the Adriatic.

Coastal–Karst highlights

Part of these road trips

Follow the routes that cross this destination

The Scenic Route
The Heritage Drive
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History of Coastal–Karst

The Karst plateau is a land of stone and mystery where the water has spent millions of years carving massive canyons beneath the surface. Early humans used these caves for shelter and ritual long before the Romans arrived to build the salt pans along the coast. The white horses of Lipica were bred here starting in the sixteenth century to serve the royal courts of Europe in a landscape that matched their elegance and strength. Along the narrow coastline the **Venetian Republic** left an indelible mark on the architecture and the culture of the port towns. The salt trade made the region incredibly wealthy and the salt pans of Piran became the source of **"white gold"** that was exported across the world. Meanwhile the inland villages developed a lifestyle centered on the production of air dried ham and powerful red wine from the iron rich soil. The bora wind which can blow with incredible force has shaped both the trees and the traditions of the people for centuries. It is this wind that cures the local meats and clears the air to provide views that stretch across the sea to the Italian coast. The region remains a unique blend of subterranean wonders and sun soaked maritime history where the stone of the earth meets the salt of the sea.
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