Solkan
Solkan lies in the west of Slovenia along the border with Italy, near Nova Gorica. It is surrounded by the Sabotin, Sveta Gora (also known as Skalnica) and Škabrijel hills, and it is also strongly influenced by the presence of the world-famous emerald Soča River.
Archaeological finds confirm the existence of the settlement already in prehistoric times, continuing through Antiquity into the Middle Ages, as testified by Lombard finds.
The first preserved written mention of Solkan is a donation charter from 28 April 1001, with which Emperor Otto III donated to John IV, Patriarch of Aquileia and his church “half of the castle that is called Solkan and half of the village that in the Slavic language is called Gorica”: “medietatem unius castelli quod dictur Siliganum et medietatem unius ville que Sclavorum lingua vocatur Goriza”.
The term castle (castellum) confirms the defensive importance of the place at the exit of the Soča River from its narrow valley. The name Siliganum (pre-Latin origin) has changed over the centuries at the junction of Roman, Germanic and Slavic cultures, and already in the 12th century it acquired the Slavic form of Celkan, later Salcan and Salkan, until today’s form of Solkan.
Today, Solkan is a suburban settlement in the Municipality of Nova Gorica with about 3,200 inhabitants (2020). Solkan is best known for Sveta Gora, the Solkan Bridge, which has the longest stone arch in the world, and kayaking on the Soča River.
Monuments
In Solkan, you can see numerous monuments, including monuments to the Partisan fighters and activists from Solkan who fell during the Yugoslav National Liberation Movement (NOB).
The Solkan Bridge
With an 85-metre span of the main arch, it is the world champion among stone railway bridges. Built in the years 1904 and 1905 as part of the Bohinj Railway, it stands out for its elegance and its harmonious integration into the environment. Since 1985, it has been enlisted as a technical monument of national importance.
The Solkan Newspaper
The 1001 Solkan Newspaper is a local newspaper, which is published four times a year and has been published for 25 years. It is issued and financed by the Solkan Community Council, aided by locals, local companies and craftsmen with voluntary contributions. It provides useful information for locals, short reports on local events, personal recollections of the past, stories of local inhabitants, etc. There are about 1,500 copies distributed to residents of Solkan and its various institutions. The newspaper can also be ordered at the Community Council offices.
