Feldban – Military Narrow-Gauge Railway

Demanding | 4 hrs

The story of feldban begins in World War I. During the Sixth Isonzo Battle, in August 1916, the Italian Army pushed the Austro-Hungarian Army to the left bank of the Soča (Isonzo) River, cutting its supply route via the Bohinj Railway. As the remaining railways failed to provide sufficient supplies, they promoted the construction of new sections of narrow-gauge railway – feldban (Feldbahn). They connected the battlefield with the southern railway station Dolnji Logatec, where there was a large military depot. From here, the feldban ran along the road to Godovič and then towards Črni Vrh. At Cestnik’s turn, the railway divided in two lines, the first went to Črni Vrh, Zadlog and Lokve in Trnovski gozd Forest; the second to Idrija, later extending to Straža and supposedly all the way to Dolenja Trebuša.
Due to the complexity of the terrain, the builders sometimes had to resort to more complex construction interventions, although they strived to adapt the line to the existing terrain as much as possible.
On the guided hike you will get to know the most interesting section of the feldban from Godovič to Idrija: the section in the Strug Gorge. You will see the tunnel, embankments, supporting walls, cuttings, remains of the feldban bridge that crossed the steep gorge, and the levelling with the turning point. There, the feldban turned back in the direction to Idrija.
The hike will also take you past Divje jezero (Wild Lake) – a natural karst feature.

Photos: Bojan Tavčar, Mestni muzej Idrija