Outdoor Museum Škabrijel

Medium | 3.5‒4 hrs

There are several starting points from where you can ascend to Mt. Škabrijel. The paths run past numerous remains of World War I, among others the monuments that are dedicated to various troops, also to fallen Slovenians. The ascent is rewarded with a splendid panorama afforded from the observation tower.
Mt. Škabrijel has passed into the history of the Isonzo Front as one of the worst and bloodiest battlefields on the Slovenian territory. Until the Sixth Isonzo Battle in August 1917, it represented the Austro-Hungarian reserve line of defence (Sveta Gora–Prevala–Škabrijel–Sv. Katarina). After the Italian conquest of Gorizia/Gorica and Mt. Sabotin in the Sixth Isonzo Battle it was suddenly in the first line of defence. In the Eleventh Isonzo Battle in August 1917 the Austro-Hungarian units withdrew from Mt. Sveta Gora to a new line of defence on the Banjška planota plateau. Consequently, the defenders of Mt. Škabrijel also retreated to the higher-lying positions along the ridge called Veliki hrib. The Italian Army besieged the mountain from three sides and sent numerous troops up to its summit that managed to advance on 4 September 2017 to the Austro-Hungarian positions on a major part of the mountain. Since reinforcements were insufficient, further advance was not possible. In the entire area of Mt. Škabrijel fierce fights lasted until the last days of October 1917 when, owing to the breakthrough of the front in the Upper Soča Region, they ceased in this part of the Isonzo front as well.

The guided tour of the outdoor museum Škabrijel starts in the parking area on the Prevala Pass between Mt. Sveta Gora and Škabrijel, at the monument dedicated to General Boroević. After the monument, we follow the dirt road towards the hill Kekec (also called Sveta Katarina), stopping at the cave with a memorial plaque dedicated to the 87^th Infantry Regiment. Just before the hamlet of Bonetovšče we turn left and climb towards the top of Škabrijel, passing the Hungarian pyramid and the location of a former dressing station along the way. There is a viewing tower at the top and a monument to the fallen soldiers on Mt. Škabrijel. We continue our journey on the ridge of Veliki hrib, along the former Austro-Hungarian trench, to the remains of a military monument. From the ridge we descend to our starting point.

Photos: (1) Tanja Gorjan, Fundacija Poti miru; (2) Matevž Lenarčič, Fundacija Poti miru; (3‒5) Simon Kovačič, Fundacija Poti miru; (6) Fundacija Poti miru