Planinsko zavetišče na Koradi

Planinsko zavetišče na Koradi (Mountain Shelter on Korada) is a small mountain hut in western Slovenia, situated at 802 metres on a wooded ridge just below the summit of Korada, the highest peak in the hinterland of the Goriška Brda wine region. It lies between the Idrija river to the west and the Soča to the east, close to the Italian border. The shelter is owned and maintained by Planinsko društvo Brda (the Brda Mountaineering Society), which is affiliated with PD Nova Gorica, and it appears on the society's website as 'Naša planinska koča' (Our Mountain Hut). The hut has a distinctive origin: in 1983 members of the Brda mountaineering group decided to build a shelter on the remains of an Italian artillery position from the First World War. Work began in 1984, when volunteers cleared the bunker and then, over the following years and within their financial means, built and gradually furnished the shelter above it. The former gun emplacement and a cleaned trench, now a corridor, were connected to the building. The shelter was formally opened on 25 August 1991. Facilities are simple and typical of a volunteer-run mountain shelter. The dining room seats 40 people, there are 11 beds in a shared dormitory, and a WC; water is brought in by cistern, the dining area is heated by a stove, and the shelter is connected to the electricity grid. In summer, tables in the shade of trees around the hut can be used. The shelter is open on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays throughout the year, though visitors are advised to check opening times with the tenant. The summit of Korada offers extensive views: east over the Soča valley to the Banjšice plateau, Trnovo forest, Porezen and Blegoš; southeast to Sabotin, Skalnica and Nanos; south over the terraced vineyards and orchards of Goriška Brda, across the Karst to the sea in the Gulf of Trieste and towards Aquileia; west over the Friulian plain with the foothills of the Dolomites in the background; and north to the hills of Venetian Slovenia, including Stara gora. As a commercial offering, the shelter is a hospitality and accommodation brand within Slovenian mountain tourism, run by a volunteer mountaineering association rather than a conventional company. Its identity is tied to the Korada landscape, the First World War heritage of the site, and the local Brda community.

The shelter's history begins with a decision taken in 1983 by members of Planinska skupina Brda, part of PD Nova Gorica, to build a mountain shelter on the remains of an Italian artillery position dating from the First World War. Work started in 1984: volunteers cleared the bunker and then, over the following years and according to their financial possibilities, built the shelter above it and gradually furnished it. In front of the shelter they cleared the pit that had held the gun mounts and turned it into a pleasant, sheltered corner for small groups. The artillery position, together with a similarly cleared trench that now serves as a corridor, was connected to the shelter. The shelter was solemnly opened on 25 August 1991. It has since operated as a seasonal mountain hut, open on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays throughout the year, and is maintained by the Brda mountaineering society. The site's First World War heritage remains part of its character, with the former bunker and trench integrated into the building complex.

• 1991

  The shelter is solemnly opened on 25 August.

• 1984

  Work begins; volunteers clear the bunker and start building the shelter above it.

• 1983

  Members of Planinska skupina Brda (PD Nova Gorica) decide to build a mountain shelter on the remains of an Italian First World War artillery position.

A volunteer-run mountain shelter and hospitality stop on the Korada ridge, offering simple accommodation and refreshments to hikers and visitors in the Goriška Brda area.

• Dormitory accommodation (11 beds)

• Dining room with 40 seats

• Summer outdoor tables

1. 1Naša planinska kočapdbrda.si
2. 2Planinsko zavetišče na Koradi - Wikidatawikidata.org