Soca River - Definition

The river Soča (Italian Isonzo) is a river in West Slovenia and North Italy. An Alpine river in character, Soča has its source 1,100 m high in the Julian Alps, west from Mt. Triglav (2683m) in the Trenta valley. Flowing south past Bovec, Kobarid, Tolmin, Nova Gorica and Gorizia, it enters after 140 km the Adriatic Sea near Monfalcone in Italy.

The valley of Soča (Isonzo) was the stage of major military operations - 12 battles on (The Isonzo Front) in the First World War between May 1915 and November 1917 - which took over 2.000,000 human lives on both Austrian and Italian side.

Famous and unique is the Soča trout (Slovenian Soška postrv), Salmo trutta marmoratus, also named the Marble trout, who lives in the upper stream of crystal-clear river. It is the endemic fish species of the river basin of the Adriatic Sea and endangered due to introduction of non-autochthonous trouts between both world wars.

Some people call the river "the emerald beauty" because of its emerald green color of water.

The Soča inspired a Slovenian poet Simon Gregorčič to write the poem Soči (To the Soča), one of masterpieces of Slovenian poetry.

External links

• Some beautiful photos of the Soča: http://www2.arnes.si/~opoljanelj/galerija_soca_eng.htm
• Jurij Pohar on the Soča Marble trout: http://www.bfro.uni-lj.si/zoo/publikacije/avtohtone_pasme/eng/The%20Marble%20trout.html
• Italien website "11 battles at the Isonzo" (the 12th was a triumph for the Austro-Hungarian troops, which came in Nov. 1917 at the "battaglia di Caporetto" till the river Piave) http://www.worldwar1.com/itafront/isonzo11.htm

• maps you can find here : http://www.firstworldwar.com/maps/italianfront.htm