Soca River

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 in the Trenta valley. Flowing south past Bovec, Kobarid, Tolmin, Nova Gorica and Gorizia, it enters the Adriatic Sea near Monfalcone in Italy. The valley of Soča was the stage of major military operations (The Isonzo Front) in the First World War, which took over 500,000 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.