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Sustainable tourism in Sgonico A place where the Bora wind blows rocks away and brings ancient savours perfumes Text and photos by Chiara Meriani Few kilometres far from the limit with Slovenia, over the Karst near Trieste, Sgonico (Zgonik) rises up. Here the inhabitants mostly Slovenes still preserve their original environment – maybe uneven firstly but frank and genuine –made from the strong work of the ancient people. Sgonico is sheltered behind the Karst plateau; it didn’t transform into outskirts but tries to keep its own soul linked to agriculture and upbringing alive, careful of not close too much in itself. Indeed, it has always been a transit place for travellers and at the beginning of XV century it included a tavern to change horses, known as the perfect place where to stop rest and eat. It is something you can try nowadays also: if you take accommodation in one of the agritourisms located there, you will find dig into rocks taverns, Irish cave livestock, ridings stables from where to start for funny walks by horse and obviously the delicious products coming from Krast cooking. Wine, honey and cheese Precious grapes bring into life wines of strong unique personality. In respect for best traditions, during the last years, many producers focused on the quality and reduced drastically in quantity, often perfecting wood barrels wines. DOC Karst wines are characteristic: among the white variety you can taste Vitovska and Malvasia, among the red one, Terrano is to try. It is obtained just in the region of Trieste from Refosco wineries. The red land, together with the particular plateau‘s clime, where Bora wind blows hard from the inside and from the sea salty winds arrive, it gives to the wine a shining rube red full in dark reflexes and fruits of the wood perfumes. In order to give valour to the autochthone wine, the Vino Terrano Road has been built, to be run by horses or by mountain bike. Honey is a top level product also, particularly in the Marasca, Acacia or Millefiori variety. Chesses are excellent also, thanks to their taste, including some aromatic herbs. Animals, in fact, free in the nature often eat the Karst grass reach in alpine essences. More than biologic! Among fresh branches In order to try these products you can have your lunch into an agritourism or visit the farms and producers’ cellars. The best choice, by the way, is to follow secondary paths looking for an ivy branch tied to a pole or a gate that signals private houses called osmizze. Osmizza is something typical of Karst area. It is a private shepherd house where you can buy and taste homemade traditional wines and food, directly from the cellars. Anything but homemade products are sold. You will not find Coca Cola, packed breadsticks but tap water and homemade bread. Osmizze are different from agritourisms: dating back to Carlo Magno’s empire, the period when Tergeste became part of the Franc Reign. A time ordinance gave all wine producers of the Empire, the right to sell their own wine showing their activity by putting an ivy branch out of their door (if not, their lands will have been confiscated). The ancient usage was restated with a law dating 1784, emanated by Joseph II ruler of the Habsburg lands, letting all the producers sell unpackaged wine during a period of eight days. Osmizza, in fact, is a term coming from the Slovene word osem meaning “eight” referring to the starting time. Still nowadays, shepherds of Karst, held a branch and open their own houses to the visiting guests. The opening time, depending on shepherds, can be superior to the eight days and it is calculated depending on the quantity of wine they produced. Many are the web pages and touristic guides concerning the osmizza-‐tour, but it could be difficult to make a complete list because they vary in line with the season and walking indications are quite general. In little cities in fact, roads are so little that they have no names and the osmizze have not got an easy address to be remembered. Don’t use the navigator and enjoy the possibility to get lost among the little roads of Karst. You don’t have to do more than catching a branch to feel at home. The Giant Cave It is the biggest tourist cave of the world. With its 600.000 cubic metres it could contain the whole Saint Peter Abbey and this makes the cave be mentioned among the Guinness records. Briščkova Jama, the Slovene word to refer to the Giant Cave, has been a touristic destination since 1908, when it was organized with this aim by the Trieste Tourism Club. It is made of one and only big cave (107 m high, 130 m long and 65 m large) and many galleries connect there. The visit is one hour long and it gives the possibility to admire the different shapes characterizing this typical underground environment. Stalagmites of the caves are the result of the big altitude from where drops fall down. Among the most known ones, the Ruggero Column, a 12 meters high stalagmite is to mention together with the Palma one, 7 meters high, taking the name from the tree reminding to its shape. Another characteristic of the cave is the presence of two geodetic pendula, whose cables have been fixed on the volute and terminate on the basis. This tool has been used by the Geodesia Institute of the University of Trieste in order to measure the heart crust movements. To the bottom of the cave, there is also a seismographic station. The meteorological one is situated in the external part where the Speleology Museum is to visit. How to get to Through the Sgonico area, the Highway Connection RA13 passes; it connects Trieste to the A4 highway. The exit is near Gabrovizza, in the Sgonico area. The village is linked to the rest of the area with a deep secondary roads system, full of osmizze! On the road through the lines La calma del più forte by Veit Heinichen, (Edizioni E/O, 2010). The sixth novel of the commissioner Proteo Laurenti series, sets in Europe just before the radical political changes; the detective story develops among Trieste and Karst area where the worldwide European crisis shown its causes; mafia high finance labyrinths of corrupted politicians develop; building speculation, financial bubbles and subprime mortgages are common. It addresses to people that love detective stories. For those who prefer cooking, we suggest the book written by Vesna Gustin, Xè più giorni che luganighe. Cibi, tradizioni, costumi del Carso e del circondario triestino (Edizioni della Laguna): very tasty recipes collection from the Karst area. Agritourism and didactic farm Bajta Krast Fram , Sales 108, mob. + 39 040 2296090, www.bajta.it, [email protected] Agritourism and biologic wine production Skerli Agritourism, Sales 44, tel. + 39 040 229253, [email protected], www.agriturismoskerlj.com Agritourisms to have your lunch and dinner Dobaj Marlenka, Gabrovizza 124, mob. + 39 040 2296068 Papageno di Cristina Besedjaki, Rupinpiccolo 63, mob. +39 040 2296083 (horses are to be ridden!) Zivec, Colludrozza 14, mob. + 39 040 229279 Farms with corners shop of prosciutto, cheese and honey in Sgonico Colja Jožko owned by Colja Giuseppe Agritourism, Samatorza 21, mob. + 39 349 8244204, [email protected], www.jcolja.eu Fabiani Giusto Agritourism, Sales 109, mob. + 39 335 6005979, [email protected] Gruden Žbogar, farm society, Samatorza 47, mob. + 39 040 229191, [email protected] Milič Agritourim, Sagrado 2, mob. + 39 040 229383, www.zagrski.com Milic Ladi owned by Milic Rado, Sales 68, mob. + 39 338 1735131, [email protected] Milic Stanislao, Sgonico 34, mob. + 39 040 889164, [email protected] Ostrouska, Sagrado 1, mob. + 39 347 3925876, [email protected], www.ostrouska.it Vodopivec owned by Vodopivec Paolo, Colludrozza, 4, mob. + 39 040 229181, [email protected], www.vodopivec.it Briščak Irena, Bristie 3, mob. + 39 040 220524 Cesarjevi, Sales 24, mob. + 39 329 1684060 Doljak Ervin, Samatorza 49, mob. + 39 040 229180 Gruden Stanislav, Samatorza 6, mob. + 39 040 229349 Kocman Giovanni, sgonico 59, mob + 39 040 229211 Stolfa Fortunato, Sales 46, mob. + 39 040 229439 Suc Erika, Borgo Grotta Gigante 18, mob. 3392019144 Žigon Marta, Sgonico 36, mob. + 39 040 368430 Percic Silvia, Sales 43/a, mob. + 39 040 229264 Castellani Bogdan, Gabrovizza 4, mob. + 39 040 2296068 Savron Roberto, Sgonico 60, mob. + 39 3472511947