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 the mountain 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

• 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