Idrija
Idrija (Italian: Idria, German: Idria) is a small Slovenian town that is the administrative centre of the Municipality of Idrija (Slovene: Občina Idrija). It is known for its mercury mine and the production of lace.
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 Coat of arms | |
 Map showing, in red, Idrija | |
| Coordinates: 46°00′4.74″N 14°01′20″E / 46.0013167°N 14.02222°ECoordinates: 46°00′4.74″N 14°01′20″E / 46.0013167°N 14.02222°E | |
| Country |  Slovenia |
| Traditional regional | Littoral |
| Statistical region | Goriška |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Bojan Sever |
| Area | |
| • Total | 293.7 km2 (113.4 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 340 m (1,120 ft) |
| Population (2017)[3] | |
| • Total | 11,800 |
| • Density | 40.18/km2 (104.1/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 5280 |
| ISO 3166-2 | SI-036 |
| Website | Official website |
| Official name | Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iv |
| Designated | 2012 (36th session) |
| Reference no. | 1313 |
| State Party | Spain Slovenia |
| Region | Europe and North America |
The municipality of Idrija was established on 10 March 1994.[4] In 2011, Idrija was given the Alpine Town of the Year award.
Geography
The municipality of Idrija is in western Slovenia and is part of the Goriška statistical region. The town of Idrija is at an altitude of 340 m (1,120 ft),[2]
The municipality has an area 293.7 km2 (113.4 sq mi),[1] and a population, in 2017, of 11,800: 5,920 men and 5,880 women.[3] Its population density is of 40.2 inhabitants/km2.
The municipality of Idrija is surrounded by the following municipalities: Cerkno to the north, Žiri to the northeast, Logatec to the east and southeast, Ajdovščina to the south and soutwest, Nova Gorica (a short border) to the west and Tolmin to the northwest.[5][6]
The main river in the municipality is the Idrijca river, that flows through the town of Idrija; the river gives its name to the main town of the municipality, Idrija.
The area has a moderately continental climate; the average rainfall is 1,300 to 2,800 mm (51 to 110 in). The least precipitation is in February and July, and the highest is in November.
History
In 1497, deposits of mercury were discovered in Idrija. This is one of the only places in the world where one can find mercury in both its liquid form and like cinnabar (mercuric sulfide). It was only in the 1980s that the mine was closed.
From 1783 to 1918 the region of Idrija was part of Austria-Hungary. After World War II, it was annexed to Italy. Under Italian rule (1918–1943), the area that is now the Municipality of Idrija was a comune of the Province of Gorizia (as Idria).
The town is since June 2012 listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija) because of its former mercury mines.
Settlements
There are 38 settlements (Slovene: Naselja) in the municipality; the main settlement is Idrija, which is the administrative centre of the municipality and is in a valley around the Idrijca river.[3]
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Tourism
Some tourist places in and around Idrija are:
- Mercury mine. The mine entrance known as Anthony's Shaft (Slovene: Antonijev rov) is used today for tours of the upper levels; the lower levels are closed.
- Gewerkenegg Castle. It was used by the administration of the mercury mine during 400 years.
- Wild Lake (Slovene: Divje jezero). It is a lake near Idrija. The lake is the source of the Jezernica river, a tributary of the Idrijca and, at Template:Conver long, the shortest river in Slovenia.
Sister cities
Idrija is twinned with:
Gallery
Idrija Media
View of the Idrijca River from St. Anthony's Church
Related pages
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Communes of Slovenia". Statoids. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Nadmorska višina naselij, kjer so sedeži občin" [Height above sea level of seats of municipalities] (in slovenščina and English). Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia. 2002. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Population by sex, municipalities and settlements, Slovenia, 1 January 2017" (xls). Statistical Office of Republic of Slovenia. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
- ↑ Milenković, Aleksandar (2007). "Vzpostavitev lokalne samouprave v Republiki Sloveniji v številkah" [The Establishment of the Local Self-Government in the Republic of Slovenia in Numbers] (pdf) (in slovenščina). Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia. pp. 46–47. ISBN 978-961-239-131-7. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ↑ "Municipality of Idrija - map" (in slovenščina). Geopedia.si. 2013. Archived from the original on 20 June 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ↑ "Municipality of Idrija - map" (in slovenščina). Občina Idrija. Archived from the original on 1 November 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
Other websites
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Wikivoyage has a travel guide about: Idrija |
- Official website of the municipality (in Slovene)
- Municipality of Idrija on Geopedia.si Archived 2012-06-20 at the Wayback Machine