Kobariški muzej

About the museum

The Kobariški muzej (Kobarid Museum) opened on 20 October 1990 in the Mašera House in Kobarid; the ribbon was cut by the then Slovenian Prime Minister Lojze Peterle and Iva Mašera. As early as 1992 it received the Valvasor Award, the highest Slovenian museum honour, and in 1993 the Council of Europe Museum Prize, which was presented to it in Strasbourg. From the start the museum has understood its mission not as a museum of victory and glory, but as a museum of the human being and of his distress in war.

The permanent exhibition introduces visitors to the subject already in the entrance hall, with maps of the European battlefields, flags, portraits of soldiers of many nationalities and gravestones from military cemeteries in Upper Posočje. On the first floor three rooms are devoted to the turbulent history of Kobarid, while most of the collection is about the Soča Front, presented in thematic rooms: the Krn Room, the White Room, the Hinterland Room and the Black Room. On the second floor the 12th Battle of the Isonzo, or the Battle of Kobarid, is shown with a 27 m² relief of Upper Posočje and an animated depiction of the course of the battle.

In July 2016 the museum welcomed its 1.5-millionth visitor. In March 2020 it was closed for the first time in its history for a time because of the COVID-19 epidemic. Besides the exhibitions in the house, it offers guided tours of the Kobariška zgodovinska pot (Kobarid Historical Trail), the open-air museum Kolovrat and the Italian Ossuary.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition on the Soča Front in thematic rooms (Krn Room, White Room, Hinterland Room, Black Room)
• 27 m² relief of Upper Posočje with an animated depiction of the Battle of Kobarid
• Audio recording of a soldier's letter in the 'Italian cavern'
• Documentary film in eleven languages
• Council of Europe Museum Prize 1993

Permanent exhibition

• Stalna razstava o soški fronti – The exhibition on two floors shows the history of Kobarid and the Soča Front in thematic rooms, and the Battle of Kobarid with a large relief of Upper Posočje.

Founded

1990

Operated by

Kobariški muzej d.o.o.

Admission & discounts

Visits to temporary exhibitions are free of charge.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum has no ramps or lift, so the permanent exhibition is not accessible to persons with reduced mobility; the building is protected as a monument. Temporary exhibitions on the ground floor and the documentary film can be viewed free of charge. The toilets are adapted for persons with mobility impairments. For deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors there is a film with subtitles in Slovenian, English, German and Italian; for blind and partially sighted visitors there is basic information in Braille and a museum case with objects to touch.

Kids & families

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

A small museum shop with literature on the First World War in various languages, and souvenirs. Dogs are not admitted.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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