The most beautiful World War I monument is a wooden shrine that rises high above the Tolminka riverbed – the memorial church of the Holy Spirit in Javorca. The church in the walley of Polog was built by Austrian soldiers in 1916, to the design of the Austrian architect Remgius Geyling.
The outside of the church is decorated with stylised coats-of-arms of all the monarchies and lands of Austria-Hungary. The interior is classic art nouveau, adorned with colourful decorations. The idea of a memorial church is communicated through engraved oak plaques bearing the names of all the Austro-Hungarian soldiers who lost their lives on the hills of Vodil vrh, Mrzli vrh, Rdeči rob and Sleme.
Owing to its predominantly wooden construction, prone to rapid decay, and severe weather conditions, the church has undergone several renovations, the most recent one being in 2005. The church in Javorca was proclaimed a historical monument with the 1990 Order declaring natural and historical monuments and natural attractions in the Municipality of Tolmin.
Photos
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Turning left for Javorca Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Turning left for Javorca]()
Turning left for Javorca
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Direction sign Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Direction sign]()
Direction sign
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Road to Javorca Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Road to Javorca]()
Road to Javorca
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Tolminka Valley Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Tolminka Valley]()
Tolminka Valley
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Last part of the road Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Last part of the road]()
Last part of the road
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Javorca Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Javorca]()
Javorca
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Information board - Javorca - Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Information board - Javorca - Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit]()
Information board - Javorca - Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Stairs to the Church of the Holy Spirit Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Stairs to the Church of the Holy Spirit]()
Stairs to the Church of the Holy Spirit
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Church of the Holy Spirit Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Church of the Holy Spirit]()
Church of the Holy Spirit
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Javorca - Church Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Javorca - Church]()
Javorca - Church
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit]()
Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Last part of the Church of the Holy Spirit Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Last part of the Church of the Holy Spirit]()
Last part of the Church of the Holy Spirit
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Path around the church Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Path around the church]()
Path around the church
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - View in the Tolmin direction Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - View in the Tolmin direction]()
View in the Tolmin direction
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Memorial plate Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Memorial plate]()
Memorial plate
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Interior Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Interior]()
Interior
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Church of the Holy Spirit with Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Church of the Holy Spirit with]()
Church of the Holy Spirit with
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Altar Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Altar]()
Altar
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Wreaths Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Wreaths]()
Wreaths
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - View to the exit Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - View to the exit]()
View to the exit
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Oak panels with the names of fallen soldiers Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Oak panels with the names of fallen soldiers]()
Oak panels with the names of fallen soldiers
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Oak panels as pages of a memorial book Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Oak panels as pages of a memorial book]()
Oak panels as pages of a memorial book
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Window Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Window]()
Window
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Ceiling of the Church of the Holy Spirit Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Ceiling of the Church of the Holy Spirit]()
Ceiling of the Church of the Holy Spirit
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Ceiling Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Ceiling]()
Ceiling
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Angel Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Angel]()
Angel
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Franz Joseph I (1830 - 1916) Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Franz Joseph I (1830 - 1916)]()
Franz Joseph I (1830 - 1916)
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Memories of the 1st World War Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Memories of the 1st World War]()
Memories of the 1st World War
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Spoon, forks, vessel Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Spoon, forks, vessel]()
Spoon, forks, vessel
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Calendar for Slovenian soldiers Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Calendar for Slovenian soldiers]()
Calendar for Slovenian soldiers
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Old photographs of the Church in Javorca Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Old photographs of the Church in Javorca]()
Old photographs of the Church in Javorca
![Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Crests of the provinces of Austro-Hungarian state <br> Austria-Hungary Javorca-Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit - Crests of the provinces of Austro-Hungarian state <br> Austria-Hungary]()
Austria-Hungary
Data
Municipality: TOLMIN (11147 population)
Settlements in the municipality:
Tolmin (3367 population), Podbrdo (605), Volče (577), Poljubinj (436), Most na Soči (414),
Zatolmin (341), Idrija pri Bači (300), Modrej (292), Dolenja Trebuša (275), Volarje (240), Slap ob Idrijci (236), Kamno (231), Kneža (192), Čiginj (184), Ponikve (179), Žabče (160), Pečine (149), Dolje (143), Ljubinj (139), Koritnica (133), Grahovo ob Bači (125), Prapetno Brdo (124), Petrovo Brdo (122), Bača pri Modreju (121), Prapetno (116), Gorenja Trebuša (114), Modrejce (108), Postaja (107), Gabrje (101), Šentviška Gora (100), Podmelec (96), Kanalski Lom (84), Stopnik (82), Hudajužna (80), Tolminski Lom (78), Kozaršče (78), Sela pri Volčah (68), Klavže (62), Logaršče (60), Roče (59), Čadrg (49), Gorenji Log (45), Temljine (43), Rut (42), Stržišče (40), Polje (38), Zadlaz-Žabče (38), Drobočnik (30), Zakraj (28), Kuk (25), Zadlaz-Čadrg (25), Selišče (22), Daber (22), Kozmerice (20), Grant (19), Obloke (19), Bukovski Vrh (19), Trtnik (18), Bača pri Podbrdu (16), Dolgi Laz (14), Volčanski Ruti (13), Gorski Vrh (13), Loje (11), Znojile (11), Porezen (11), Selce (9), Sela nad Podmelcem (7), Grudnica (7), Tolminske Ravne (6), Kneške Ravne (5), Kal (4), Lisec (0)