Pristava is a destination for travelers who want to organize their stay around specific cultural and architectural themes. In Rafut Park, a scenic path leads from the gatehouse up to Villa Laščak; the “Na šverc!” exhibition explores the history of smuggling in the Goriška region. The focus is therefore on both a walk among trees and exotic plants and a distinct perspective on the postwar period. These different themes can help you decide how you want to spend your time in Pristava.

Rafut Park and Villa Laščak

Rafut Park is protected as both a natural asset and a cultural heritage site. Visitors can walk among valuable mature trees and exotic plants to a unique villa in the neo-Oriental style. A scenic path leads from the gatehouse through the park and up to Villa Laščak.

Before the First World War, Anton Laščak built a villa in Pristava in the neo-Oriental style. Villa Laščak was completed in 1914 on Rafut Hill and is considered unique in Slovenia and the surrounding region. The path connects a walk through the park with the architectural highlight of the visit.

The history of smuggling in Pristava

The “Na šverc!” exhibition is housed in the premises of the former small border crossing in Pristava. It explores smuggling in the Goriška region after the Second World War, including the smuggling of goods between Italy and Slovenia or Yugoslavia. The exhibition includes an escape room that introduces visitors to the subject in a playful way.

The combination of regional postwar history and an escape room offers two ways to approach the same subject: historical context and a playful exploration. This makes the exhibition’s approach different from the walk to the villa. Check the exhibition’s current presentation before your trip.

Kostanjevica Monastery

Kostanjevica Monastery regularly offers expert-led presentations of its Church of the Annunciation, the Škrabec Library, the crypt of the French royal Bourbon family, the monastery’s sacred and cultural heritage as a whole, and the Bourbon rose collection in the rose garden.

The graves of the last members of the French royal Bourbon family are in the crypt of the monastery church. This makes the dynastic focus tangible, while the presentation topics also range from the church and library to the rose collection.

Visitor arrangements may change. Check in advance which presentations will be available at the time of your visit.

Three different cultural experiences

The sites differ in both subject and presentation: At Rafut Park, the path leads to the villa through a protected area, bringing landscape and architecture together. “Na šverc!” focuses on a regional postwar topic and complements it with a playful escape room. At Kostanjevica, expert-led presentations covering several subject areas take center stage. When making your choice, consider whether you would prefer a path and a building, an exhibition about the history of smuggling, or a broader monastery program.

Discover more destinations: Lokve, Sela Na Krasu, Nova Gorica, Kambreško, Podsabotin, Šempas, Prvačina, Kanal

Go to the main travel overview: Nova Gorica.