Lipica

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (March 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Lipica is a village in the municipality Sežana, in Slovenia, near the Italian border (Lipizza in Italian).

Lipica is one of the main tourist centers of the Kras region. It is the origin of the Lipizzaner horses. The stud farm Lipica was established in 1580 by Charles II, Archduke of Inner Austria (son of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor). Today the stud farm is fully functional and breeds the finest horses for the "High School of Dressage".

Other places of interest in Lipica and in its vicinity:

• The Avgust Černigoj gallery.
• The Škocjan cave system (Škocjanske jame, in Slovene), a natural monument included on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
• Vilenica cave, possibly the world's oldest touristically exploited cave (it's been offering guided tours since 1633)
• Valley of the Virgin Mary of Lourdes (Slovene: Dolina Lurške Matere Božje) - an open air church and a local place of pilgrimage