Path of Remembrance and Comradeship (Pot ob žici)

The Path of Remembrance and Comradeship (Pot spominov in tovarištva, known as Pot ob žici) is a 34 km tree-lined trail that circles Ljubljana, Slovenia, following the line of the barbed-wire fence that occupying Italian forces built around the city in 1942 during the Second World War. The wire cut Ljubljana off from the surrounding countryside, and residents were checked at control points when entering or leaving. After the war, the route was turned into a memorial path, planted with trees and marked with stones and monuments, and it has become a popular recreation route for walking, running and cycling. Visitors can walk or cycle any section for free, and the Bežigrad section in the north of the city is one of the most convenient. Marked stops every few hundred metres carry numbered markers and memorials, and the path passes through residential areas, parks, forest and the edges of the Ljubljana Marshes. Information boards explain the history at various points. The full circuit is long, so most visitors choose a single section, taking 1-2 hours on foot, or complete the ring by bicycle in several hours. Photographers favour the tree-lined stretches, the memorial markers and the changing scenery across seasons, with autumn colours particularly strong. The path is open at all times and receives local runners, cyclists and families, with a traditional hike and recreation event held each year in May to mark the end of the war. It is quietest on weekday mornings and busier on weekend afternoons. Visitors bring water, since refreshments are available only in neighbouring districts.