Idrija is a small town in a narrow valley in western Slovenia, and for five hundred years it was one of the richest places in Europe, because under it lay mercury. The ore was found in 1490, and the mine became the second biggest in the world, after Almaden in Spain, and employed generations of miners. The two together were listed as a World Heritage site in 2012. Mercury was vital for extracting gold and silver, and for mirrors, medicines and later industry, and the Habsburg emperors treasured Idrija. The miners' wives and daughters made lace to earn money, and Idrija lace is still made today, taught in a school, and a local pride.
The hills around Idrija are steep and wooded, cut by narrow gorges and dotted with small farms. Gorenja Kanomlja, the point on the map, is a village in the hills near the town, and the label refers to a wall or wall-like feature, possibly part of a late Roman defensive system, the Claustra Alpium Iuliarum, a line of barriers, towers and forts built across the passes of the eastern Alps between the third and fifth centuries to guard the road into Italy.
The riding is excellent. From Ljubljana the road to Idrija climbs through Vrhnika and Logatec, and then twists down into the valley, with forest, small villages and wonderful curves. Beyond Idrija, minor roads head up toward Cerkno, near which lies the Franja Partisan Hospital, hidden in a gorge during the Second World War. Surfaces are generally good but narrow, with sharp bends and occasional gravel. Traffic is light. Idrija has fuel, cafes and shops, and the larger villages have basic supplies.
Slovenia uses an electronic vignette for motorways, with a separate cheaper category for motorcycles, but you can avoid the motorways entirely on this route.
Try zlikrofi, small dumplings filled with potato and herbs, a dish unique to Idrija with protected status, and a glass of local wine. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, and summer can bring thunderstorms.