Blending industrial innovation with historical preservation, the Doblar hydro power plant on the Soča has unveiled a museum dedicated to the technical heritage of hydropower. The new museum invites the public to explore the fascinating story behind one of Slovenia's oldest energy facilities.

The power plant is considered a gem of Slovenian industrial heritage. Built in 1938, it started operating a year later and it is still active. Together with three other hydro power plants on the Soča and the pumped-storage hydro power plant Avče, it produces 500 GWh of electricity annually.

"The structure is a special feature of the area, built in another time that was not so friendly towards us, the people of the Primorska region, but it is right that we preserve its technical and cultural heritage," Mitja Gorjan, director general of the hydro plant operator Soške Elektrarne Nova Gorica, said at the 25 March opening.

The museum collected the material for the exhibition from the Nova Gorica Regional Archives, as well as the Venice University Archive, the Institute for Cultural Heritage, and the Institute of Contemporary History, according to Kaja Širok, who devised the museum concept.

The permanent exhibition, on show in the power plan't engine room, presents industrialization milestones and includes exhibits such as original blueprints for the hydro plant and two original scale models of the plant from the early 20th century.

It also showcases Doblar's current status and highlights the importance of the Soča and renewable energy sources.

The museum is open to the general public but visits must be booked in advance here.

This content is brought to you in collaboration with the European Capital of Culture 2025.