A short drive or a steep walk up the hill east of town brings you to Kromberk, a graceful 17th-century manor built by the Coronini-Cronberg family on the site of an earlier medieval fortress. The square plan with four corner towers gives it the look of a small Italianate villa rather than a defensive castle — which makes sense, since by the time it was built the front lines of the day had moved well away.
It now houses the Goriški muzej, with exhibits on the Isonzo Front, local archaeology, and the strange history of Nova Gorica itself. The terraced Italianate gardens behind the castle are open to the public, and the views from the upper terrace take in the entire Vipava Valley.