Medieval documents testify to a long series of uprisings, culminating in the Tolmin peasant revolt of 1713.

That particular insurgence spread from Tolmin County to the Vipava Valley, Karst, and Brda, and further on to northern Istria.

The Tolmin area includes the Tolminka and Zadlaščica basins at the entrance to Triglav National Park, which are also its lowest point (180 meters or 590 feet).

In addition to the municipal seat of Tolmin, the municipality also includes the following settlements: Tolmin has been the venue for the Metaldays heavy metal festival, Punk Rock Holiday, and Soča Reggae Riversplash festival.

In national politics, the Tolmin electoral district has highly favored the conservative Slovenian Democratic Party, but this is largely due to the prevalence of this party in the other two municipalities forming the district, (Bovec and Kobarid).