Mangart hike

Around 1992, my parents took me to Mangart Saddle for the first time, I was around 10 or 11 years old, and I will never forget that ride towards the top of our highest route in Slovenia. Such an amazing road, such views, tunnels carved into the rock… but nothing at the top!? And then full of questions, why they built this road, who built it, when they built it and on and on. The road to Mangart Saddle still inspires me every time I climb it, be it with a self-powered vehicle or a motorized one.

Mangart is the 3rd highest Slovenian mountain (if we count independent mountains, of course Mali Triglav is higher) and is an extremely popular and visited peak for several reasons. The first reason is certainly the relatively easy access from the saddle, Mangart is also attractive because of one of the most beautiful via ferratas that leads to the saddle from the Italian side, and this beautiful mountain also has exceptional views over the Slovenian, Austrian and Italian peaks…

Hiking Mangart

• Starting points for the climb to Mangart
  • Pri Mlinču
  • Mangart saddle
  • Lakes of Belopez
  • Via Ferrata to Mangart
  • Loška Koritnica
  • Planica
• Mangart saddle

By the way, if you are looking for ideas for the most beautiful trips in the valley of Koritnica, Soča and on the slopes of the surrounding valleys, I suggest you read the ideas for the trip in the articles entitled Log pod Mangartom, Kam v Bovec and Kobarid, sights of Tolmin and Bovec, but it is worth it you can also walk along the Soča path and get to know the wonderful Trenta. Of course, don’t forget the neighboring Jalovec.

Starting points for the climb to Mangart

Mangart is a very specific mountain, as the vast majority of people go to the top of this striking mountain from the same starting point. If with the other high mountains in our country, where do you go to the top from is a rather relevant question, but with Mangart it is almost a rhetorical question.

Pri Mlinču

Otherwise, you can also go to Mangart from the valley, but such cases are more rare than the rule. In addition to the route that starts at the Mangart saddle or a little below it (a few years ago, for safety reasons, the road was closed all the way to the top, so today you start climbing from about 1,850 meters), it is worth mentioning the starting point at Malič or at the Mangart Viaduct, at the intersection where the road turns towards the saddle.

This route is relatively popular and you can leave your car a few 100 meters higher by the road. In this case, you will do part of the route on an asphalt road, but you will still do most of the ascent on marked hiking trails. The route is quite well-trodden and not technically demanding.

After the ascent to the saddle, the paths merge with the most besieged ones and you head towards the top or along the Slovenska pot, which is more demanding and is marked as very demanding, or even as Ferrata B of difficulty, or along the Italian route, which is less demanding and is marked as a demanding hiking trail.

Mangart saddle

As already mentioned in the paragraph above, there are two marked hiking trails leading from the Mangart seddle to the top, one is called the Slovenska pot, and the other is the Italian path (how original). The paths split on the far right edge of Mangart’s saddle (looking up), on the part of the path that goes along the scree. At this point, the Slovenska pot branches off to the right, but if you want to continue along the Italian path, you can continue straight.

If you are not equipped with a self-protection kit and a helmet, I advise you to take the Italian route towards the top of Mangart, which is technically much easier, but also much less dangerous in terms of rock crushing. However, the Italian route is taken more along the eastern slope and you will have the sun on it very early, while the Slovenian route is taken on the other side of the mountain, i.e. along the western part, and you will still be in the shade in the morning on this climb.

Regardless of which route you choose for the ascent, I recommend that you choose the Italian route for the descent, as meeting the mountaineers who are still climbing will be much easier and more pleasant than on the narrow and steep path along the cable car (Slovenian routes).

Lakes of Belopez

All mountain lovers, I believe that you have already heard of the Lakes of Belopez (read more about Lakes of Belopez here), two beautiful lakes located in the valley below Ponce and Mangart. Otherwise, this is already Italian territory, but from Rateče it is only a few minutes’ drive to the lakes.

This starting point is, in my opinion, the second most besieged starting point for jumping onto Mangart. It is especially besieged by fans of via ferratas and beautiful views, as the route to the top is led along one of the most beautiful via ferratas in the Julian Alps. The ferrata starts about a 2-hour walk from the parking lot at the higher of the two lakes of Belopez. A little before the start of the via ferrata, a bivouac is set up, which is miniature, but still allows a few mountaineers to spend the night.

Via Ferrata to Mangart

Ferrata Via Italiana, as it is called, is extremely popular and is definitely on the wish list of every mountaineer who enjoys climbing along steel cables. The Ferrata towards Mangart saddle will inspire you, because it is a Ferrata that conjures up one of the most beautiful views in our highlands, and at the same time it is the most “airy” Ferrata in our mountains.

From a technical point of view, the protected climbing route is not so demanding (C), but for those of you who have problems with heights, I still do not recommend this via Ferrata.

The ascent via Ferrata itself will take you around 2 hours, and maybe a little more if you encounter slower climbers on the way, but it is quite difficult to overtake them while climbing. In addition to the wonderful views, the well-maintained path, you will also enjoy climbing through small windows, and a very special experience will await you a little below the top of the Via Ferrata, when it approaches the saddle only a few meters away, where usually hikers who go to the top they pass from the saddle looking for views. You in the middle of a precipice wall, attached to a steel cable, and they are enjoying at the top of a grassy slope…

Upon arrival in the saddle, or to the normal marked path, I recommend that you continue the path to the Slovenska pot, which is also a via ferrata, or protected climbing route of B difficulty and you climb to the top of the striking mountain via it. Then descend along the Italian route to the saddle and then along route 517 towards the starting point by the lakes.

Loška Koritnica

I have not done the ascent from the Loška Koritnica valley yet, but I know from my colleagues that the path is not easy, both in terms of the physical and technical part of the ascent. If you are going to climb from the valley between Jalovec and Mangart, set off early enough and have enough water with you. Don’t forget your helmet and safety belt either, because during the ascent there is a part of the route that is characterized by the difficulty of ferrata B/C. The ascent is also spiced up by steep grassy slopes that require special attention, as a slip can quickly occur…

Planica

Similarly, like the route from Loška Koritnica, I have not yet completed the route from Planica to Mangart. The route is very long and only very well-prepared and fast mountaineers will be able to cover it in one day. In addition, the route is also quite demanding, both physically and technically. The first part of the path to Kotovo saddle follows the same route as the ascent to Jalovec, but there the paths diverge and quite soon after that, the path joins the path from Loška Koritnica. So even in this case a helmet and a self-defense kit are recommended.

Mangart saddle

Mangart saddle is an extremely popular excursion point in all seasons. If, from late spring to autumn, mountaineers and view-seeking excursionists who set off on a steel horse and cyclists predominate, at the time when the road, which climbs up to a height of 2,055 meters above sea level, is under snow, tours dominate skiers, sledders and well-equipped mountaineers.

The extensive grassy areas on the Mangart Saddle are a real paradise for lovers of mountain flowers. During the summer, the meadows there turn into a colorful carpet of many protected species of mountain flowers. They provide a pleasant habitat for many marmots, as well as the largest inhabitants of the highlands, the ibex.

The road to the Mangart saddle was built between the two World Wars, when as much as 1/3 of the Slovenian ethnic territory was annexed by the Italian occupiers. During the time when the Rapal border was in force, Italians built an incredibly large number of military facilities, mountain trails (mulatjers) and many other accompanying facilities on the border itself and in its hinterland, which serve their purpose to this day.

The highest road in Slovenia was built in 1938 and has been renovated several times since then. The road has a total length of 12 kilometers and overcomes almost 1000 meters of altitude (from the intersection at the Mangart Viaduct) and is therefore extremely popular with road cyclists who test the limits of their capabilities while biting the “endless” slope. Due to an avalanche that occurred a good two kilometers below the summit years ago, today the road is only passable for a good 9 kilometers and takes us somewhere up to a height of 1,900 meters.

Due to its great popularity, the road operators have limited access to the saddle to 90 vehicles, but on nice weekends they still bring a large number of cars down to the top of this beautiful scenic road (my opinion, based on what I’ve seen). The ecological tax that you will have to pay when climbing Mangart saddle is €10.

Before setting out on Mangart saddle, it is wise to check the current road conditions.

For tourists staying in Bovec and its surroundings, during the summer tourist season (July and August), organized bus transport to the top of the saddle is particularly interesting. The bus climbs to the turning point, which is before the last tunnel, that is, to a height of a little over 1,800 meters. From there, it is about 40 minutes of climbing (walking) to the top of the saddle.

During the summer tourist season, 2 buses run daily from Bovec to Mangart saddle.

Bus line Log pod Mangartom – Mangart saddle

There is a regular bus line from Log pod Mangartom on weekends, in June and August to the Mangart saddle. The bus runs every full hour from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. You will have to pay €2 for the transport, but children up to the age of 10 can travel for free.

Somewhere halfway from the bus station on Mangart saddle, towards the top of the saddle, you will walk past the cabin on Mangart saddle, which is open during the summer season in July and August. Unfortunately, in 2021 I had a rather bad experience with the lady who served behind the counter, the lady was very unfriendly and annoying (she really had a very bad day), so I myself will not visit this cabin for a while, because with such an attitude they don’t deserve my visit (my opinion). Otherwise, you can get food and drink in the cabin, and you can also sleep in it.

Conclusion

Mangart saddle is one of the pearls of the Slovenian highlands. It truly offers us a unique experience that cannot be experienced anywhere else on the sunny side of the Alps. If you have not yet taken the panoramic road to Mangart saddle, I strongly recommend that you do so in the first good time when the road is open and passable.

I wish you a nice day and let’s go to the nature!