Gretchen Stuppy Carlson
This stunning mountain on the border of Slovenia and Italy offers incredible views with mountains stretching in every direction. The 3rd tallest mountain in Slovenia, Mount Mangart is a popular hiking and picnic spot. Unlike many of the other tall mountains in the region, you can drive to the Mount Mangart Saddle and take a hike or climb the mountain via ferrata.
Many people drive to Mangart Saddle for the views and either bring a picnic or take a short walk. From the Mangart Saddle you climb to the summit via a challenging hike. Both the drive to Mangart Saddle and the hike from here to the summit are not for the faint of heart. The drive is mostly a one lane road with drop offs and windy turns.
We visited Mount Mangart as part of our 7 Day Slovenia Itinerary.
The hike to the summit is very exposed with cables and shear drops. We did this hike with our kids and while it is an incredible hike, I do not recommend this hike for young kids. My 10 year old did the majority of the hiking trail but we had incredible weather and took our time.
This post will share the details of driving to the Mangart Saddle and hiking from here to the summit of Mount Mangart. You can also reach the summit by two different via ferrata routes (one goes up the Italian side and one goes up the Slovenian side). If you are planning to ascend via ferrata, you can book a guide, or learn more online.
Overview of Mount Mangart
Mount Mangart (or Mangrt) is the 3rd tallest mountain in Slovenia at 2678 meters. Situated in the Julian Alps on the border of Slovenia and Italy, parts of this hike cross over the border between the two countries. From the summit of Mount Mangart and from the Mangart Pass, you can see across the mountains to Slovenia, Austria, Italy, and even the Adriatic Sea.
One of Mount Mangart’s claims to fame, was the story and thus the movie Mission Mt. Mangart that chronicles the story of the 10th Mountain Division during World War 2 when they crossed the mountain range to push back troops from Yugoslavia. To celebrate, the soldier held a ski race – 76 skiers started and 25 finished the race. Watch the trailer of Mission Mt. Mangart.
Drive to Mangart Saddle (Mangart Pass) Distance: 12.3 km Time: 30 minutes Hike to Mount Mangart Summit Distance: 2 miles (2.5 hours to complete) Elevation Gain: 2,000 ft Difficulty: Extremely Difficult Note: the last mile of the drive to the Mangart Saddle was closed due to a rock slide, adding over 2 miles to the hike. You may also have a longer hike depending on the car parking situation.
Driving to the Mount Mangart Saddle
The drive to the Mangart Saddle is stunning, and even if you don’t plan to hike, it’s worth driving up for the view. You may also see the Mangart Saddle called Mangart Pass or Mangartsko sedlo. If you are just driving up, snapping some photos and driving down, you should plan a minimum of 1.5 hours total time. This is also a very popular biking route, so you can expect to to see road bikes, motorcycles, and ebikes on the road and this may slow down your drive.
When we drove to the Mangart Saddle, a rock slide had closed the last mile of the road. This caused limited parking. Due to this there was a gate set up at the the start of the drive and they were limiting people driving up since this can cause a backlog of cars at the top of the drive. We waiting about 30 minutes before getting cleared to drive up to the Mangart Saddle.
How to get to the Start of the Mount Mangart Saddle Drive
The road to the Mount Mangart Saddle is off Route 302. From Bovec, drive north on 302 and turn right at the signs for Mount Mangart onto route 902 after about 20 minutes. If you are coming from the north, take Route 302 past Lago Del Predil, over the lass and turn left at the sign for Mount Mangart. There is a small parking lot at the start of the road. Many people park here to ride their bikes or if they are waiting for a parking space at the top of the drive.
Description of the Drive to Mangart Saddle
The first 2 km of the drive on Route 902 are winding but gradual. At 2 km you will pass a ticket station where you will pay a few Euros to complete the drive. The road steadily climbs and becomes increasingly windy. Once you pass above tree level, the real fun begins as you can clearly see the drop offs to your side.
In addition to the narrow roads and hairpin turns, the drive passes through 5 tunnels, and it’s not uncommon to see bikes of many kids zipping around these turns. The last section of the drive winds up to the Saddle with open views of Mount Mangart. There are a few benches and some small parking lots at the saddle and we saw a few people having a picnic and quite a large number of sheep.
The views from here are tremendous and from the Saddle you can see out over Italy to the north and Slovenia to the south and east. The drive to Mangart Saddle is about 12 km and climbs almost 1,000 meters. The road was built in 1938 to defend against the army in Yogoslavia. This road is not open during the winter and is often open May-Nov. This road is the highest mountain drive in Slovenia.
If you are just here to do the drive, you will simply retrace the road on the way down. If you are parking here for the hike up Mount Mangart, you can ascend to the hiking trail from one of the two obvious paths at the top of the Mangart Saddle.
Map of the Drive to Mangart Saddle and Hiking Trail to Mount Mangart
Zoom in on this map, or save it to your google account. It’s always recommended to carry a paper map of the hiking area, although we did find the trail to Mount Mangart well marked with a red and white circle painted on a rock and signs.
Hiking Mount Mangart Slovenia from Mangart Saddle
From the Mangart Saddle, the hike to the summit of Mount Mangart is rocky, slightly technical and exposed. WHile you don’t need via ferrata gear to do this hike, a helmet may be helpful and overall caution is advised. There are several spots that have extreme drops and due to the popularity of the hike, there are bottle necks where people are waiting to pass each other.
In addition to other hikers, there are also people descending who completed one of the via ferrata routes.
If you are comfortable with the exposure and risk, this is an incredibly beautiful hike, and since you are doing this as an out and back, you can turn around whenever you choose. Even hiking the lower section of this trail is exhilarating and it is definitely one of the best hikes in this part of Slovenia.
The first 1/4 mile of the trail from the Mangart Saddle is obvious and traverses the mountain and leads to the base. You will see the trail to the Slovenian via ferrata on the right, continue up and to the left to the hiking trail. There are several cables in this area, and the trail goes straight up the gully. This part of the hike is steep with some small switchbacks and cables, but it not nearly as exposed as the section just above this.
At the top of the gully, the trail skirts to the left and traverses the top of a shear drop off. This area generally does not have many cables, but is very exposed. We were hiking this as a family of 5. Our 14 year old twins found this nerve racking but exciting. Our 10 year old decided to take her time on this section as well as the climb up the gully.
After traversing you come to a sign and from here the trail ascends again to the summit of Mount Mangart through a scree field. On the summit you have 360 degree views and a large wooden cross. We had excellent weather, but I would not like to be on this summit in poor conditions and since the descent is relatively slow, keep an eye on the weather.
Looking for our Slovenia Itinerary as a printable and downloadable itinerary? You can find our Slovenia Itinerary on our Etsy Shop.
Things to Know About the Soca River Valley, Triglav National Park and Mount Mangart
Overview of Things to Know about the Drive to Mount Mangart
The drive is about 12 km and is open typically May-Oct. There is a fee booth to drive the road of several Euros. The entire drive takes about 30 minutes each way. From the Mangart Saddle, you can hike the challenging, beautiful and thrilling hike to Mangart Summit.
Is the Drive to Mangart Saddle Worth It?
The drive to the Mount Mangart Saddle is beautiful and worth doing as long as you are up for the thrilling drop offs and exciting driving conditions.
Other Sites Near Mount Mangart
The entrance to the Mount Mangart Saddle drive is just 20 minutes from Bovec in the Soca River Valley. This incredible valley is home to the gorgeous Soca River and is an adventure travel destination. There are ample opportunities for hiking, biking, kayaking, and more in the region.
We spent several days exploring this region and enjoyed kayaking on the Soca River, visiting the Soca River Gorge, and visiting some of the many waterfalls in the region.
In addition, the Lake Bled area is nearby and from here you can explore Triglav National Park and Vintgar Gorge.
We loved our hike and overnight in the 7 Lakes Valley Region on Triglav NP.
Where to Stay Near Mount Mangart
The closest town to Mount Mangart is Bovec. There are many options for places to stay in Bovec either right in town, or just outside. We stayed just south of Bovec in Apartment Mars. You can also check out Hotel Mangart.
