Mangart saddle
Mangart saddle is the highest lying saddle in Slovenia reachable by car. The altitude is 2072m. The road leading to the top is 12km long. It was built in 1938 by the Italian army. The winding road crosses 5 tunnels carved into the mountainside.
It is said the road can be quite a thrill for car drivers and is also popular among cyclists. The road is closed during the winter. During the summer, a bus tour drives tourists up to the last tunnel, leaving the last part to be walked on foot. The hike then takes 30 - 40 minutes. During the entire
hike, the mountain pass offers terrific views of the Julian alps. After reaching the top, the visitor is
also rewarded with a beautiful view of the lakes lying on the Austrian side of the border.
Mangart saddle is also known for its rich flora and fauna. So a visit to this area won’t disappoint in any season. In the summer you’ll find pink Rhododendron and various blooming flowers. In the
fall you’ll enjoy the magical fall colors. And you can find the native Bovec sheep.
Mangart saddle is a great starting point to the third highest peak in Slovenia - Mangart that is 2679m high. You can visit it through the Slovenian or Italian path. You can easily spend your entire day here wandering through the endless meadows. You can also visit the cave located somewhere on Mangart saddle but that’s a whole other story.
During winter the parking area in the waypoints is inaccessible since the road to the top is closed. In this case you’ll have to visit the cache on foot. Always check the weather
conditions at the top before visiting and check if the road is open or closed.
Mangartsko sedlo
Mangartsko sedlo je najvišje ležeče sedlo v Sloveniji, do katerega se lahko pripeljemo z avtom. Visoko je 2072m. Cesta, po kateri pridemo do sedla, je dolga 12km in je najvišje ležeča cesta v Sloveniji. Cesto so leta 1938 zgradili italijanski vojaki.Popelje nas skozi 5 kamnitih predorov izklesanih v živo skalo in po mnogih serpentinah do parkirišča na sedlu. Pravijo, da je za voznike kar nekoliko adrenalinska, ljubijo pa jo ljubitelji gorskega kolesarjenja. Cesta pozimi ni odprta. V poletnem času pa je organiziran celo avtobusni prevoz, ki nas odloži pred zadnjim tunelom, tako da imamo do vrha sedla še nekje 30 do 40 minut hoje. Ves čas nas ta panoramska cesta razvaja s pogledi na čudovite Julijske alpe. Če pa se potrudimo do vrha sedla peš, pa je vse poplačano s pogledom na prečudoviti smrečnatozeleni belopeški jezerci, ki ju uzremo na drugi strani sedla.
Mangarsko sedlo je znano tudi po svoji bogati flori. Tako nas v nobenem letnem času ne bo razočaralo. V poletnem času žarijo posejani po sedlu rozasti gorski rododendroni. Pa čudovite blazinice raznih vrst. Jeseni pa vabijo prekrasne jesenske barve. Na pobočjih sedla se pase avtohtona bovška ovca.
Mangartsko sedlo je tudi odlično izhodišče za vzpon na tretji najvišji vrh v Sloveniji Mangart visok 2679m. Nanj se povzpnete s sedla po slovenski ali italijanski strani. Vzpon je primeren za nekoliko bolj izkušene pohodnike.
Na samem sedlu lahko uživate cel dan. Na njem je tudi jama imenovana Jama na Mangartskem sedlu, a to je že druga zgodba.
V zimskem času je parkirišče v zakladu nedosegljivo, saj je cesta na Mangart zaprta. V tem primeru je zaklad dosegljiv le peš. Pred obiskom zaklada vedno preverite vremenske razmere na vrhu in ali je cesta na vrh odprta. Zaklad si predhodno shranite na napravo, saj ponekod na sedlu ni signala.