Biking in Slovenia » Vipava Valley » Southern Slopes of Nanos
Two asphalt roads lead to Nanos, a mountainous plateau high above Vipava valley. One starts in Sanabor; the other forks off the old main road from Vipava valley toward Ljubljana. While I like biking on the Sanabor road in summer, the one on the sunny southern slopes of Nanos is an ideal choice for spring and autumn days.
At a Glance
- Difficulty
- Long continuous steep ascent on an asphalt road
- Altitude
- 805 m
- Average time
- 2 h
- Elevation gain
- 600 m
- Distance
- 17.6 km
- Coordinates
-
Start: 45.792107,13.985617
Notes
- From the Podnanos-Razdrto road, follow the signs for Nanos. There’s a small parking lot just after the fork and a slightly bigger one after the first hairpin.
- Follow the main asphalt road for almost 9 kilometers until you reach the former hunting lodge (now called Eko Koča) at the edge of Nanos plateau. Don’t forget to admire the ingenuity of the road builders (the original road is probably at least a century old) and the beautiful views of Vipava valley and the hills beyond it.
- After a break at the hunting lodge, you might want to hike toward the church of Sveti Hieronim (st. Jerome) or to the mountain hut on Nanos. You could also bike there if you happen to have a mountain bike (warning: you’ll be facing a few disgustingly steep bits of gravel/concrete road).
Map of the Route
The map shows the path we took as recorded by the GPS receiver. Never trust a GPS track wholeheartedly; rely on your senses and maps.
