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🇸🇮 From Osp to Socerb

Hiking in Slovenia » Slovene Istria » From Osp to Socerb

Socerb is a castle above the steep cliffs of Karst Edge with a beautiful view of the Bay of Trieste. You can get there by car (the castle restaurant has excellent food), but it’s more fun to hike there from Osp, a village better known for its extensive climbing areas.

At a Glance

Altitude
437 m
Average time
Ascent via Prebeneg: 1 hour 15 minutes
Descent via Kastelec: 45 minutes
Total: 2 hours
Elevation gain
420 m
Coordinates
Start: 45.567197,13.862369
Peak: 45.589477,13.860844

Starting point Hiking map Download GPX file

From Osp to Socerb

  • Parking in Osp Valley became Mission Impossible after obnoxious climbers triggered a series of spats with the locals. The only place to leave your car is the car park underneath the Mišja Peč climbing area.
  • Follow the asphalt road into the village and ascend through narrow streets toward the church, where you should be able to spot the first waymarks.
  • The waymarks lead you onto a dirt trail. Follow signs for Socerb.
  • After crossing a (usually dry) gully, the waymarks send you right onto a steep trail that brings you close to Prebeneg, a village at the Slovenian-Italian border.
  • The path becomes even steeper as it tries to stay on the Slovenian side of the border and ends in a maze of tiny trails. I found no waymarks; a recent forest fire probably destroyed them. No worries – eventually, you’ll end up on a dirt trail going right that brings you to the asphalt road under Socerb.
  • Follow the waymarks through the village onto another trail leading to the castle. Enjoy the views!

Getting Back

Want to take a different path to return to Osp? Let’s visit Kastelec:

  • Walk on the asphalt road until you find the first hiking signpost.
  • Follow the path toward Podpeč onto a dirt trail, footpath, and gravel road.
  • When you get to the sign for Kastelec/Osp, follow it onto a quickly descending dirt trail.
  • Cross the village and the asphalt road, and continue on a dirt road going south (toward open Karst meadows).
  • The next junction is the only place where I managed to get lost. The arrows are ambiguous; the correct choice was the less-used trail going slightly right.
  • The path becomes almost invisible around a pine tree strip. Keep going straight (small cairns will help you) until you reach the meadow’s edge, where the path down into the Osp Valley becomes impossible to miss.
  • The rocky footpath eventually brings you to the dirt road you used a few hours earlier. Turn left to get back to Osp.

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.