Mount Nanos is a mountain at nearly 1250 meters near the seaside of Slovenia in which you can find the four popular cities Koper, Izola, Portoroz, and Piran. These are the most expensive cities in Slovenia if you want to buy property, as everyone wants to have a property near the sea. Are you a tourist visiting one of those four cities, or are you in Ljubljana looking for somewhere to go hiking? Would you like to visit Mount Nanos? Is it a hard trip? Is it for children? How much time is needed? This article aims to give you all info you need on where to start, how to walk the trip, how much time is needed, and other useful advice.
First of all, the trip to Mount Nanos is a well-prepared trip and a very nice walk. There are different options concerning where to start the trip, but if you follow our advice, you should start from Razdrto Parking Lot. This parking lot is created for hikers and the ideal place to start walking.
The basic information about the trip.
Starting from Razdrto, you will start at about 550 meters above sea level. There are two natural ways from Razdrto to the top of Nanos, an easier (but longer), and a harder (but shorter) way. The shorter contains some minor climbing and a couple of situations where you need to hold onto iron ropes, but they do not require much experience and most people find them safe and cool.
The shorter road is 2,5km in total, while the easier road is about 4,8km. The easier road is without climbing and what some might refer to as dangerous areas, but it is a slow killer as it is 4,5km with continuous upward walking, making it really tiring for the legs.
The easy or the hard way?
As you start from Razdrto walk across the bridge. There you will see a map of the area. Walk to the left and then a small path will come up at your right side within a minute. Walk to the right and then follow this path for 600-700 meters. You will then see a sign on your right side showing you that you must turn right to walk the advanced (hard) way, or continue straight forward to walk the easy way. My personal advice is to walk the hard way towards the top and then return on the easier path.
If you follow the hard path, you are in for about 1,5 hours of walking. Walking without stopping might be faster, but if you take some breaks, it might turn into more.
The path is well-marked no matter your choice, so just follow the signs and you will get to the top. After you have reached the top there is a tourist cabin where you can get something to eat and drink before returning to the parking lot. If you plan on taking the easier path back to the parking lot, walk along the cliffs of Mount Nanos for at least 1 kilometer before the road takes a turn and you return towards the parking lot continuously downwards for a couple of kilometers.
Is this trip suitable for kids?
You know your kids better than anyone. Are they used to walking? Do they enjoy climbing and challenges? If your answer is yes, they should be capable of doing this trip. If you don’t think they are capable of walking 7,5km on their own, then it can be very demanding to bring a kid on your back due to the climbing, so that is not recommended (unless you have a lot of experience climbing with a kid on your back). We know kids at an age of six who 100% enjoyed this trip, so it is fully possible.
How much time is needed to climb Mount Nanos?
According to the official signs, it should take about 100 minutes from Razdrto to the top of Nanos if you choose the hard path. That is a quite realistic estimation if you walk constantly without big stops. The return from Mount Nanos to Razdrto along the easier path (but longer) is estimated at around 120 minutes. If you add all this up, the trip should take approximately 4 hours.
I have done the trip in three hours myself, but then it was only with a few drinking stops, so you should probably plan to use more time so that can enjoy the view, take longer breaks, and grab something to eat on the top.
When is the best time to climb Mount Nanos?
The hard path is dangerous when it is wet, cold, icy, and snowy, so it is not recommended in the winter (unless it is a mild winter without much snow and ice). It is easier to fall if the stones are wet, so you should try to avoid very cold and wet days. It can also get muddy if there is a lot of rain, which isn’t ideal either.
If the temperature is 30 Celsius in Koper, then you can expect the temperature to be 5 degrees colder at Razdrto and maybe as much as 10 Celsius colder on the top. But, if the sun is shining on a warm summer day, climbing Mount Nanos is extremely demanding as there is little shade and you will sweat like a pig. In other words, if you want to climb Mount Nanos on a warm summer day, start extremely early (between 6:00-7:00 from Razdrto) as you will then avoid the strongest heat.
What temperatures can I expect at the top of Nanos?
We have already described it earlier in the article, but you can take a look at https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Nanos-Slovenia/forecasts/1313 to find a more detailed forecast for the upcoming days.
How much do I have to pay to park my car at Razdrto?
The parking lot made for Razdrto hikers is free, meaning you can leave your car there without paying. You shouldn’t leave valuables in your car, as the car is left unprotected during your walk.
How do I know the difference between the steep and the gentle path?
When you see the signs, the steep path is marked as “strma” while the gentle path is marked with “polozna.”
Is there somewhere I can buy something to eat or use a toilet on the top?
There is a hut on the top named “Vojkova Koča.” This is normally open; you buy something to eat and drink and use the toilet here. This building has been under renovation for quite a while, as of 2022-2023, but hopefully, it will be open as normal by the time you reach the top of Mount Nanos.
How far is Razdrto from the seaside?
If you live in Koper, you need approximately 25 minutes of driving to reach the Razdrto parking. From Izola, 35 minutes is needed, while you should add 15 more minutes if you live in Piran or Portoroz.
