You would never guess, this is Italy!

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When you think of Italy what does first come to your mind? Pizza, Pasta & Vine? Or is it the sunny beaches, the overwhelmingly well conserved roman buildings from the antic or simply “la dolce vita” in the café on the main square where you let life happen to you. Sure it’s all of that and a bit more!

Italy is a big country for European standards. From the Mediterranean south to the Alps of Alto Adige, it has much to offer for sure, but one particular place is my favorite. Just a few kilometers from Austria and Slovenia, just on the border is a petite town Tarvisio. Today a popular ski resort, it was once very famous for its market with attractive Italian goods before borders in Europe started disappearing. When you leave Austria on a tour to the south, or when you live close by it’s still a great place to go for an authentic Italian coffee or pizza. What’s even better is the landscape around Tarvisio. Just a 10-minute car drive from the town you can reach the two “Laghi di Fusine”, the lakes under the Mangart Mountain.

Picturesque nature is waiting for you underneath the Mangart mountain in Italy.

Even though there should be plenty of those lakes in the Alps, the constellation of the scenery reminds me of a postcard, a painting or a fairy tale. The first lake is crystal clear and you can see with ease to the ground. Fish and ducks are swimming around and in summer months, you can rent a boat. The hiking trail around the lake will stun you with new perspectives on the lake with every meter that you pass. One of the most impressive things about the first lake is the calm water surface, which mirrors the whole mountain and the woods around. It’s gorgeous and pictures on Instagram of that lake always score the most likes.

Crystal clear water

The second lake can be reached through the wood or via the road to a large parking lot. Anyway, you are even closer to the Mangart from the second lake and it’s not less impressive. On the hiking trail with a view to the second lake are benches and a table in the wood, which invites you for a picknick. Both lakes together are not more than a one hour walk and not many tourists have found their way to the “Laghi di Fusine”.

Mangart mountain reflects on the mirrorlike water surface of Laghi di Fusine

The Café and Restaurant “Edelweiss” is also worth visiting. Coffee is typical Italian, the cakes are delicious and you can also enjoy the view of the first lake from the terrace.

Delicious coffee and cake at the Edelweiss Café at Laghi di Fusine

I’ve been to the “Laghi di Fusine” lakes a dozen times during every season and it’s beautiful in spring, summer, autumn and also in winter.

Wintergallery:

Winterwonderland Laghi di Fusine Italy

Snow covering the hiking trail in winter

Mangart and the second lake

Mangart and the second lake

Hiking path trough the snow

>>> Show it on the map!

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Author: GP / Pictures: GP, Nadzeyak

Natural Skyscrapers (Part 1) – Mangart

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Imagine the huge amazing skyscrapers in Dubai, New York or Tokyo. Those amazing buildings, which can be seen as a benchmark for the development of a city will rarely be found in a small countryside town. Moving from my hometown, which had at least some tall buildings to such a small countryside town made me miss the feeling to live in an urban developed area. Anyhow I soon started to realise that my new surrounding had to offer something completly different: The Alps. Most of the mountains in the Alps are twice as high, or higher than the actual highest building in the world. From that point of view I’m living in a “natural Manhattan”.

Perfect weather for a hiking trip on the Mangart in the Julian Alps

On a beautiful day in the fall two friends of mine who are passionate hikers took me on a trip to Mangart. The area around the mountain is one of my favourite places and I travelled there quite often in the past years. Mangart itself offers an amazing view. When the weather is clear one can see the top of the Grossglockner, which is the highest mountain in Austria. Looking to the south you can see up to the Adriatic Sea in Italy if you’re lucky.

View from the Top of Mangart towards south

Till the top it’s a 2-3 hour hiking tour from the parking, which is accessable by car. The road up there offers wonderful panoramic views and is popular among motorcyclists. So if you’re not into getting exhausted I recommend to drive at least that road. But just don’t be lazy! The view from the top is amazing. I carried a heavy backpack up there with snacks and a hipflask full of pear brandy because it’s our tradition to celebrate reaching the top with a shot of schnapps. And let me tell you something – nothing tastes better than a snack and a shot after you reach the top and you know that you’ve beaten your “inner couch potato”.

At the top of Mangart mountain: Hikers taking a rest next to the cross

I found something that I’d call a “cozy” rock to sit on and started eating my sandwich when a little black birds showed up begging for some bread crumbs. There were a few of them waiting for hikers to feed them. Those birds are called alpine chough and are very common in the mountains.

Alpine chough waiting for something to eat

After the little fellow got what he wanted I finally started chewing my sandwich and enjoyed the peace. Anyone who went in the mountains will know what I mean. Sitting up there after all the struggle, you feel the fresh breeze and you are overwhelmed by the view. You come down and stare into distance and all of a sudden you feel freedom.

View into distance with alpine chough struggling against the wind

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Author/Pictures: GP