Za koridorjem - Sabotin (on ridge)

Access to the starting point:
From Bovec-Tolmin take the Soška road towards Nova Gorica to the semaphorised junction above the cemetery in Solkan. Turn right here and take the bridge over the Soča River to Goriško Brda.

From the other directions, drive to Nova Gorica and follow the signs Bovec-Tolmin. If you go through Nova Gorica and Solkan, then at the end of Solkan turn left over the bridge over the Soca River to Goriško Brda. Passing Nova Gorica, follow the signs for Bovec-Tolmin and take the Solkan bypass to the semaphore-controlled junction above the cemetery in Solkan. Turn left here and then immediately right over the bridge over the Soča River to Goriško Brda.

The road starts to climb just after the bridge. After two major bends, we pass a parking lot on our left and 500 m further on our right we see steps leading to Sabotin on the southern route. Shortly after the stairs we arrive in Itali, where the road is laid. After about 1 km of driving along the "corridor" through Itali, the road starts to descend under an overpass. Slow down at the bend, because as soon as you go under the next overpass, you arrive in Slovenia. Here you should immediately turn left into a small parking lot. On our right we see the steps leading to Sabotin on the path behind the corridor.

Path description:
Sabotin has a number of trails on the Slovenian and Italian sides, which intertwine with each other, so that you can cruise this beautiful and extremely interesting hill as you please.

The route beyond the corridor is less frequented than the more popular southern route. It is, however, more suitable for ascending Sabotin in spring onwards, when temperatures on the southern slopes quickly rise to stifling heat. It is not as scenic as the southern route from the start, but it is slightly steeper than it.

Good footwear and plenty of fluids on warmer days will also be needed on this route, as Sabotin is not fatal because of its altitude, but because of its heat.
Sabotin is a hill of special energies that will enchant you in all seasons. It is at its most beautiful in spring, when it is in full bloom, and in late autumn, when its slopes are red with rust. In winter, the sun will warm us up on its southern slopes, but in summer, it is too hot for the bluebells. The best time to visit Sabotin is from September to May. Later, only very early in the morning or by car. The asphalt road from Goriško Brda leads to the mountain hut and refreshment room, which are located in the former caravle just below the summit. The cafeteria has a mini-museum, and you can arrange a guided tour of the caverns, which are illuminated and well-kept.

From the parking lot, cross the road and climb the stairs. From the start, the path climbs gently through a sparse forest, which offers some shade on warmer days.

When the path first bends after a few bends, you will see a small path on your right. This leads to a tarmac road on the Italian side, leading from the village of Shentmaver/San Mauro to the Italian caravanserai at Sabotin. You can go a few steps higher and use this path on the return journey.

We continue our ascent along the normal path, which climbs up a slope backed by boulders and after a few minutes leads to a cavern with an interesting arched entrance, where we turn left. If you follow the path to the right, you will reach the road from the village of Šentmaver in a few steps.
The path from the cavern climbs quite a bit and after five minutes leads us to a rocky bend, where we have a beautiful view of the Soča River, which winds towards the sea and the ossuary-monument to the fallen in World War I at Oslavje/Oslavia (a white round building in the Italian Brda/Collio mountains).

After another 15 minutes, you will reach a macadam path, where there is also a bench for a short rest. The dirt track comes from a nearby bend in the asphalted road leading to Sabotin from Goriško in Brda and after a few metres joins the road leading on the Italian side from Stentmavro. If you no longer feel like climbing the ridge from the hut or refreshment room on Sabotin, then follow the road down to this bend, where it joins the path behind the corridor. Anyone arriving by car at Sabotin can park at the bend and continue walking along the route described in this description. In this way you will enjoy the most beautiful part of Sabotin without much effort.

From the crossroads by the bench, turn right and after a few steps you will reach the road in Itali at the 5th turn/tornante. Follow it gently uphill to the next bend, turn 6. Shortly before the 6th bend, we will see a marked path on our left, which climbs very steeply to the Italian caravelle and from here to the top of Sabotina. We continue to turn 6, where we take the cart track road, which branches off the road on our right, and continue to cross the southern slopes of Sabotin in a gentle ascent. You can follow cart track to the ruins of St Valentine's Church and from here continue along the ridge along which the southern path leads. From the bench to the church is about 15 minutes, and from the church to the top of Sabotin is another 20 minutes of moderate walking.

Instead of going to the church, you can turn onto the path a few minutes earlier, which is marked cairn on your left. The path climbs moderately through a pine grove, and then climbs gently along the karst glade just below the Sabotina ridge. From the bench to the trailhead is about 10 minutes, and from here to the top of Sabotina is another 15 minutes of moderate walking.

Which of the trails you would choose depends mainly on the weather. If the weather is fine and it is not blowing, then we choose the path to the church and onwards along the picturesque rocky ridge, along which the border between Slovenia and Itali runs, so that we can walk with one foot in each country. The route is very scenic in fine weather. The Julian Alps rises in front of us, with the Soča River below us to the right and the Sveta Gora above, and on our left the view reaches all the way to the sea and to the Goriško Brda and the Italian Brda/Collio, the Friulian Plain and the Dolomites in the background. Behind us, the Trnovo plateau rises, and below it the view extends across the Vipava Valley to Nanos and Vremščice. In the valley below us are Nova and Stara Gorica, and behind them the Karst and the sea.
If it's very windy, then we opt for the path below the ridge on the Italian side. From this path, you have a constant view of Brda and the Soča River, which meanders down to the sea, and in clear weather, the view reaches all the way to the Dolomites. The path below the ridge is the opposite of the stone path along the ridge, as it runs through beautiful karst grassy meadow, where the scent of grasses and wild herbs envelops us on warm days, and the red leaves of the rowan trees colour the autumn.
It is best to walk the path in a circular route (past the church up, below the ridge down).

The path from the ridge to the valley can be extended:

Option 1:
If you follow the ridge to the Church of St Valentine, then follow the southern path past the former Our Tito sign. Follow the path for a few more turns until you pass the newly ploughed path. Continue on the old path until it turns left, and we continue straight on past a large rock, where we soon come out on the Italian side. The path rises and descends gently until it leads to a log cabin. From here onwards we descend gently along cart track to a crossroads at a larger rock, where we continue upwards to the right. Down to the left, join the southern route. The path on cart track ascends gently to the road leading out of Šentmavr. Continue down the road to the 3rd bend / tornante, where a path joins the corridor path just below the cavern with the arched entrance.

Option 2:
If you take the path below the ridge, continue to cart track leading from St Valentine's Church. Here, instead of turning right towards the road and the bench at turn 5, take a few steps to the left (towards the church) and follow the marked path descending from cart track to the right. The path is laid at the bottom and later splits into two parts. If you turn left, you will join the southern path below the former Our Tito sign. From here continue as described under option 1.
Going right, the path will soon start to descend very steeply on rocky terrain to a track leading off the southern path as described under option 1. Continue to the right and you will soon reach a log cabin. From here on, descend gently along cart track to a crossroads by a large rock, where continue right upwards. Down to the left, join the southern trail. The path cart track ascends moderately to the road leading from Šentmavr. Continue down the road to the 3rd bend/tornante where a path joins the path behind the corridor just below the cavern with the arched entrance.
No big deal if we forgot where to turn and arrived almost at the end of the southern route. Instead of turning left onto the path that leads to the stairs on the southern trail, continue straight on the marked trail leading from the village of Šentmaver. After a few minutes of descending, you will reach a narrower road that leads above the road corridor to Goriško Brda. Continue to the right and cross the road to the end of the corridor. Here you join the road leading to Sabotin from the village of Šentmaver. Continue up the road to the right for a few metres and then follow cart track, which can be seen on the left hand side. After a few minutes of crossing the slope, you reach the Slovenian side of the path behind the corridor. From here it is only a short descent to the parking lot.

There is also a path above the road corridor (behind the second wire fence), but it is very overgrown in places, so it is easier and quicker to cross the corridor by road.

We can extend the trip to the following destinations: Dom na Sabotinu

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