Is the old road through Loibl Pass unpaved?
Austria, europe
5 km
1,367 m
hard
Year-round
Loibl Pass, straddling Austria and Slovenia at a lofty 1,367m (4,485ft), is one seriously old-school mountain pass—we're talking ancient Roman times!
Forget smooth sailing; the original road to the top is a wild ride. It's unpaved, seriously narrow, and throws 16 hairpin turns at you. This 5 km (3.10 miles) stretch is a twisty, turny beast!
Historically, it's the quickest way from Ferlach (Austria) to Tržič (Slovenia). The pass also carries a somber note, with a memorial on the Slovenian side remembering the victims of a WWII forced labor camp. But hey, there's a renovated mountain hostel up there too, with awesome views of the Ljubljana and Klagenfurt basins on a clear day.
Heads up: the old summit road has been closed to cars since 1967. Cyclists and hikers, rejoice! If you're *really* keen on driving it, you might sweet-talk the local Ferlach police for a permit, but it'll only get you so far on the Austrian side. Once you reach the top, you're turning around at the Slovenian border.
Road Details
- Country
- Austria
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 5 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,367 m
- Difficulty
- hard
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