The Belopeška Lakes have several names. Mangart lakes, Fusine lakes, Klanško lakes, Laghi di Fusine in Italian, Weissenfelser Seen in German, and Lâts di Fusinis in Friulian. Quite a lot of names, no? The Belopeška Lakes consist of two large lakes (Klanško and Mangart lake) located in the Mangart valley near the village of Trbiž, not far from Rateče and the triple border between Italy, Austria, and Slovenia. The Slovenian name derives from the place name Bela Peč. The area of the two glacial lakes was declared the Belopeška Lakes National Park by the Italians in 1971. They are bounded to the south by Mount Mangart and to the east by Ponce Mountains. The upper lake, with a depth of 10 m, lies at an altitude of 929 m, and the lower lake at 924 m.

If you want to take a beautiful family photo, you should visit not only Lake Jasna but also the Belopeška Lakes in neighboring Italy.

The trail to the Belopeška Lakes is a bit longer but not too demanding and is ideal for longer family trips. From the Reset Apartments, turn left and follow the cycle path, which initially runs along the northern edge of the Triglav National Park, just below the Vitranc ski slopes. It takes you directly to the border with Italy, so don’t forget your ID cards. At the turn-off for Rateče, there is a small swamp that turns into a beautiful lake during heavy rains in spring and autumn. In winter, of course, if the water level is favorable, the lake turns into a beautiful ice-skating rink in nature.

We recommend that you take time for a short stop to visit the Zelenci Nature Reserve or take a drive through the idyllic Alpine village of Podkoren. Before turning off towards Planica, you can take a detour through Rateče, where you can experience an adventure in the Escape Museum or stop at one of the many taverns and restaurants that are known far and wide for their exceptional offer of homemade food and drinks. You can also stop at the Pehta log cabin, located under the Podkoren part of the ski resort, just before the turnoff for the Zelenci Nature Reserve. Here you can always try ’spoon dishes’.

Crossing the border is easy, as you are only reminded that you are already in neighboring Italy by a sign indicating that you are crossing the national border. Shortly after crossing the border, look out for the signpost – straight ahead for Tarvisio, left for Lago di Fusine. Turn left along the path through the meadows into the woods and follow it all the way to the main road, which takes you directly to the lakes. If you miss the turn-off, continue all the way to the main road, where you turn left towards the lakes, but be aware that this is a longer route and quite busy.

If you drive to the lakes, you will have to pay an entrance/parking fee. If you want to refresh yourself with a cold drink or an ice-cream, there is a lodge at the lower lake with a terrace and an extraordinary view of the mountains surrounding the lake.

View of the surrounding mountains

• Visoka Ponca (2.274 m)
• Kotova špica (2.376 m)
• Jalovec (2.645 m)
• Mangart (2.679 m)
• Mangartsko sedlo (2.055 m)