I love mountains, I love wildlife, and I love photography. Combining these three is always food for my soul. One of the most rewarding places I visit is Altopiano di Montasio—a high mountain plateau on the Italian side of the Julian Alps. It’s less than a two-hour drive from my home in Ljubljana, so I visit often. This is also one of the best places for photographing Alpine ibex in Italy.
Recently, I hiked to Altopiano di Montasio to photograph Alpine ibex in the snow. The conditions were perfect—just enough fresh snow to blanket the ground without making the road undriveable. Check out the video above for the full story!
Altopiano di Montasio
This mountain plateau is located south of Tarvisio (Trbiž) and northwest of Kanin Mountain, which serves as a natural border between Italy and Slovenia. At the base of the plateau lies the mountain pasture Malga Montasio and the mountain refuge Giacomo di Brazza, both of which are open during the summer season. The plateau is easily accessible via a steep, paved mountain road from Sella Nevea.
Altopiano di Montasio is a popular base for hiking and mountaineering, offering access to nearby peaks such as Jôf di Montasio (Montaž), Cima di Terrarossa (Špik Hude Police), Foronon del Buinz (Špik nad Nosom), Monte Cimone (Strma Peč), and Zabus (Zabuš). Before heading out, it’s worth checking the live webcam to assess conditions.
The plateau is also one of the best places in the European Alps to observe and photograph wildlife. Two of the most commonly spotted animals are the Alpine ibex and marmot. With a bit of luck, you might also encounter chamois, red deer, roe deer, ravens, alpine choughs, griffon vultures, or even the elusive golden eagle!
Photos of Alpine Ibex in Italy
This collection of Alpine ibex photos was taken over the course of ten years. I love that it showcases ibex in all four seasons—babies, females, young males, and even alpha males.
All these high-resolution photos are available as prints. Feel free to contact me for more information.
More Photos from Altopiano di Montasio
This gallery is a collection of photos from my mountaineering trips, featuring both breathtaking mountains and diverse wildlife (beyond just ibex). Open the photos to read the captions and discover more about each shot.
Alpine Ibex in Italy – Conclusion
Altopiano di Montasio and the nearby peaks are some of the best places in Italy to photograph Alpine ibex. One of the reasons is the easy access. Sometimes, it takes just a 15-20 minute hike to the refuge to encounter the first ibex. When I took my son on a hike to search for them, we counted over 60 individuals! In some spots, we even had to wait for them to move off the trail so we could continue hiking.
Have you visited this amazing place? And have you had the chance to see ibex in person yet? They truly are incredible animals!
If you’d like to photograph Alpine ibex and you’re reasonably fit, get in touch! We can organize a dedicated day trip focused on wildlife photography.
