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The Most Beautiful Cycling tour

Matej — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 13:48:26 +0000

One trip, three countries and eight days on two wheels.

One trip, three countries, eight days on two wheels. Crossing the picturesque Julian Alps in Slovenia. A pizzaslice of Italy, the 42km coastline of Slovenia and then further on the old Parenzana railwayline in Croatia. On day one you soon become aware, whilst cycling, of Slovenia’s pristine friendlyness. Spectacular stone castles look down on Lake Bled and many tourists. We enjoy it on our new horses around the lake.

Day two takes us up the Radovna valley in the Triglav National Park. We are so proud to have packed all our essentials in four panniers. Now I know how to pack for the rest of my life. Goodbye to suitcases bulging with clothes never to be worn. Hot but pleasant once the bike-aircon kicks in. Then the wonderful D2 cyclepath. Effectively utilising old railway bridges and infrastructure up to Kranjska Gora. By taxi we cross the Julian Alps through the spectacular 50 hairpin bends. The Vršic Pass is Slovenia’s highest at 1611m. The Alps tower up to 2864m. Then down in the emerald Soča Valley.

Day three starts with the best breakfast in Slovenia at the Hotel Sonje ob Soci in Bovec. The owner’s wife is more than a chef, perhaps a humble food magician. She takes pride in her tasty delicacies. My favourite was the Zuchini carpacio, fresh from her garden. The whitewater rafting was calm. The personel enthuastic. Tolmin via Kobarid was hot at 40 degrees. Marko has a good bikeshop in Tolmin. He made the necessary adjustments to Benita’s derailer that gave her more gears for those uphills. The Hotel Krn (or Dvorec) has had a facelift with the new owner. The old criticism in Tripadvisor is unfair. It was, however, our only hotel without aircond. The chef was friendly and recommended an excellent Sauvignon Blanc of the area.

Day four included the longest and toughest climb for me. Benita had less problems. Fortunately uphills are rewarded with views and downhills. All the sweat disappeared with the sumptuous meal with superb wines at Medana. Thanks, Tina, for this special treat. Our taxi driver to Nova Gorica was punctual and knowledgable. We discussed Slovenia’s unusual 10 day war for independence in 1991. All our drivers were proud ambassadors.

Day five started with the taxi up to Stanjel. Absorbing the beauty downhill was shear pleasure. We often stopped at bars for water or coffee. English was never a problem. A cool down shower fell when we were in the Skočjan Caves. The pickup at Lipica worked well. Majestic Lipizzaners. We laughed when we crammed the bikes and 2 tall bodies into the taxi. With Benita on my lap we arrived at Hotel Roma in Trieste. I washed our cycling clothes every evening. It dried sufficiently overnight.

Day six started with the ferry crossing to Muggia. The ferry pickup is near the hotel. It takes 30 minutes to cross. It is cheap and you avoid all the Trieste traffic. At Muggia cycle back for 10 minutes towards Trieste. The Parenzana route is after the first small bridge. Out of Italy and back into Slovenia with its short scenic 42 km coastline. The clean well-lit 550m old railway tunnel says much of a country ensuring safe rides for cyclists. Portoroz is like a beehive of tourists. All enjoying their vacations.

Day seven we cross the Croatian border. All our hotels on the entire trip were superb. We drank the local water in our bathrooms. We slept very comfortably. Yes, there were days when the cumaltive affect was felt in my 67 year old legs but the rewards made it disappear. Regarding the required fitness level for the trip.

In Cape Town we try to cycle regularly. We are not fanatics. It was good to experience en route how popular tourism cycling is. Croatia’s section of the Parenzana is more stoney. We had 3 punctures and were ably assisted by our host from B&B Antico in Motovun. Please convey my appreciation to him again. Day eight to Porec we decided to remain on tar. To sum up. The trip has incredible potential and many of my friends will partake.

Written by Herbert Raubeinheimer; Photography by Matey Mejovsek and Life Bike Inc.

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Parenzana – Cyclist Trail of Health and Friendship

Matej — Sat, 25 Jan 2020 17:49:34 +0000

Cycle along the Parenzana – From Trieste (Italy) to Poreč (Croatia).

Towns on the Northern Adriatic and especially those on the Istrian Peninsula are remarkable in their beauty. Istra has a special Mediterranean charm, considered by many as the new Tuscany, with far more homely people and indigenous surroundings. Istria, with its numerous roads, side paths and mild climate, can easily be ranked as one the most beautiful parts of Europe for cycling. Istria is connected and interweaved by many cycling routes – both on the Slovenian and Croatian Part of Istria. Among the prettiest and well known is the Parenzana Trail – a former railway route that connected Trieste in Italy with Poreč on the Croatian side of Istria.

Cycling on the Parenzana is a true cycling poetry. The goal is to cycle to the finish line in Poreč, to cycle a route that is 130 kilometres long, a route that was once a railway, and while doing this one intensively experiences the landscape, towns and meets the local people. Parenzana is in its core a cycling adventure with experiencing the best of Istria. The route that goes through Italy and Slovenia is asphalt / paved and one cycles through towns which are linked well to tourism and offer plenty of good infrastructure. When one pushes the pedals towards the Croatian part of Istria, an even better cycling exploration begins on the narrow route of the former railway, with the surroundings and paths kept as they once were. One cycles on a stony and gravel route, part also on asphalt and part on the typical Istrian soil with its well known red color – a part of the route from Vižnjada to Poreč. The tour is not demanding, but it also isn‘t considered as easy, for one has to conquer several gentle slopes – the toughest one being the one from Mirna to Motovun – as well as several stony descends, where one has to hold the handlebar firmly in the hands.

Parenzana is one pure cycling pleasure. On our cycling path we indulged with excellent Istrian culinary, saw charming towns and villages – Grožnjan, Motovun,… visited Sečovlje Salina Nature Park and felt the warmth of the Adriatic Sea. We slept in small, boutique hotels and with local people on agro tourisms. These are considered as a good choice, an excellent experience for one is in close contact with homemade food/culinary and local Istrian people. If we add numerous well known taverns with Istrian wine, the package is complete. Cycling on the Parenzana is more than just cycling, it is an active experience of Istria, taking it all in – in slow sips.

The Parenzana Trail was once a narrow gauge railway that connected Trieste, Italy with Istria’s sea facing town, Poreč. It operated until 1935, carrying people and goods between quaint villages and port cities. The journey was slow, around six or seven hours, because the heavy trains had to snake up and down hills, and through tunnels and towns. With the advent of more efficient modes of transportation, the Parenzana became obsolete. The Italian fascist dictator, Mussolini had the steel train tracks dismantled after 1935. They were loaded onto a boat and shipped down the Adriatic to be smelted and used toward WWII axis power war efforts. Weighed down by too much tonnage of steel, the ship sank to the bottom of the sea.

Written by Matey Mejovsek; Photography by Matey Mejovsek and Life Bike Inc.

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Slovenia is The Next Big Biking Destination

tomaz — Tue, 03 Dec 2019 14:57:15 +0000

Unique and pure, therefore excellent for all types of bikers.

Slovenia is a remarkable country and absolutely perfect for bikers. There are numerous mountain biking areas, all types of terrain for adventure-gravel biking, diverse and dynamic routes for road cycling, demanding mountain passes and remote road connections. A visit of Slovenia with a bike is an excellent choice for all types of bikers, also for bike travelers and new E-bike nomads. I can say, without much exaggeration, that this little chicken-shaped country offers a lot of everything and all that a biker needs for living out his/her dreams and goals.

I have been an active biker for the past three decades and in this time I’ve experienced first class biking moments that took place in various parts of Slovenia. I mostly like to set out on a tour in the central or north-western part of Slovenia, where the landscape is more hilly, with a network of valleys, lakes and rivers. One can also find more demanding biking trails in these parts, which makes me happy and fills me with great energy. I am a diverse biker and as such can always find good biking tours and challenges. While biking, I become acquainted with towns, villages, mountains, passes and secluded pearls of nature in my homeland. I can without any hesitation say that Slovenia offers remarkable routes for mountain bikers as well as bikers which search for more demanding enduro trails and for all those, who find pleasure in longer mountain biking tours (also multi-day ones).

My marvelous little country, where a tourist slogan stands – Feel Green, Active and Healthy – offers excellent chances for an adventure or the so called gravel biking. Slovenia has a network of gravel and forest roads, which are just right for all cyclo-cross, adventure (gravel), travel (trekking) bikers or bikepacking way of biking. Those can find a bikers’ paradise in this country, full of explore cycling and discovering unspoiled natural areas. Longer cycling tours can be very well feasible as multi-day, stage cycling with an overnight in cosy, small hotels and private pensions along the route. One can find dynamic trails through forests, across vast plains, wine groves, corn fields, green meadows and mountain mule tracks. While on tour, a biker can become acquainted with new towns and villages, meet nice and friendly locals as well as experience charming accommodations for a much deserved rest after an active day. For some bike trekkers with panniers on the bike, who like to “travel slow – explore more”, Slovenia can be just right and a very appropriate destination, due to its small scale and close proximity of villages and towns. One can cycle across Slovenia in one week and experience landscapes from the Pannonia planes all the way to the Adriatic Sea.

I must admit, I am not a road cyclist, but I find myself of a road and cyclo-gravel bike now and then and set out on a longer, dynamic stage. I love to ascend on the well-known Vrsic mountain pass, sometimes even higher, on the marvelous Mangart saddle or other popular passes in the Julian Alps. These are first class winding roads, full of magnificent views and cycling challenges. Slovenia is a paradise for road cycling, for one can choose between lowland areas in the east or mountainous areas in the south-west, by the Adriatic Coast, or the more challenging and true mountainous stages in the north-western part of Slovenia. Road cyclists, which have already visited Slovenia, can say that the stages are simply remarkable and the landscape and nature unique. Everything is in close proximity and there is enough good quality infrastructure along the roads, which makes cyclists feel very safe.

I can proudly say that this little land “on the sunny side of the Alps”, a term our locals like to use, is an excellent choice for all types of bikers: lovers of mountain trails, road cyclists as well as travel (trekking) researchers and E-bike users. Slovenia is an undiscovered biking gem, which is slowly being polished, slowly awakening and this is an excellent opportunity for all bikers to experience unspoilt and remarkable natural wonders. Slovenia is considered Europe’s green destination.

Written by Matey Mejovsek; Photography by Maja Zupan, Tit Košir, Matey Mejovsek, STO and Life Bike Inc.

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