Slovenia: the European Cycling Gem You’Ve Never Heard Of
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Slovenia: The European Cycling Gem You’ve Never Heard Of Story and photos by Carolyn Bys and Tyler Robertson fter several years of working, living, and, most important,A cycling around Central Europe, we were excited to finally cross into the northern edge of the Balkan Peninsula and into Slovenia. And, when we arrived, we were smitten. Sitting at the geocultural crossroads between Eastern and Western Europe and the Balkans, Slovenia is a land of contrasts. Italian flavored in the west with a distinct Austrian influence in the north while retaining the veneer of its former identity as Yugoslavia make a unique experience. Almost endless miles of gravel roads carried us over high ridges and along deep valleys. Dozens of storybook villages captured our attention throughout the countryside. Castles and churches seemed to sprout from the hilltops like mushrooms after the rain. Not only did Slovenia have these varied cultural influences, the terrain was equally diverse. We could ride the best of Europe — wine country, the Alps, and the Story and photos by Mediterranean — in a cross-country jaunt of roughly 1,000 kilometers. After an all-too-brief visit on our Carolyn Bys and Tyler Robertson trip from Prague, Czech Republic, to Dubrovnik, Croatia, we resolved to 20 Miles return and discover some of the best A H T R I Grad Slovenian bike-touring routes. A U S U N G Crna Na Maribor Secrets of the East Slovenj Lendava A Kranjska Koroskem Gradec Our journey began in early June, Gorta Jeruzalem R Y with a four-day, 300-kilometer loop Lake Bled from Maribor, Slovenia’s second city, Kranj A along the eastern borders and through Tolmin I Y the hilly wine-growing regions of L Ljubljana N CROATIA Jeruzalem, Lendava, and Goricko. A T E Leaving Maribor mid-morning with I V MANY ZagrebGER lightly loaded bikes, we cruised O L SWITZ. AUSTRIA R HUNGARY O east along the Drava River Trail. a S E M C e SLOVENIA A S N ATIA N Intermittent route signs marked our O I I R A C A c T i Izola R way to the ancient Roman city of Ptuj. F A t B.&H. SERBIA L a Y After a quick hike up to the castle and i r a little exploring around the medieval d Old Town, we continued east along flat A MARTHA BOSTWICK MARTHA farmland lining the river toward the Jeruzalem Hills. of his wine-making days under the from paved to gravel, then back to Turning north from the Drava, the Yugoslav regime when all producers paved several times. terrain suddenly morphed into short, were obliged to only sell their wares to A hilly 100-kilometer ramble steep hills. A collection of vineyards, the government-operated collective. from Lendava to the small Goricko hilltop churches, and villages is He and a few others were able to settlement of Grad had us up and out centered on the tiny settlement of break free and establish themselves early. Home to one of Slovenia’s largest Jeruzalem, named by 11th-century independently, partially due to remaining castles on the Austrian Crusaders who discovered a place as geographic remoteness, but also due border, reaching Grad (which also special as the Holy Land itself. Quiet to an attitude he described as “being as means “Castle” in Slovene) proved to be roads twisted from ridge to ridge past cocky as a rooster.” a challenge. We pedaled a short section dozens of small, family-run vineyards The next day, Milan insisted we of Eurovelo 13, slicing through Slovenia, all surrounded by rows of tidy vines take one — no two — bottles of his rolled past village after village, stopped shimmering in the sunlight. Except for famed Šipon (ShEE-pone) with us as for a picnic, and briefly inspected the the occasional tractor or farm truck we got back to the bikes to begin our tiny St. Niklas Rotunda Church — ambling past, we had these roads to descent to the Mura River Trail and reputedly built by the Knights Templar ourselves. east into Lendava. Rolling through the — and made an awkward phone call in We arrived for the night at Vinoteka farmlands surrounding the Mura, we broken German to arrange a place to Hlebec — a working winery and farm stopped several times to snap photos sleep that night. hosting guests (a.k.a. “tourist farm”) in of the storks feeding their young in Arriving at the castle in late the settlement of Kog on the Croatian giant nests on top of platforms affixed afternoon, we tromped around the border. Slovene hospitality and to telephone poles. As we rode farther grounds imagining the knights and outstanding wine served as translators east, wheat and apples replaced wine, nobility who once stood there looking as we ate and talked. Milan told us and the quiet roads changed surface out over their domain. The former 32 ADVENTURE CYCLIST APRIL 2015 province of Hungarian and then Into the Alps Austrian Dukes, the castle has presided After returning to Maribor, we set over these hills since the early 13th out on the most challenging section century. During WWII, it served as a of our cross-country adventure — 300 command post for Josip Broz Tito’s kilometers of mostly gravel road from Yugoslav Partisan Army and later as Maribor into the Alps. Leaving from the barracks for Soviet troops. Today, the top of the local ski hill, we began our ramparts stand silent, and the interior trek west along the Pohorje Tranzversal courtyard, though maintained, sees Trail, a well-marked and winding only occasional visitors. 75-kilometer slice of gravel cutting through the densely forested ridges of NUTS & BOLTS Slovenia WHEN TO GO Teran from Karst • 68% of the population May through September is • Pumpkin-seed oil drizzled speaks English the ideal time for cycling, over everything, especially • 28,000 wineries but there are some trade- vanilla ice cream (trust us • 500 castles and castle offs. The high mountain on this one!) ruins country is best from June • 254 sunny days per year to August (Vršić Pass opens OUR FAVORITE GEAR on average May 1), and Karst and the The routes we chose are full • First Yugoslav republic to seaside are really quite hot of mixed terrain with lots declare independence in in the summer months. The of (mostly smooth) gravel 1991 shoulder months, April and in remote areas. Good tires October, are options, but with some tread are a must, RESOURCES prepare for rain and even and we love our Schwalbe • Slovenia – A Bicycle Travel snow at altitude. Marathons. Guide by Carolyn Bys and Tyler Robertson, two- FOOD & DRINK GOOD TO KNOW wheeltravelblog.com • Tolminc cheese from the Although 1,000 kilometers • Soca Valley Tourism hosts Alpine dairy farms above can be covered in less than a variety of resources at Soca Valley two weeks, give yourself dolina-soce.com. • Pršut Ham from Karst some extra leeway for • Kartographia produces • Carniola sausage from the the rough and demanding maps that include cycle Alps terrain. If you love wine, routes for each region on • Bled cream cake at Lake historical sites, or mountain a 1:40,000 scale. Bled playgrounds, make some kartografija.si • Kobarid Štruklji (pockets time for exploring Jeruza- • Slovenia Tourism Board of dough stuffed with lem, Logarska Dolina, Lakes maintains an online listing walnut, raisins, spices, Bled and Bohinj, or the Soca of virtually every hotel, and chocolate) Valley. campground, and tourist • Blueberry schnapps farm, along with some • Jota (hearty farmer’s BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW: cycling information. soup) • 22,000 kilometers of main- sloveniainfo.com • Wines – especially Šipon tained gravel roads • EuroVelo, eurovelo.com/ from Jeruzalem and •48 kilometers of coastline en/cycling-in/slovenia ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG 33 Pohorje Massif. Pedaling the Tranzversal is deceptive. On the map, the route closely follows the ridgeline, varying its elevation only slightly. On the ground, alternating patches of smooth gravel and loose rocks combined with the short, steep rises to push our limits and those of our loaded bikes. The going was mostly pleasant, although tough. Passing remote hikers’ cabins and secluded lakes, we walked only a couple of short sections. We stopped for a picnic lunch at a funky trailside museum to forest workers and overnighted in a ski cabin at Pesek. Tucked under deep forest shade, we rode along the mountain’s edge and past clear mountain springs for two solid days. Feeling almost totally alone, we saw only four people and two cars the entire time. At Pohorje’s western end, we stopped the second night in Slovenj Gradec, a sleepy little town in the Mislinja Valley and the capital of the Koroška region. The mountains and terrain here were steeper than anything we’d experienced Carolyn pedaling past a prime example of thus far. the dozens of Baroque churches dotting the We headed south down the Mislinja landscape in eastern Slovenia. Valley, turning west to climb on smooth gravel, along exposed edges but safely roads with steep green chasms below. back from the deep, green abyss of Reaching the summit, we turned the the valley below. We felt like tiny ants corner, and the first views of the craggy ascending a huge green mound. The Savinjska Alps erupted before us like deeper we went, the bigger the peaks limestone shark’s teeth jutting skyward. that surrounded us. Heads spinning Proceeding with awe-struck caution from endorphins and rich mountain into Logarska Dolina, we stopped at air, we stopped at the 16th-century St. every opportunity to take in the views. Magdelena church to fill our bottles Logarska Dolina alternately felt like from the public spring before our final something out of an IMAX movie and descent.