Alps and Adriatic | Slovenia… (trip)

Alps and Adriatic | Slovenia / Croatia

  • Ljubljana airport, Slovenia
  • Active & Adventure
Croatia, Slovenia, Europe

from $1,995* per person8 DaysJune-September
Comfort accommodations Exertion level: 3
Operator: Sacred Rides Mountain Bike Adventures 12 people max
The word 'Balkan' comes from Turkish, meaning "chain of wooded mountains." Had the ancient Turks ridden mountain bikes, they might have come up with another word for "wooded mountains that are perfect for mountain biking."

The Balkan countries of Slovenia and Croatia are just that sort of place, with the Slovenian Alps and Istrian mountains of Croatia providing the spectacular backdrop for this adventure. Forested singletrack meets old-world-charm on this ride through history in one of the most fascinating areas of Europe. The Balkans were long a crossroads for cultures from all over Europe and Asia - now they're a crossroads for travellers looking for something beyond the typical European experience.

Since the end of the Balkan war in the 90s, Slovenia and Croatia have been two of the hottest travel destinations in Europe, and it's easy to see why: Slovenia is an outdoor lover's paradise, with beautifully preserved wilderness and stunning mountain peaks as far as the eye can see, while Croatia's coastline is quickly becoming a playground for the world's gliteratti and Istria's mountains are home to olive groves, vineyards, charming medieval towns and beautiful mountain bike trails.

Discover the best of both this summer and find your sacred ride in the Balkans...

Is This Ride For You?

You like tight, forested singletrack that opens up to spectacular views You can handle moderately rooty and rocky terrain and can get your front wheel over obstacles up to 6" high You're into history and visiting 1000-year-old medieval towns and villages You love exploring other cultures while on the seat of your mountain bike

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Locations visited/nearby

Croatia, Slovenia, Europe

0 testimonials about this trip.

3 testimonials about the provider, Sacred Rides Mountain Bike Adventures:

  • Reviewer: Enrique Nodarse located in Puerto Rico,
    Hey Mike! First of all I wanted to say the Peru trip was amazing. Wayo is the man!! Given..he had the perfect setting, surrounded by the perfect Andean mountains, nonetheless he turned an already 'cool as hell' trip into a nearly flawless one. Simply one of my best vacations yet. I think I was more winded by our constant laughing than the low-oxygen high elevation climbs!! Lets not forget, Jose and Russo, without them the trip would not have been nearly as cool. I think I can speak on behalf of all of us that took the trip when I say the day we spent in Joses Farm made the trip very different than anything we or at least I ever expected from any tour or organized travel. I didn't expect that...the guide does not usually take you to his home!! ...which happened to be a beautiful 40 acre citrus tree haven surrounded by some of the most amazing greenest hills that I have ever had the privilege of riding. As if that was not enough our perfect day of riding was supplemented by fresh juices, cheeses, cold peruvian beers served by the poolside and culminated with the delicious BBQ chicken lunch. Well, I could go on and on, but I think you already have a pretty good idea of how much I enjoyed my trip. I won't continue my rant, and leave you with more time to get out there and scout more 'sacred rides' for the rest of us to see and hopefully ride.
  • Reviewer: Barbara and Mick located in UK
    Just a note to let you know that Mick and I thoroughly enjoyed our Sacred Rides holiday. We had an absolutely fantastic time. The trails Eddy and Val took us on were excellent and we will remember them for a long time.

    I think most of us felt that our riding had improved during the course of the week, and Mick and I have certainly noticed a difference since we got back to England and have been riding our favourite Lake District trails. We had a devil-kicking session last weekend, where Mick confidently rode the off-camber boardwalks that he is usually hesitant on, and I rode a particularly tricky rocky section that I have always jibbed at before. Both were conquered with ease!

    Everyone in the group got along really well and Eddy and Val were a pleasure to be around. All in all, it was a fab holiday. Thanks very much!

    Best regards,
  • Reviewer: Kim Ruthers located in US
    Thank you. I loved every minute of it. My bike skills and confidence have improved and I have seen truly amazing sights. A terrific trip!

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Itinerary

Day 1. Arrive Ljubljana transfer to Mountain Bike Park.

We will meet you at the Ljubljana Airport (Slovenia) at 4 pm and transfer to our hotel in the Karawanke Range of northern Slovenia, near the Austrian border. Our hotel for the first 3 nights is a charming Austrian-style guesthouse on an organic farm, high in the mountains. "Sound of Music" scenery surrounds us on all sides, as do miles and miles of singletrack. Dixi is our local host here and we will dine on fresh food from the farm tonight and prepare for an amazing first day.

Day 2. Ride the trails of the Jamnica.

Our first day starts off with a short climb, overlooking green fields and spectacular peaks. The Jamnica ride takes you to the hills surrounding Dixis base.  It features single tracks, fire roads and some dirt roads.  Smooth single trails, abandoned tractor trails, awesome views and manageable climbs make it perfect for people who  want to improve their mountain bike skills.  However, experienced bikers will also enjoy this mountain bike playground.   A lunch will be ready at a tourist farm around midday, after which a bit of climbing will take you to the singletrack park for a perfect end to the day. After riding, we'll return to our ecohotel for another delicious meal prepared fresh on the farm.

Day 3. Lift-accessed riding in the Karawanke Range

Across the valley from our hotel is a network of gorgeous singletracks, accessed by cable car. We start with a singletrack straight from our Bike Base. After that we have about 1 hour biking on fire roads and short  part on local tarmac roads in Austria to the slopes of Peca Mountain.
There we load bikes and ourselves in a cable car, which takes us all the way up to 1.700 m above see level, where we reach the highest point off this day.  After a bit of rest, a drink and a small snack at the mountain hut and a lot of spectacular views, we descend down on single tracks back to Slovenia.  Our lunch is at a nice mountain hut, situated near the church of Saint Helena. Sitting on the terrace, perched on the edge of a great view, we'll enjoy a meal of traditional miners food. Here is the beginning of our epic ridge single trail which take us down to the valley.  From there we'll shuttle back to our base.

Day 4. Underground mountain biking and drive to Nanos

In the morning we will pack everything in the van and start our journey to the south. Above the miners village Črna we'll start with few km of gravel road uphill, with a nice meadow on top. Than we start descending on a nice mud road changing in a breathtaking narrow single track down to valley. After that we will go Underground!
This is one of the highlights of the trip: riding several stories down, in a centuries-old mine! We'll load up the van with our gear, then head to the mine entrance. Our local guide will outfit us with headlamps and take us into the bowels of the earth, along an 8-kilometre long mineshaft. It's an otherwordly experience, and one of the coolest things you'll ever do on a mountain bike! After the ride, we will stop for lunch, then head to southern Slovenia, where we'll check into our mountainside farm house.

Day 5. Nanos mountain biking

One of the trip's most stunning trails today. We head up Nanos Mountain for a grueling but scenic climb to a spectacular lookout over the Postojna Valley. The descent is rocky, fun, and long. We'll stop for lunch by a river, then sample some local wines at a nearby winery. For those with an subterranean fetish, you'll have the option to go underground again, this time to the renowned Postojna Caves, one of the most impressive cave systems in the world, with over 20 km of caverns and passageways. Afterwards, we'll head to the border and cross over into Croatia, checking into our beautiful hilltop hotel in Motovun.

Day 6. Hum Trails and Lim Fiord

 
This morning we will ride  arround the world's smallest town,  Hum, with lots of scenic viewpoints over the Istrian Peninsula. After lunch in a local konoba we will ride or drive to the beginning of Lim Fjord where the boat will wait for us to take us to town of Rovinj, a beautiful medieval fishing town with narrow cobblestone streets and fantastic Adriatic vistas.
 (*in case of bad weather, or in unsteady seas we will find an alternative for a boat trip).

Day 7. Premantura Trails

For the last day of our trip we will bike to the scenic end of Istrian Peninsula. Kamenjak peninsula  as a natural resort, offers us a scenic single trails in wild Mediterranean nature. While riding we can take few stops to dip into fresh Mediterranean water, and -for the brave - cliff jumping, will be possible at many places.

Day 8. Return to Ljubljana

After breakfast our van will take us back to Ljubljana where you can catch your flight home, or stay in this charming city for a few days to extend your vacation. n.b.: if you wish to stay in Rovinj, we can arrange transfers for you and book extra nights in our hotel.

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