Around Sunny Side of Alps 8 - 10 days

From our experience first day biking alone in foreign country can sometimes be a »little stressful«. This is one of the reasons why we created first day tour around our colourful, pictures region of Koroška (Carinthia).  It is a combination of forest roads, countryside with lonely farms, beautiful panoramas, cart tracks and the best mid-level single trails in the park. The tour has different variations with regard to length and difficulty of the trails. After our morning information meeting, this first day circle tour and maybe evening talk you will get feelings of our support and yours safety, confidence and relaxation for next days.

Why are some areas better for mountain biking than others? You can find the answer in the Geopark Karavanke, where the wealth of geological formations and diversity of rock provide outstanding terrain for biking. The natural environment of the Geopark, which extends around Mt. Peca is noted for its exceptional biodiversity. Geological faults and over thrusts, as well as the numerous flash flood waters and rivers have helped to shape the dynamic landscape and created a diverse, picturesque panorama that will accompany you on all your biking tours here.

On this morning you have more options:
Easy on local tarmac road through valleys with small towns.
Second unforgettable tour through the abandoned tunnels of the Mežica mine. Underground biking almost 6 kilometres from one valley to another. The underground tour must be booked in advance! 
The hardest option is across mountains with epic single trails.  

After lunch in the last village Črna na Koroškem you need to pedal to first mountain pass (1.300 h.m) where you will reache a beautiful panoramic road. You will enjoy the views over the mighty peaks of the Kamnik–Savinja Alps. The stage ends in the lonely village of Podolševa, on the slope of the mountain where they found artefacts of prehistoric hunters. Ask Dixi about the story of Bike Nomad logo! 

Biking between isolated farms in the Savinja Alps is a first- class pleasure and many bikers agree that this panoramic mountain road offers the most beautiful views in the Slovenian Alps. You will follow the mountain panorama road to the top of a high mountain pass (1.370 h.m) at the border to Austria and from there you will ride a scenic asphalt road down to 870h.m  and then up again to the next pass (1.210h.m), which will finally get you to the village of Jezersko.

Jezersko literally means "a place with a lake". When glacier melted after the last Ice Age, there was a large lake, whose remains you can still visit today. With its authentic culture the place is a true hidden gem and if you have enough energy, you could finish the day with trip to the Ravenska Kočna Valley.

On this day, route leads you mainly through shady forest and in some places, it is challenging, but the effort is rewarded by immeasurable peace, silence and beautiful views.  One of the most beautiful and scenic routes runs through the forests and open pastures at the foot of the south slope of the Košuta mountain. The route runs along the Tržiška Bistrica stream towards the spectacular geosite Dovžan gorge with its walls hold fossilized remains from 300 million years ago. The biggest town of the tour is the small town of Tržič.  From the mountains you will ride across flat parts and hilly land to lake Bled, the icon of the Slovenian tourism.  With the outstanding natural beauty lake Bled, together with its surroundings, ranks among the most beautiful Alpine resorts.  Here you could visit the lake with an old church on the island in the middle or the Bled Castle overlooking the town, and you must taste the famous Bled cream cake known to locals as “Kremšnita”.

From Bled in the morning, this bike trip leads you through lonely valley of Radovna and then cycling path on an ex-railway to tourism resort Kranjska Gora (810 h.m.).  

In afternoon you start climbing near Lake Jasna in the Triglav National Park.  The terrain is extremely steep due to its geological characteristics but views from the road leading over the central parts of the Julian Alps are amazingly beautiful.  One of the highest positioned roads in the Slovenian Alps with pass on an altitude of 1.611 meters attracts many cyclists and mountain bikers. Here you will stay in basic Mt. Hut and enjoy the night in the mountains.

Option:  if you want to sleep in hotel*** in Kranjska Gora you will do morning pedalling 12 km and 850 h.m.  or you can take morning shuttle with bus to Vršič Pass.

Descending from the Vršič pass, the mountain road descends in remarkable serpentines into   magical Trenta Valley, the upper part of the famous Soča Valley.  
The emerald green Soča river is considered as the most beautiful river in Europe by many people. The valley has a lot of stunning natural sites, as well as the shocking heritage of World War I. The tour follows the river, but you could make a side tour to very close town Bovec, known as the Slovenian centre of adrenalin sports – rafting, kayaking, canyoning, etc.
During the tour you will see how the vegetation and also architecture start to change from Alpine to more   “warm” subalpine near your night stay town Kobarid, best known for the 1917 WWI Battle of Caporetto, documented also by Ernest Hemingway in his novel A Farewell to Arms.

Challenging could be the right word for the first 12 kilometres in the morning. Step uphill with 950 h.m. climbing is also the stage for the race “Giro de Italia” and award is amazing – breath-taking panoramas and smooth ridge roads unil the end of the day.  On the Kolovrat Ridge (1,115 m) you will pass First World War Outdoor Museum - lookout spots, firing trenches, artillery positions for machine guns and caverns are particularly interesting due to various details. The Kolovrat Ridge also offers incredible views to the Italian Veneto Region and the mountains of Soča Valley.

In the midday the best place for picnic lunch is very energetic point above the village of Lig, reigns the Marijino Celje pilgrimage temple. In front of the church there is a marvellous view onto the Julian Alps. The smooth road, the so-called “ridge road,” will lead you from Lig to Goriška Brda. The pictures landscape, covered with vineyards and orchards, dispersed villages along the ridges and views toward the sea, the Friuli and the Veneto, has a special, magical power. The world-famous high-quality wines, delicious food, communicative and hospitable inhabitants are next 3 reasons that our tour across Sunny Side of the Aps end or start in Goriška Brda - for tasting the sweetest parts of life!