sLOVEnia Tour

You ride up the valley of the river Kokra to arrive at Jezersko from where you cross to Austria for a couple of kilometers. After crossing back to Slovenia you descend to the Logarska valley, one of the most beautiful glacially formed Alpine valleys in Europe, surrounded by peaks over 2.200 m high. After lunch, you follow the Savinja River on a twisty road heading east to reach our small hotel in Jeruzalem, surrounded by scenic vineyards. Jeruzalem was named by the Crusaders when the beauty of the hilly landscape and its wines enthralled them on their way to the Holy Land.

It is a region of forests, vineyards, rolling hills, scattered farms and a large number of castles. Riding over these hills is an absolute delight and a real feast for your eyes. We stop at the Podsreda Castle and have a picnic lunch with a view of this remarkable fortification. In the afternoon we do some more riding before arriving at Otocec castle, which is one of Slovenia's loveliest and most complete fortresses. Today the castle, which dates from the 16th century, houses a five-star hotel.

Situated in the gaping mouth of a cavern halfway up a 130 meter cliff, this medieval castle has one of the most dramatic settings anywhere and was once home of Erazem Lueger, the Slovenian equivalent of Robin Hood. Next you explore Skocjan caves which, with their 100 meter deep underground canyon and vast chambers, have no comparison in the world and are included in Unesco's World Heritage Sites list. You might want to visit famous Postojna cave instead, into which you take a train. In the afternoon we ride to Portoroz, Slovenia's most coastal resort.

You can stroll around Piran, Portoroz's neighbor, and everyone's favorite town on the Slovenian coast. Piran's Old Town is a gem of Venetian Gothic architecture and is full of narrow streets. Other excellent options include a visit to the Secovlje salt fields or a ride to the Istria peninsula, where truffles, Roman ruins, striking hill towns, quaint coastal villages, and breezy Italian culture all compete for your attention.

During WWI, this area of peace and tranquility was the site of the infamous Isonzo Front. You'll ride past Kobarid, Tolmin and many little villages. This scenic route is nice and twisty through beautiful forests-- excellent for motorcyclists. We end the day in Bovec, an exhilarating alpine resort, perfect for both adventurers and leisure seekers. In the afternoon you can take a cable car to the Kanin ski station, play golf, go fishing, horseback ride, mountain bike, swim or visit the WWI Kobarid museum, the best European museum in 1993. Or you can go whitewater rafting on the untamed Soca river or if you feel really adventurous.

You then ride to Bled, indisputably one of Europe's most beautiful lakes and mountain resorts. With its emerald-green water, picture-postcard church on an islet, medieval castle clinging to a rocky cliff more than 100m above the lake, and some of the highest peaks of the Julian Alps, Bled is Slovenia's most popular resort.

Dive into the clear green lake or take a cable car to Vogel ski station some 1000m above the lake. You continue the ride on twisty roads passing the attractive historical towns of Radovljica and Kropa to arrive at the hotel in Ljubljana.

Depending on the time of your flight back home, you may have time to climb the staircase to the 16th century fortification of Ljubljana Castle that dominates the town before heading out to the airport.