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Top 5 things to do while cycling in Slovenia

Cycling in Slovenia should be on the bucket list of every person who loves spending their holidays actively while also discovering the beautiful and diverse nature of a country, its rich historical and cultural heritage and trying tasty local and gourmet food.

To make your decision to go cycling in Slovenia easier, we’ve created a list of 5 things you can do here while cycling:

1) Discover medieval towns and castles

Slovenia is full of small towns and castles that are truly worth visiting. You can cycle across the picturesque medieval village Štanjel where magical weddings take place, or Slovenia’s oldest town Ptuj with its beautiful castle and the oldest wine cellar. Even Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, gives a medieval vibe with its castle and small cobblestone streets. 

You can also visit Lipica town where Slovenian Lipizzan horses have been bred since the 16th century, or take a stop in Piran, a romantic city on Slovenian coast, that offers a great panoramic view of the sea and a soothing fresh and salty smell of the ocean. 

medieval-village-štanjel

Picturesque village of Štanjel lies in the heart of Vipava valley

2) Visit natural wonders

Slovenia will leave you speechless with its magical Alpine valleys, astonishing waterfalls, turquoise river Soča and its gorges, breathtaking peaks of the Julian Alps, the Tuscany-like wine region of Goriška Brda and the green region of Rogaška Slatina that’s renowned for its mineral water. 

On top of that, you’ll hardly avoid cycling among pristine forests while cycling in Slovenia because they cover 54 % of the country. The forests are home to many species of animals, such as brown bears, wolves, deers and lynxes.

soča-valley-while-cycling-in-slovenia

Several scenes from the movie Chronicles of Narnia were filmed in Soča valley

3) Swim in picturesque lakes and rivers

There’s an opportunity to take a refreshing swim almost behind every corner while cycling in Slovenia. One such occasion is in Bled and Bohinj lakes that are located amongst the Julian Alps and offer breathtaking mountain views. Another one is in Kočevje lake that’s one of the cleanest lakes in Slovenia and enables full relaxation after cycling among virgin forests.

We also recommend taking a bath in the Soča or Kolpa river. Soča is known for being very cold, but it’s also known for being the prettiest Slovenian river because of its emerald color. Kolpa river on the other hand is our warmest river and is surrounded by calm nature and greenery.

swimming-in-lake-bled

Lake Bled is a perfect stop to take a swim and to try the famous “kremšnita” cake

4) Taste the finest local wine and food

Slovenia is known for its wine-making tradition, internationally awarded wines and the oldest vine in the world that still produces fruit. For this reason the 400 years old vine is listed in the Guiness Book of Records. While cycling in Slovenia try the traditional Slovenian wines such as red Teran and Refošk wines or white Rebula or Rumeni muškat wines.

Talking about must-try local food, don’t miss:

  • the sweet cottage cheese rolled dumplings called “štruklji
  • the Karst prosciutto with its authentic flavor and a hundreds of years old tradition
  • the famous Bled cream cake “kremšnita
slovenian-food-and-wine

Slovenia is known for its excellent wine, cheese and Karst prosciutto

5) Visit Michelin star restaurants

While cycling in Slovenia you can visit six Slovenian Michelin star rated restaurants that got their first stars in 2020, just after Michelin’s first visit to Slovenia. Michelin’s visit and Slovenia being selected as the European Region of Gastronomy of 2021 prove that our country is one of the top culinary destinations.

A must-visit restaurant is a two Michelin star Hiša Franko owned by Ana Roš, who was named world’s best female chef in 2017. This restaurant is ranked 38th among best restaurants in the world. Another must-visit is a one Michelin star Gostilna pri Lojzetu that’s located in the 17th century mansion in Vipava valley and runs since the late 19. century. It’s chef is the fourth generation of this family restaurant.

slovenian-michelin-star-restaurants

Hiša Franko is ranked 38th among best restaurants in the world

Check out this amazing cycling tour

Recently Visit GoodPlace created a new 11-days long Bike Slovenia Green Gourmet Cycling Tour that joins cycling in Slovenia with tasty culinary experiences. 

What you see and do in this tour:

  • visit medieval cities and natural sights (ex. Soča, Goriška Brda, Štanjel, Ljubljana, Ptuj)
  • try traditional Slovenian wine and food
  • visit famous Slovenian Michelin star restaurants

About the tour:

  • Suitable for almost everyone
  • Guided or self-guided
  • Organized accommodation and meals
  • Experienced guides 
  • Free cancellations up to 30 days before departure (Learn more)
cycling-in-slovenia-gourmet-tour

Cycling among vineyards, trying excellent local food and wine, discovering old cities and more

Top 5 local dishes on Slovenia bike tours

Slovenia is full of hidden gems, unique experiences, and picturesque adventures. No one knows them better than our Visit GoodPlace experts and that’s why they’ve curated a list of activities, trails, sights, and roads that you should visit during your Slovenia bike tours.

The exceptionally diverse landscape of Slovenia and a mix of influences from Italy, Austria, and the Balkans are reflected in a colourful gastronomic offer. The varied traditional dishes do, however, have one thing in common – they are made of seasonal, locally grown ingredients. As a team of sustainability advocates, we find this very important. Here are some of our favourite culinary specialties, which you can taste during our Slovenia bike tours.

Karst Prosciutto

Cold cuts are popular Slovenian appetizers and Karst prosciutto is definitely a local favourite. The specialty of this geographically protected meat product lies in the centuries-old tradition of salting and drying. The prosciutto is praised for its rich aroma, intense ruby colour, juiciness, firm structure, and salinity. On our Slovenia bike tours cycling through local villages in Karst and tasting prosciutto which mixes best with a glass of local Teran wine surely is one of the highlights.

prosciutto

Idrija stuffed dumplings

Idrija stuffed dumplings or žlikrofi are little pasta pockets filled with potato, bacon, onions, and spices. They are cooked in water and served as a warm appetizer, side dish, or one-course meal. Local housewives used to cook žlikrofi for their husbands who worked in a nearby mine. Since 2010, Idrija dumplings have also been officially protected by geographical origin. Even though you can order this delicacy in many great restaurants across the country, we recommend you to taste žlikrofi in Idrija. You can have them at Hotel Jožef.

žlikrofi_vgp

Bled cream cake

Bled cream cake, locally known as kremšnita, was invented in 1953 in Hotel Park, where, until today, over 20 million cream slices have already been sold. The legendary cake consists of three different layers – butter dough crust, vanilla cream, and whipping cream. We agree with locals, who like to say that you cannot truly experience the beauty of Lake Bled, its island, and castle, without trying the famous kremšnita.

Tolminc cheese

We are huge fans of alpine dairy farms under the Tolmin mountains, where the famous Tolminc cheese is produced. It is a type of hard full-fat cheese made of raw cow’s milk. So, whenever our Slovenia bike tours bring you to the beautiful Soča Valley, don’t miss your chance to taste this homemade treat. We invite you to also try Bovec cheese, the local rival of Tolminc, which has a distinctive aromatic, slightly spicy taste and is mostly made of pure sheep milk.

tolminc cheese

Cottage cheese rolled dumplings

During our Slovenia bike tours, Štruklji are a must-try. Well-known all over the country, these tasty dumplings are made of different kinds of dough and over 100 different sweet and savory fillings, with the most popular being cottage cheese. To try the best štruklji in Slovenia, you should hike or bike to Kofce mountain pasture, where you can choose among a variety of traditional and less traditional flavours, for example with dark chocolate and raspberries. We recommend buckwheat štruklji with walnuts.

5 reasons why bikers and hikers love accommodation on our tours

As you probably realized by now, there are numerous reasons to experience one of our epic Slovenia bike tours or come to our small green country for Slovenia hiking holidays. What first comes to mind, are surely the diverse hilly landscapes, vast forests and abundant water sources. Together with friendly locals and great food, they make up for a perfect outdoor destination. However, everybody needs a nice place to rest after fun daily activities. At Visit Goodplace, we take this very seriously. On our tours, we carefully select only the best accommodation providers, which our guests simply love. Let’s see why.

Cycle to a perfect rest

When you explore Slovenia by bike, your everyday needs change. You might want to wash your sportswear in the evenings, use bicycle maintenance tools, or buy a spare tire. You will probably also appreciate more information about local cycling routes. This is why on our Slovenia bike tours we always prioritize accommodation providers enabling you just that. Many specialized, cyclist-friendly providers can be recognized by a bicycle symbol indicating the extent and quality of what they offer to cyclists.

With hikers in mind

The same is true for our Slovenia hiking holidays. We always search for hotels, farm stays, guesthouses, mountain huts, and other accommodation providers that know how to meet the needs of hiking enthusiasts. These are usually marked with a sign showing one to five hikers. Their advantages include traditional cuisine adapted for hikers, facilities for washing and drying hiking equipment, provision of lunch packages, and plenty of information on public transport, sports shops, and weather forecast.

Responsible travel

Our mission is to create authentic and unique Slovenia bike tours and Slovenia hiking holidays for our guests while supporting responsible trade and nature preservation. With the aim of minimizing negative effects on the natural and social environment, we choose accommodation providers with sustainability certificates wherever and whenever possible. When you book Slovenia hiking holidays or a Slovenia bike tour with us, you can therefore be sure to sleep in the most sustainable accommodation available at the destination.

Boutique experiences

We wish our Slovenia bike tours and Slovenia cycling holidays to leave a beneficial impact on the local communities. For this reason, we prioritize boutique, family-run accommodation and avoid large hotel chains. Spending a night in a cozy guesthouse or a typical farm stay also results in a more authentic overall experience. You will get the opportunity to taste delicious homemade meals coming directly from garden to table and feel the real Slovenian hospitality.

Stay where you desire

Just like we tailor the itineraries of our Slovenia bike tours so that they fit all your wants and needs, we also invite you to choose your ideal accommodation type. Most of our guests prefer to stay in carefully picked guesthouses, boutique hotels and tourist farms, but we are more than happy to provide you with alternatives – from hidden mountain cottages, youth hostels and campsites to luxury apartments and five-star hotels. We can even spice up your Slovenia hiking holidays or other adventures with an overnight in one of the amazing glamping sites.

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