Trans Alpe Adria

The MTB journey sets off at Bad Kleinkirchheim, a famous winter sport and thermal spa centre situated in the Austrian Alps.

Today you are greeted by a 15-kilometre flow trail, one of the longest in Europe. You can either bike down a section of the trail or take a cable car to the top and complete the entire trail.  

When you descend to the valley, you soon reach the pretty Feldsee Lake and then eventually arrive to the town of Villach, which captivates the visitor with impressive architecture, tasty local cuisine and an easy-going beat. 

Cycling continues along the valley towards the town of Arnoldstein, which is situated just next to the Austria’s southern border. The next part of the stage is all about the triple border (Dreiländereck), where the territories of Slovenia, Italy and Austria come together in a single point. The triple border offers majestic views of the Julian Alps, the Gailtal Alps, the Gurktal Alps, the High and Low Tauern, and the western part of the Karavanke mountains. 

An exciting downhill ride leads to Kranjska Gora, the final stop of the day and a popular ski resort located at the foot of the Julian Alps.

Trans Alpe Adria mountain bike trip continues past Lake Jasna and across the Vršič mountain pass, the highest positioned road pass in the Eastern Julian Alps with an altitude of 1611 metres. Riding down the Vršič pass, you arrive to one of the most remote, but also most captivating places in Slovenia, the Trenta Valley. Here you enter the central area of the Triglav National Park and the upper part of the famous Soča Valley.

The emerald green Soča is considered to be of the most beautiful European rivers. In addition to a plethora of stunning natural sites, the valley features the shocking heritage of World War I. The route follows the river to the small town of Bovec, known as the centre of outdoor activities such as rafting, kayaking and hiking.

More MTB Slovenia joy awaits. Passing the first sight of the day, the majestic Boka waterfall, you come to the border between Slovenia and Italy. From here, a former mule-track road leads to the scenic peak of Mt. Stol. On clear days, the view reaches all the way to the sea. Biking along the mountain ridge is definitely the highlight of the day. Next, a steep single trail leads into the forest and soon you are back at the banks of Soča.

A few kilometres of pedalling more and you arrive to the lively tourist hub of Kobarid of Kobarid, best known for the 1917 WWI Battle of Caporetto, where the Italian retreat was documented by Ernest Hemingway in his novel A Farewell to Arms.

Ready for more mountain bike adventures? The ascent to Krn and then onto the Pretovč mountain pasture makes this part of the tour the most challenging one. The effort is awarded by an exciting downhill ride to the Tolminka river valley. You pass by the Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit, a monument dedicated to the First World War. You also get the opportunity to visit one of the most breath-taking spots in the region, the Tolmin gorges. The stage ends with a short section above the Tolminka river, which leads to Tolmin.

During the first part of the day, you ride next to Soča to the town of Most na Soči, where a hydro plant has caused the river water to accumulate into a beautiful lake. The route then starts following the shallow Idrijca river and soon enters one of the most forested regions of Slovenia. 

When mountain biking in Slovenia, you will discover many remote trails and secluded farms, especially during this stage. After crossing the Šentivška plateau you enter the hilly landscape of Cerkno, which features a modern ski center and hosts the world-famous Cerkno Jazz festival every year.

The remoteness of Cerkno was crucial for the existence of the main landmark of this place – the WWII Franja Partisan Hospital, which has been placed on the UNESCO Tentative List of World Heritage. You can visit this a cultural monument of national importance, before you continue cycling through the wilderness.

Fun trails and gravel roads ultimately lead to one of the oldest Slovenian towns, the medieval Škofja Loka. The town provides countless stories of all types of creativity: from artistic and handicraft to culinary.

The next stage involves several ascents and descents across the Polhov Gradec hills. You might expect that, by approaching Ljubljana, the MTB character of the tour would be lost. But the truth is quite different, as endless trails lead over the hills directly into the city centre. Ljubljana is in fact the only European capital that has direct access to some of the top MTB trails in the country. 

As one of the smallest and greenest European capitals, Ljubljana is also one of the most liveable cities. It’s never crowded – but also never boring. 50.000 university students give it its youthful appeal, and as an economic and cultural hub of Slovenia, it has a lot to offer to locals and visitors alike. Car traffic is restricted in the centre, leaving the leafy banks of the Ljubljanica river free for pedestrians and cyclists. We recommend you to take a day off here and explore the city.

It is time to leave the urban area of Ljubljana behind and return to the forest. Cycling south, you first pass through the Ljubljana Marshes Nature park, a true gem of biodiversity and the holder of UNESCO-inscribed remains of prehistoric pile dwelling. Next, you climb to Mt. Krim and then turn towards Rakitna, which is well-known for its healthful climate. From here, you descend into the hidden Zala river gorge. During the last leg of the stage, you follow quiet asphalt and gravel roads all the way to Bloke, where you can chill by a small lake.

On the next day, the route enters a land of primeval forests and bears. Peaceful gravel roads surrounded by tall trees take you to the dense-forests of the Kočevsko region. You even pass by the Krokar virgin forest, another UNSECO-protected site. 

Kočevsko is one of the few areas in the world where one can still observe the brown bear, wolf and lynx in their natural environment. Of about 500-600 bears living in Slovenia, most live in the Kočevsko region. There is of course no need to worry – bears are cautious animals that avoid people.

The stage between Bloke and Kočevje comes to an end in a highly exciting way – with some action-packed rides in the MTB trail centre Kočevje.

The last stage of mountain biking in Slovenia is shorter, wchich gives you enough time to return to the MTB trail centre in the morning. The path turns back to the forest and after a while you reach the Kolpa river, the natural border between Slovenia and Croatia. Kolpa is popular for swimming due to its clear water and pleasant temperature.

After crossing the entire territory of Slovenia, you are now ready to explore Croatian trails. You first cycle along Kupica river to the Natural reserve Zeleni vir, where you enter a stunning gorge with a waterfall. Next, a long and steady ascent leads to the heart of Gorski Kotar mountainous region, also known as the lungs of Croatia due to its lush forests.

After passing through the town of Delnice, long single trails take you to the serene Lokve Lake. The day is wrapped up at Fužine, an alluring little highland town in the midst of unspoiled nature.

The final part of this epic mountain bike takes you all the way to the sunny Adriatic coast. You bike on diverse trails and gravel roads along the slopes of Ličko polje and come to the steep ridge above the Bay of Rijeka. Here, you can already feel the Mediterranean influence and smell the soothing aroma of pine trees.  

A long gravel descent is followed by crossing the famous bridge connecting the Krk island with the mainland. Krk was named the “Golden island” back in the ancient times due to its mild climate, strategic geographical position and a variety of picturesque natural sites. With fantastic single trails and spectacular views over the sea, the nearby islands and the Velebit mountains, it attracts many mountain bikers and other sun seekers.  

The Trans Alpe Adria MTB tour comes to and end at the main settlement on the island, the town of Krk. Biking through vineyards, olive groves, and authentic little villages is a pleasant way to end almost two full weeks of fantastic biking.

The Trans Alpe Adria mountain bike tour ends in Krk island. After breakfast, a transfer is organized to the tour starting point in Bad Kleinkirchheim.