The four-stage Slovenia Green Kočevsko Cycling Loop circumnavigates primeval forests. The three-day Slovenia Green Capitals Route links Ljubljana, the administrative capital, with the Kočevsko Region, the country’s natural capital and Bela Krajina, the cultural capital. The next five routes went public in rapid succession. The best things to do in Slovenia from the mountains to the sea Slovenes have claimed two of the last three Tour de France victories, the last three wins at the Tour of Spain and top podium places at the last two Tours of Slovenia, the country’s popular multi-stage pro race.Ĭycling through the Slovenian city of Maribor © Roman Babakin / Shutterstock The last two years, however, have seen an accelerated flurry of route development.Ĭoincidentally or otherwise, this uptick has coincided with multiple factors: the Covid shutdown, a growing demand and soaring popularity of cycle tourism and the country’s dominance in professional cycling. These include the 290-kilometer Juliana Bike loop encircling Triglav National Park, the Trans Slovenia mountain bike trails, the Drava Cycling Route rolling through Maribor in the northeast and the Parenzana, a trail that follows the former Parenzana Railway that connected Italy, Slovenia and Croatia, from 1902 to 1935. Starting in the mid-2000s, Slovenia established several cycling itineraries. Mountain biking along the trails surrounding the Ekohotel Koroš, Slovenia © Mark Baker / Lonely Planet A route for every cyclist Slovenia's best hikes boast incredible Alpine vistas without the crowds They bring you closer to the most authentic and pristine Slovenia one has a chance to discover, as they lead you through off-the-beaten-track destinations to the places where locals really live.” “These routes are much more than their name implies. Klemenčič believes one of Slovenia’s chief cycling strengths comes from its varied terrain of the Alps, rivers, lakes, the Karst region and the Adriatic coast. “The first thing everybody usually notices is that the country is clean and locals really take care of their environment and make sure the towns and roads are well kept,” says Maša Klemenčič, a project manager at the Slovenia Tourist Board. That certification guarantees towns and villages have satisfied criteria across a wide slate of categories ranging from responsible land use to respect for heritage to the satisfaction among locals for their destination’s tourism development. More often than not, stage-ending layovers are located in destinations that have proven their dedication to sustainability by earning the nation’s strict Slovenia Green certification. Most importantly, the routes were created - and actively work - to preserve Slovenia’s cultural and environmental health. The three-day SGPR cycling loop - the sixth cycling route created here in the last two years - takes riders to the nation’s northeastern corner, where diverse cultures and languages straddle the Mura River and hug the Austrian, Hungarian and Croatian borders.ĭiscover the mythical heart of Slovenia in its best – and only – national park On June 30, just eight days after the launch of the SGWR, the ribbon for another route, the Slovenia Green Pannonian Route, was also cut. The other observation one could make about the country’s growing menu of two-wheeled offerings: Slovenia has been busy. The philosophy is simple: pair Slovenia’s natural strengths of hospitality, food, wine and incredible landscapes with self-powered locomotion to create more intentional experiences for travelers and locals alike. “Innovative yet obvious” could be the appropriate credo for this Central European country’s recent surge of cycle-route development. Crossing the Soča River in the Julian Alps, Slovenia © Saro17 / Getty
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