Slovenia declared its independence in 1991, and the country of two million people has been a member of the EU since 2004. Since then, more and more mountain bikers have been venturing into the republic, but the big crowds are still not coming. Surprising, because from Munich you can reach the Julian Alps just as quickly as Lake Garda. Here too, bikers only need to get on their bikes to experience Slovenia's history, which has always been fiercely contested, at first hand. There is hardly a mountain path in the river valleys along the Soča that does not owe its origins to the famous Isonzo battles. Isonzo because the Austrians and Italians fought here during the First World War and Soča is called Isonzo in Italian.
We worked our way from north to south: A road trip to the best trails in Slovenia from Kobarid to the heights of Trieste. In the download area below you will find the roadbooks of the tours and their GPS tracks for download.
The mountain bike region of Slovenia
Slovenia is still considered an insider tip for bikers. In the north, the Julian Alps dominate with rocky peaks, long trails and alpine weather. Further south, the proximity to the Adriatic Sea determines the Mediterranean climate. You can cycle there all year round in some places. The best time of year for tours in the Soca Valley are the summer months up to and including September.
Journey: From Munich on the A8 to Salzburg, Tauern motorway (A10) through the Tauern and Katschberg tunnels (toll) to Villach. At the Villach junction, take the A2 motorway to Udine via the Italian border. Cross the Italian border to the Tarvisio exit. Over the Predil Pass (border) into the Soca Valley. After Vipava one hour on H4 southwards.
Maps: "Tourist and Bike Map" from the Kobarid/Tomin Tourist Board, 1:55,000, www.lto-sotocje.siJuliske Alpe "West" and "East", 1:50,000, www.mountain-bookshop.de
The GPS data for these tours can be downloaded below.
The best trail tours for mountain bikers in Slovenia
- Tour 1: Slatnik cable car tour (28.4 km, 1296 m elevation gain, 3.5 h)
- Tour 2: Matajur border tour (27.2 km, 1399 m elevation gain, 4.5 h)
- Tour 3: Nanos Plateau (44.2 km, 1480 m elevation gain, 3.5 h)
Bike Guide Slovenia
Tour guide: "30 MTB tours in the Soca Valley", Freiraus Verlag, ISBN 978-3-00-034379-7, 27.80 euros
Organiser: Under www.mtb-slowenien.de you can book the "Best Singletrails" tour, which is very close to our route and follows Slovenia's best singletrails.
You can read the detailed travel story about the best trails in Slovenia in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or buy the issue in the DK Shop reorder:
