Vistas + Wines

slovenia, slowenia, italien, italy, bled, triest, trieste

Vistas + Wines

Bled – Trieste

slovenia, slowenia, italien, italy, bled, triest, trieste

Heading to the mediterranean Coast!

Starting at the fairy-tale world of Lake Bled, a glacial lake famed for its beautiful island church and clifftop castle, your ride will take you first through alpine Slovenia’s most beautiful mountain vistas, over a high pass, along cool flowing rivers and out into a valley laden with vineyards. Castles and hilltop churches will dominate your view, along with great local wine and food in the Karst region (a beautiful limestone plateau). Finally, the sunny coast awaits with lazy promenades and beautiful Venetian architecture. This is the perfect cycling holiday for lovers of diverse landscape, good food and great local wine, and people who would like nothing more than to soak their feet in the warm sea after a long journey by bike.

Dates 2024:

Arrival: daily
Duration: 8 days

Dates:
Season 1: March 23.-May 03. +
Sept 21.-Oct 12.
Season 2: May 04.-Sept 20.

1st Day: Bled

Individual arrival. To begin with, you can dip your feet in the beautiful glacial Lake Bled. This shimmering body of water is famous for its distinctive island church and the clifftop castle all backed by the beautiful Karavanke Mountains. Bled is one of Slovenia’s most popular tourist attractions. You can take a stroll around the western side of the lake for some of the best views and photographs, and then have lunch and the locally famous cream cake (Kremšnita) on the eastern side while watching the sunset over the mountains.

2nd Day: Bled – Bohinjska Bistrica (approx. 27 km; 43 km with additional excursion)

A short car transfer drops you off on the high plateau at Pokljuka. From here you’ll cycle through alpine villages to Lake Bohinj, the jewel of the Triglav National Park. Encircled by tall mountain peaks, Bohinj is the largest and deepest lake in the national park. Savica Waterfall is the source of both the lake and the Sava Bohinjka River. A cable car runs up to Vogel Mountain, where you can get a spectacular view into the Bohinj Valley and of Mount Triglav, the highest peak in the Julian Alps.

3rd Day: Bohinj – Tolmin (approx. 56 km; or 35 km if by train to Podbrdo)

In the morning you’ll have two options. Your route will take you via the Sorica Pass over the Julian Alps, but if you want to save some time and climbing you can take a short train ride through the Bohinj tunnel to Podbrdo. Then you paddle off through a narrow valley and follow the beautiful emerald-green Soča River as it rushes out of the mountains and into the western side of the Julian Alps. Just before reaching your destination you’ll have a chance to dive into its supernatural waters or visit the only monument in the world dedicated to military cooks.

4th Day: Tolmin – Smartno – Solkan (approx. 46 km; or 57km without lift up)

You will be car transferred to Kolovrat Saddle – a million-dollar viewpoint high above the Soča Valley. Once the site of heavy fighting during WW1, it’s now a very interesting open-air museum. Reaching the first village, Mrs. Josephine, who lives all alone in an intact old-fashioned pub, will be overjoyed to welcome you in her shady garden. Cycling tour ridges above the two valleys, you’ll reach your day’s destination – Šmartno v Goriških Brdih, amid an abundance of lush vineyards. A recent and beautifully restored medieval village of narrow streets with Mediterranean-style houses, you can stretch your legs here, sip cool white wine and chat with locals in an authentic village pub. Cycling the ridges above two valleys, you’ll reach Šmartno v Goriških Brdih, amid an abundance of lush vineyards. A recent and beautifully restored medieval village of narrow streets with Mediterranean houses, you can stretch your legs here, sip cool white wine and chat with locals in an authentic village pub. On the way to your days destination you will cycle a uniquie “corridor road” that cuts through Italy and see the bridge with largest stone arch in the world!

5th Day: Solkan – Stanjel area (approx. 40 km)

After leaving the Brda wine region you’ll reach “Southern Berlin”. The Iron Curtain once split the town of Gorizia between Italy and Yugoslavia. At the railway station that stands right on the border, one can visit the very interesting Curtain Museum. Cycling further along the border you’ll come to the smallest military museum in the world – a historic Yugoslav border outpost. Overlooking the border is the ancient Kostanjevica Monastery, where the last French King is buried. Turning inland, you’ll soon reach the vineyards of the Vipava region. Your host Vid will be happy to provide you with samples of the best wines in the beautiful rural setting of his small Karst village.

6th Day: Stanjel area – Lipica – Divaca (approx. 48 km)

Today you’ll cycle to the stud farm of Lipica, where you can visit beautiful thoroughbred Lipizzaner horses, whose gentle, graceful dancing have wowed many a visitor. Take a tour in a traditional carriage, and visit them close up in their stables. You can also visit the unusual but nonetheless interesting “War Museum” set inside a Venetian tower – see what a collector’s passion can really mean. Your small-town hotel belongs to a butcher’s family, but the young master is a wine expert too and he’ll present you the best red wines of the Karst region.

7th Day: Divaca – Trieste/Muggia (approx. 38 km)

In the morning you can visit the fascinating UNESCO Škocjan Caves. Then it’s one final descent with magnificent views of the Adriatic Sea before reaching the southern outskirts of Trieste – the old seaside village of Muggia, where your cycling day and tour end. Park your bike and take the city shuttle boat to the worldly port city of Trieste and visit Miramare Castle, the cathedral or Piazza Unita central square, where you can relax with a cappuccino or a gelato with Trieste Bay in full view.

8th Day: Trieste/Muggia

After breakfast your tour ends. However, you can prolong your stay and continue cycling by taking our Croatia Istrian Coastal Tour down to Pula or Bike and Boat tour of Kvarner bay.

YOUR ACCOMMODATION:

On this trip you will be accommodated in 3* / 4* hotels and guesthouses in two bedded ensuite facilities rooms.

Please note, that accommodation requests are always updated daily at the time of booking. The selection is based on availability. Of course, we are happy to accept non-binding customer requests. Tell us your wishes when booking.

You will receive the accommodation we have actually booked with the hotellist and the travel documents (after the booking confirmation at the earliest).

YOUR BICYCLES:

21-speed ladies or gents
E-Bike

  • aluminium frame
  • mudguard
  • rear rack
  • comfort gel saddle
  • anti-puncture Continental tyres
  • ergonomic bicycle grips
  • cycle computer
  • one repair kit per two bikes
  • combination bike lock
  • one-sided saddlebag

Attention: In Slovenia it is mandatory for children under 15 yrs to wear a helmet when on a bike.

YOUR ARRIVAL:

Parking

  • Directly at the hotel or at public parking areas

Train station

  • Station: Bled Lesce

Airport

  • Next airport: Ljubljana (LJU) or Klagenfurt (KLU)
  • 7 nights in rooms with private facilities incl. breakfast
  • luggage transfer (one piece per person, max 23 kg / 50 lb)
  • transfers on days two and four
  • tour description and maps in electronic form
  • local tourist and other taxes
  • backup service (hotline) during the trip
Season 1Season 2
Double room915,-975,-
Single room1.210,-1.320,-
prices in EUR/person

Discounts additional bed/children – upon request

Additional bookable

Rental bikes
21-speed90,-
E-Bike230,-
Helmet rental18,-
Lift up on day 330,-
Printed travel documents30,-
Additional night
incl. breakfast
Double roomSingle room
Bled 4*105,-170,-
Muggia 4*70,-100,-

Operator: Helia

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