Staring at a foul weather forecast, we hopped on a train northwest towards Lake Bohinj on the edge of the Slovenian Alps. Travelling by rail isn’t quite as romantic with a bicycle as it is with a backpack; only certain trains permit bikes, and it is an extra effort to lug them and all the gear up and down stairs and into designated rail cars. On top of that, railways also charge an extra fee for this pleasure, which adds up especially for short distances. Despite these challenges, we lugged our bikes towards our destination and were rewarded with a beautiful 5km ride through a mountain valley right out of Switzerland.
Lake Bohinj
Lake Bohinj is the lesser known cousin of iconic Lake Bled. Although it doesn’t have the latter’s signature island church, Bohinj is a far bigger body of water and in a much more dramatic setting. It also happens to be much quieter, with very little infrastructure in the area. There are no multiple storey hotels or shopping streets here, just sleepy little family-run inns and the odd restaurant.
Scenic cycle paths around Lake Bohinj
The area around Lake Bohinj was also the perfect illustration of the harmony between Slovenia’s major industries of agriculture and tourism. It felt authentic without trying. It also boasted one of the best short cycling routes we’ve seen in Europe, with a totally independent pathway winding its way through tiny towns, community ski hills, and cows that preferred cycling ways to green pastures. It was everything a cycling trail should be and consistent with Slovenia setting the bar for superior visitor experiences.
Iconic Lake Bled
After a couple of days of rest and relaxation, we jumped back on the train for a short stop in Lake Bled before heading back towards Ljubljana to continue our actual cycling trip. Lake Bled is a worthwhile stop and justifiable of its popularity. Rowboats and swan-themed wooden vessels ply the still waters while magnificent churches and castles compliment the distant mountain scenery. We soaked it all in as the rain clouds held at bay.
Quiet waters on Lake Bled
We took another short train to Kranj (northwest of Ljubljana) then pedalled east, passing through the sleepy town of Kamnik before a long ascent through the hills. Quiet roads continued to be the norm even though we chose the flatter of two routes eastwards. We crested a pass just under 700m then coasted into a small town to spend the night after our first day of proper cycle touring in nearly a week. It felt good to be back in the saddle again.
Rural Slovenia in the hills southwest of Maribor
Our second to last day in Slovenia brought warmer weather, a long easy downhill, and acres upon acres of hop heaven. The flat fertile plains around Zalec are prime for hop-growing, with endless vines of hoppy goodness beginning their ascent high in to the sky. Sadly it was still early in the growing season, so we could not savour the floral aroma of the hop cones. We left the plains behind and spent the remainder of the day yo-yo-ing our way up and down hills with grades up to 16% – almost steep enough to be a blue run at a ski resort.
Hop Heaven!
We spent our final night in the country’s second largest city of Maribor near the Austrian border. Although it boasted a few scenic buildings and a fine view of the historic downtown from the opposite side of the river, it was a bit of a letdown after more than a week of incredible sights throughout the country. Slovenia had proved to be a magical place, and a cycle tourist’s paradise. We felt that we had just started to scratch the surface on our seemingly private tour of the country. We headed towards Austria keen to spread the good word about Slovenia and return again soon.
Bikes, Brews & Beyond 