Cycling through Europe - Part 3: Slovenia - Jesenice to Piran

Beginning in May 2016, we commence a 3-4 month cycling tour of Europe. Starting in Geneva, we plan to cycle through Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Romania, before crossing the Black Sea and picking up the trail in Georgia. We plan to depart Georgia for South Korea in early August and continue our cycling trek through Asia.

Part 3: Slovenia - Jesenice to Piran
Time: 6 days + 2 rest days in Lake Bled and Izola
Route: Julian Alps, Soca Valley, Karst & Coast Region, western side of the country north to south
Trains: one tunnel crossing (no other option) Bohinjska Bistrica to Podbrdo
Difficulty: moderate, some steep incline, path mostly on secondary roads, sometimes on primary, new bike path open along the train line between Kanal and Nova Gorica. Cycling maps for the region available at information center but mainly moutain bike trails so we used the road map instead

The Julian Alps, Lake Bled & Bohinjsko Jezero
The Julian Alps of Slovenia dominate the country's north-western border with neighbouring Italy. This limestone mountain range is also the setting for some of the country's most beautiful landscapes, including the picture-perfect Lake Bled. With its 17th Century pilgrimage church located on a small island in the centre of the lake, Bled is our first main stop after crossing the Alps from Austria. We spent some time touring the shores of the lake, enjoying a local food and wine festival where we sampled some tasty local trout matched with some local Slovenian wine. Our time at Bled also coincided with the visit of more than 200 piano-accordion players who were performing as part of an ongoing music event. Our travels continued southwards on our bicycles, through small villages and past turquoise blue streams, as we headed through Slovenia towards Lake Bohinj.

The Soca Valley
After passing through another mountainous region of the Julian Alps, we arrive in the town of Most na Soci, located within the picturesque Soca Valley. A short bicycle ride up the valley brings us to the village of Tolmin and the nearby Tolmin Gorge. Here, the River Soca cuts its way through the limestone landscape, creating numerous erosive features all preserved within a unique ecological area that is also home to many species of endemic plants. Continuing our journey down the Soca Valley, we follow the path of the river as it winds its way towards the Gulf of Trieste. On route, we cross the beautiful town of Kanal, before arriving in the township of Nova Gorica.

The Karst & Coast Region
The Karst-region of Slovenia forms a broad plateau that extends across the country's border with north eastern Italy. After a gruelling ascent onto the top of the plateau, our route takes us through one of Slovenia's premier wine regions before arriving at the village of Skoflje. Here we camp for the night, trying out some local “jota” soup, before visiting the UNESCO-rated Skocjan Caves, and incredible sight, but unfortunately for this addition of In Frame, no photography was allowed (you will have to take our word for it and visit yourself!).
With the Adriatic Coastline now within sight, we continue down the southern edge of the plateau before arriving at the fishing town of Izola, on the west coast of the Istrian Peninsula. From here we tour the surrounding coastal villages of Koper, and Piran. We will let the photos do the talking here, but with the blue and sunny skies above, these ancient Roman ports were a fantastic location to rest our legs for and celebrate our 500 days of travel! We even found the time to sample a couple of delicious and rustic seafood dishes that had us almost licking the plates clean!

Photos and more info on our website: www.upsidownearth.com
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRsYY8FB7CI