the Balkans Bike


Inspired by the new Amazon of Europe Bike Trail that takes in parts of the northern Balkans, Rhonda Carrier picks some of the peninsula's best cycling routes


DESTINATIONS CYCLING | CROATIA & THE BALKANS


t travelweekly.co.uk


he opening of a big new biking trail is always great news for cycle lovers, and


they don’t come much bigger than the Amazon of Europe, which takes in the banks of the Danube, Mura and Drava rivers in no fewer than five countries. The trail, launched in April, takes cyclists 775 miles across the wetlands and forests of the Mura Drava Danube Unesco Biosphere Reserve, shared between


Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia and Slovenia. It can be broken down and booked in separate, more manageable, sections, giving cyclists all the flexibility they need to discover these beguiling landscapes at their own pace, tasting regional produce and experiencing local hospitality as they travel – accommodation is mainly in local guesthouses or low-key hotels. The are two main routes: the North Route through ²


30 JUNE 2022


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PICTURE: Shutterstock/Blazej Lyjak


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