SLOVENIA GREEN ROUTES
The SGGR is part of the Slovenia Green Routes, a cycle network launched in 2019 that now includes six themed trails. Each provides free-to-download information, from GPX tracks and accommodation options to service providers and restaurants, making for easy navigation. And, crucially, they all link destinations and businesses with Slovenia Green certification, which guarantees sustainable practices. It’s all based on a simple philosophy: if you make it easy for visitors to choose responsible travel options, they will. Like most Slovenia Green Routes, the
SGGR connects nearly every key area of the country, from the western Julian Alps to the northeastern Pannonian Region. Last year, five new stages were added, bringing the total number to 16. The route now stops in Škofa Loka, Kranj and Radovljica — gateway towns to the Alps, lying to the north of Ljubljana, that were previously not routed for cycles — as well as Postojna, famous for its network of karst caves, and Krško, which sits on the Sava River near the eastern border with Croatia. It’s the new Alpine stages I aim to explore
as I set off from Ljubljana. From the capital, the route snakes north toward two mountain ranges, the Karawanks and Kamnik-Savinja Alps, before turning west toward the Italian border and the Julian Alps. Each Slovenia
Green Routes stage is best tackled in a day and averages around 30 miles — four hours on the saddle — on quiet asphalt streets, dedicated bike paths and gravel forest roads, with boutique inns to rest at en route. I ride through villages perched on slopes,
whose houses are surrounded with bee boxes, orchards and meticulously stacked firewood. But it’s a train, the historic Bohinj Railway, from Bohinjska Bistrica to the town of Most na Soči, that finally takes me to the Soča River. Here, peaks begin to give way to vineyards, corduroy fields of grape vines carpeting the Goriška Brda wine region, best known for its native variety of white, Rebula, and its rich red Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Heading east, I roll into the Vipava Valley,
where I stop at Majerija, a 17th-century stone farmhouse-turned-bistro that offers zero- kilometre dishes. Sitting at a wooden table on its cobblestone terrace, surrounded by herb gardens, I refuel with veal tartare and homemade vanilla ice cream, topped with figs soaked in rum. “On a bicycle, you return to nature,” says Matej Tomažič, who cut his teeth at Hiša Franko before becoming Majerija’s owner and chef, as he stops by my table to discuss my two-wheel journey. “Time slows down, you escape your daily obligations, do something good for your health and at
the same time experience the culture and traditions of the area you’re passing through.” I continue east across the Karst region,
visiting the UNESCO-listed Škocjan Caves, before pedalling back towards Ljubljana. From there, I plan to make the rest of the journey, across the eastern half of the country, by train. But before leaving, I head to the castle that sits above the capital’s cobbled streets. Here, in the Archer’s Tower next to the
castle’s entrance, sits Michelin-starred Strelec restaurant. In a dining room with ancient stone walls, wooden floors and panoramic views of the city, I feast on Chef Igor Jagodic’s nine-course tasting menu, which focuses on seasonal ingredients — something that by now I’ve learned to expect. I try a delicate turbot fish fillet, wallowing in brown butter and lemon with Adriatic shrimp. Mid-bite, I spot the moonlight illuminate the Alps through the window. Like the view from Napoleon Bridge, it’s an arresting scene. I should have learned to expect these, too, but I can’t seem to look away.
HOW TO DO IT British Airways flies direct from Heathrow to Ljubljana four times a week in around two hours; EasyJet flies from Gatwick six times a week.
ba.com
easyjet.com For more information on the SGGR, including stages, maps and more, visit
slovenia-green.si
ALPINE 2024 71
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100
