In addition, you might want to go paper-free and use your smartphone for additional navigational help. There are a number of apps available for this purpose but, in most cases, you will have to buy the map of Slovenia from the service provider. One example is ViewRanger GPS (iOS and android); the app shows you in real time (on very clear maps) where you are and you can create routes. The whole of Slovenia can be bought at 1:50,000 for US$42.99.
Emergency situations
Should the worst happen, it is vital you know what to do. All across Europe, the emergency services number is 112, and from this you can access the fire service, ambulances and emergency vets. The police are on 113 and mountain rescue on 140. In all cases, the calls can be held in English. For all likely bike-related incidents, this should cover you but it is also worth noting that should you have a car accident, as a foreigner, you will need to call the police. If it’s not an emergency, the contact details of medical centres can be found in Appendix C; there will always be English speakers in those centres.
It makes sense to get travel insurance for any trip to Slovenia. While there is reciprocal health care through the European Health Insurance Card or EHIC (for the time being at least – Brexit may alter this), it is always a good idea to take out extra insurance. This could also include third party liability and protection for your bike if you’re taking it.
Using this guide
Each region described in this guide has its own distinctive feel, as we’ll see shortly. However, this guide is designed for riders with a general interest in mountain biking. There aren’t many rides for the absolute beginner in here, but then there aren’t many rides for the hardcore extremist either. Most of the routes included fall into the cross-country style of riding and, while they often require a decent level of fitness, they generally aren’t too technical.
The regions
This guide has been split into four regions to cluster rides together. These regions are a touch artificial but they do give an idea of which rides are accessible from where. Slovenia is a small country; you could drive right across it in less than a day. However, to make journeys shorter, you may wish to base yourself in one region and do the rides within it. Alternatively, if you happen to be on holiday in Slovenia and you fancy a day out riding, these regions give you a rough idea of what’s accessible from wherever you’re staying.
The routes
Each ride is written as a self-contained, circular route with a place to park at the start and returning to the car at the end. All the salient information about the route, such as distance, height gained and grade, is presented at the beginning in its own box. There is also a profile to give you an idea of the route’s hills and descents, but please note that the scales on each profile are not necessarily the same as any of the other rides. Finally, there is the route description itself: pertinent directions presented in paragraphs that break the ride up into manageable chunks.
The grading
Each ride is given a grade similar to those used at British trail centres. Blue is easiest, followed by red and then black.
In Britain, however, the grade is largely to tell you only how technical the route is. In Slovenia, many of the routes are not especially technical but may become quite remote or require a high degree of physical fitness. The grades used in this book, therefore, can be summarised as follows:
ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS USED IN THE ROUTE DESCRIPTIONS
Mentions of left and right (and left-hand and right-hand), other than specific directions, are given thus: ‘where the road curves to the right ignore the turning on your left-hand side, instead go onto a farm track’.
Easy-to-miss paths are noted in bold green; warnings of steep, dangerous or possibly crowded routes in bold red.
Place names in route descriptions that appear on their maps are noted in bold.
Important signs along the way are noted in red italics in route descriptions.
GORENJSKA
Enjoying the easy descent on the way back to the start of Route 6
If you were only allowed to visit one part of Slovenia, it would probably be Gorenjska. If you have already visited Slovenia, it was probably Gorenjska. The region is up in the mountains and contains some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere in Slovenia. From the fairytale Lake Bled to the mighty Sava River to the ski resort of Kranjska Gora, everywhere you look there’s something to arrest the eye. Apart from Ljubljana, Gorenjska is the most popular destination for tourists to the country; however, unless you’re in Bled on a Saturday in the middle of the season, you’re unlikely to feel crowded out. Relatively speaking, this is still an unknown gem.
The high alpine meadow at Uskavnica (Route 1)
Kranj (pronounced Kran) is the largest city in the region but it still isn’t huge. It has some good options for places to stay and it’s right next to the international airport and the motorway system. It is not, however, very inspiring and you’d be much better off staying in Bled. This town is much more central for the rides in this guide and it is spectacular, clinging to the shore of a thermal lake in the middle of which sits an old monastery on an island. Rising sheer from the shores of the lake is a cliff atop which rests a castle. If that’s not enough to convince you, it’s also home of the famous cake kremna rezina (we’d know it as a vanilla slice).
Accommodation
As the main tourist location in the region, Bled has plenty of options for accommodation. The town has a range of hotels, many of which are owned by the same chain. The best of these is the Grand Hotel Toplice, but if your budget doesn’t quite run to five star, a better option would be Hotel Jelovica, a budget hotel with great lake views and a central location. Around the
