Discover Slovenia on two wheels and explore one of central Europe's most varied and rewarding mountain biking destinations, from the towering peaks and high alpine pastures of the Julian Alps in Gorenjska to the stunning riverside trails of the Soca Valley, the limestone caves and forests of the Karst region in the south, and the vineyard-laced landscapes of the east. Compact, diverse, and easily accessible, Slovenia offers an outstanding range of MTB terrain for riders of all abilities.

Suitable for riders with a reasonable level of fitness, this comprehensive Cicerone guidebook describes 35 graded full-day and half-day mountain biking routes across four distinct regions of Slovenia. Routes range from 12 to 59km and are graded from technically straightforward to highly technical, with the majority requiring good fitness rather than advanced bike handling skills.

• Choose from 35 graded MTB routes across Gorenjska, the Soca Valley, the South, and Central and North East Slovenia, taking in alpine pastures, forest singletrack, riverside trails, karst plateaux, historic war memorial routes, and vineyard-laced hillsides throughout this remarkably varied country.
• Discover the highlights of mountain biking in Slovenia, including the high alpine pastures of Uskovnica and the Jelovica Plateau in Gorenjska, the dramatic river gorges and Stol epic in the Soca Valley, the caves and forests around Postojna in the south, the Velika Planina and Menina Planina in the centre, and the Maribor downhill park and Peca in the north east.
• Navigate every route with confidence using 1:75,000 mapping and gradient profiles included for each route, with full route descriptions and a comprehensive Slovenian language glossary to help you find your way in the field.
• Select routes suited to your ability and fitness using clear grading throughout, from routes anyone should be able to complete to highly technical rides requiring confident bike handling skills and a high level of fitness.
• Plan your Slovenia MTB trip with comprehensive practical information on getting there and around, travelling with your bike, accommodation, food and drink, waymarking, emergency situations, and useful contacts throughout the country.
• Ride the routes at the best time of year, with most routes accessible from spring to autumn and a handful of routes in the more clement south possible in winter, giving Slovenia one of the most flexible MTB seasons in central Europe.

Explore the trails, forests, and alpine landscapes of Slovenia with confidence using this trusted Cicerone guidebook. From the Julian Alps and the Soca Valley to the caves of the Karst and the vineyards of the east, this is the essential companion for mountain biking in one of central Europe's most rewarding and least-explored destinations.

Mountain Biking in Slovenia – Quick Facts

Location: Slovenia – four regions covering Gorenjska, the Soča Valley, the South, and Central and North East Slovenia
Routes covered: 35 graded full-day and half-day MTB routes (12–59km)
Difficulty: Graded from technically not difficult but requiring reasonable fitness to highly technical with a high level of fitness and confident bike handling skills required; the majority of routes fall into the middle range
Terrain: Alpine pastures, forest singletrack, riverside trails, karst plateaux, vineyard hillsides, and mountain descents throughout Slovenia
Navigation/mapping: 1:75,000 mapping and gradient profiles included for every route; Slovenian language glossary included
Key centres: Bled and Bohinj (Gorenjska); Bovec, Kobarid, and Tolmin (Soča Valley); Ajdovščina and Postojna (South); Kamnik and Maribor (Central and North East)
Route highlights: Uskovnica alpine pastures, Jelovica Plateau, Stol epic, Soča Valley riverside trails, Postojna caves and forests, Velika Planina, Menina Planina, Maribor downhill park, Peca, Lake Cerknica
Accommodation & logistics: Full accommodation appendix, practical notes on getting there and around, travelling with a bike, and emergency situations
Best time to go: Spring to autumn for most routes; some southern routes possible in winter

Author Highlight

“Shhh! Don’t tell anyone. I’m going to tell you a secret. There’s a country slap in the middle of Europe that’s beautiful, modern and well-developed, cheap to visit and that has some of the best mountain biking in the world. Oh, and it’s beautiful – did I mention that? For some reason, however, most people planning their European holidays – especially those planning a biking trip abroad – mysteriously and unforgivably overlook Slovenia.”

- Ron Houghton, author of Mountain Biking in Slovenia

Emergencies

Map key

Overview map

Route summary table

Introduction

Getting there

Getting around

When to go

Accommodation

Food and drink

Langauge

Money

Equipment

Waymarking

Maps

Emergency situations

Using this guide

Gorenjska

Route 1            The high alpine at Uskovnica

Route 2            In the foothills of Črna Prst

Route 3            Across the Jelovica Plateau

Route 4            To the Crone’s Tooth

Route 5            Grahovše circular

Route 6            Lake and mountain

Route 7            The three borders route

Route 8            Kranjska Gora circular

The Soča Valley

Route 9            Kobarid and the River Soča

Route 10          Stol epic

Route 11          Kobarid and the River Nadiža

Route 12          Stol and the long descent

Route 13          Planina Razor

Route 14          Most na Soči Široko

Route 15          The war memorial at Trnovo

Route 16          The dark forests of Trnovo

The south

Route 17          The industrial heritage of Črni Vrh

Route 18          Javornik

Route 19          Vineyards and sunshine

Route 20          Komen and its surrounds

Route 21          Postojna classic

Route 22          Caves, springs and forests

Route 23          Lake Cerknica circular

Route 24          The Partisans’ forest

Route 25          Spas and forests

Central and north-eastern

Route 26          Velika Planina

Route 27          Menina Planina

Route 28          Black pudding

Route 29          The churches of Čreta

Route 30          The nature reserve of Pohorje

Route 31          Maribor and its surroundings

Route 32          The Maribor downhill park

Route 33          The Najevnik Linden Tree

Route 34          The three valleys route

Route 35          Peca

Appendices

Appendix A     Slovenian language

Appendix B     Accommodation

Appendix C     Useful information

Seasons

most of the routes can be tackled from Spring to Autumn; a few in the more clement south could be tackled in Winter

Centres

Bled and Bohinj; Bovec, Kobarid and Tolmin; Ajdovščina; Postojna; Kamnik; Maribor; Doljenske Toplice

Difficulty

vast majority of routes technically require only a reasonable amount of competence to complete; however, they often require a good level of fitness as most will include a climb that can go from stiff to brutal; there are also rides included that anyone should be able to complete and a few with a higher technical grade

Must See

Lakes Bled and Bohinj; the high Alpine pastures of the Julian Alps; beautiful River Soča; caves of the limestone Karst; Predjama Grad - the castle in a cave; vineyards of the South and East; historical sites from both world wars

May 2024

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