In April, 2018, I rode a loop from Venice to Croatia, Slovenia, and the Eastern Dolomites before returning to Venice. I took over 2,300 photos of some of the amazing places I rode by and visited. I've culled those down to 65 photos that give a taste of what riding a bicycle in the Balkans is like. While I started in Venice, I was advised to skip the 2 days of riding to get to Trieste and to take a train there instead. I did this. After the train, I walked around Trieste, a pretty port town right on the Adriatic Sea, whose history goes all the way back to the Romans.  This Trieste sunset was a wonderful way to mark the transition from plane and train travel to bicycle touring.  Trieste is right next to a sliver of Slovenia on the Istrian Peninsula. On my first day, I rode along the Slovenian coast and got this look back toward the town of Isola and, further away in the haze, Trieste from a headland in the Strunjan Nature Preserve.  The Croatian Istrian coastline is gouged by the sinuous Lim Fjord.  Rovinj bills itself as the "Jewel of the Adriatic." It has a very picturesque old town, topped by a church spire, that is impressive.  South of the old town are tree-filled islands and rocky beaches.  Inland Istria is rocky scrubland full of grape vines and olive vineyards. Bale is a hilltop village with Medieval origins and a dramatic profile.  My first hard climb was up to the hill town of Motovun. It is known for its views over the surrounding countryside.  Eastern Istria is the gateway to the Croatian Island of Cres. This vista of the Istrian Coast is from far above the ferry terminal.  I rode over the top of Cres and was rewarded with this stunning vista of islands and coast.  I had to catch a ferry from Cres to Krk to get back on the mainland. On my way to the terminal, I got this photo of Cres, Krk, and, in the distance, the Croatian coast.  Avoiding holiday traffic on Krk, I found a seaside bike path that went by impressive villas.  The only time I spent on the Croatian coast was the short ride from Crikvenica to Senj. This is the coastal view looking south from Crikvenica.  This is the view north from just above Senj.  After Senj, I left the coast and climbed inland over the 700 meter Vratnik pass. I got this view of the Croatian hills along the way.  I made my way to Plitvice National Park on a little used road through a pretty forest.  Plitvice National Park, a World Heritage site, is a stunning set of lakes/pools connected by unbelievably beautiful waterfalls.   I turned north from Plitvice and on my way to Karlovac passed the Mreznica River.  This field of yellow wildflowers is just north of Karlovac.  The Kupa River is the border between Croatia and Slovenia. Just past the double passport check is a serious climb out of the river's valley during which I got this scenic vista of the Slovenian countryside.  I spent the night in the Krka River town of Novo Mesto.  I followed the tree-lined Krka River into Ljubljana.  My first day in Ljubljana, I took a bus to the famous Postojna Caves, a huge underground cavern full of eerie formations.  The next day, I spent wondering around Ljubljana. I walked up to the castle overlooking the town and got this view looking north toward the big mountains.  From Ljubljana, I rode to Lake Bled, a very pretty lake small enough to walk around in a couple hours.  There is an island in the lake with a picturesque church.  One recommended stop on the hike around the lake is on a hilltop west of the lake that provides this panorama.  A short day's ride from Lake Bled is Lake Bohinj. About half of the ride is on a dedicated bike path that followed the Sava Bohinjka river  and passed this picture perfect meadow full of wildflowers.  Lake Bohinj is a much bigger, oval-shaped lake surrounded by tall mountains whose cliffs plunge into the water.  Lake Bohinj is fed by the stunning Savica waterfall that seemingly flows right out of the mountain.  My destination the next day was Kranjska Gora, a ski resort in northern Slovenia. I had to climb over two passes. On the way up the first one, I got this view down into and over the valley of the Sava Bohinjka.  I lost the next day to rain. But, woke up to sun the following day and rode up the incomparable Vrsic Pass. I saw snow dusted peaks,  waterfalls,  and impossibly beautiful lakes in front of stunning mountains.  Once over the pass, I entered the valley of the equally pretty Soca River.  The next morning, as I rode out of Bovec, I heard and then saw this waterfall  and got a final glimpse down the Soca Valley.  The day after riding over the Vrsic Pass, I passed into Italy and had even more climbing to get up to the Sella Carnizza Pass. Here is the view on the way up.  I rode the entire way on a winding mountain road without seeing a single car.  I followed the Torrenta Resia down from the pass. As I rode along, it went from a rushing, wild stream,  to a peaceful meandering river.  The next day, I discovered that the Giro d'Italia bike race was heading toward the same destination I was and this complicated finding a place to stay for the night. To get ahead of the race, I took a bus up into the Dolomites and manged to capture this vista  and this one.  I took this photo just after I starting riding again.  I was staying in a small village 15 miles south of Cortina d'Ampezzo. To get there, I rode past this montage. The lake is Lago di Centro Cadore.  There were jaw-dropping views in virtually every direction.  On a rest day, I walked up to the village Mesarie, across the river and up the other side of the valley.  The wildflowers were in full bloom next to the roadway.  Along the way, I discovered a hidden waterfall.  The next day, while waiting for the Giro d'Italia to ride by, I walked to Vodo di Cadore and got this view.  My couchsurfing bed wasn't available for that night, so I rode to a nearby town and rented a room. I passed this bit of mountain as I went  and was treated to this image.  Before leaving the next day, my host snapped my photo.  I didn't expect much as I left the Dolomites and headed toward Venice, my final destination. But, I was rewarded with one of my best days of the trip as I followed the Piave River the entire day. This long, narrow waterfall gushed directly into the river.  The milky blue Piave River.  This castle right on the banks of the Piave River was for sale.  After a rain break, I rode around Lago di Santa Croce, where I got this view across the lake.  Treviso is a good sized town about 15 miles north of Venice. Here is one of its old gates.  |