From the Alps to the Adriatic Sea

July 2008

Overview

These are my notes from a cycle trip between 26. June and 9. July 2008, starting at the Swiss border through South Tyrol (Italy), Tyrol and Carinthea (Austria), across Slovenia and in a semi-circle through Croatia to end up in Trieste (Italy). I hope this will be usefull to other cyclists, real and virtual. ;-)


(Click to go to Gmap-Pedometer, unzoom a couple of times!)

I've divided the trip into 10 geographically or culturally related stretches. They are not necessarily day-trips. I took 13 days for the whole trip, carrying my clothes and food, but without a tent or a sleeping bag.

  1. Scuol - Bozen
    Crossing the border from Swiss Engadin to Vintschgau in South Tyrol. After the initial climb with 12 hair-pin curves nice sailing in beautiful alpine landscape well developed in agriculture and tourism. The cycle route next to the river Etch, partly within the Stelvio National Park, is very popular.
  2. Bozen - Toblach
    Upstream the river Isaar to Brixon and further along the screnic Rienze fills the lungs with fresh air. The final strech Bruneck to Toblach was beautiful though somewhat strenous. In Toblach you arrive the watershed dividing Adriatic and Black Sea.
  3. Toblach - Oberdrauburg
    Passing Toblach you cross the border to the Austrian Tyrol and soon join the river Drau. Again a well marked cycle route takes you along Drau passing Lienz to Oberdrauburg.
  4. Oberdrauburg - Tarvisio
    On impulse I left Drau at Oberdrauburg and took the winding road over Gailerberg to the valley of the river Gail which runs parallel eastwards. That was a lucky decision: This valley is paradise! Sandwitched between the mountain range Caruanca, which is also the border between Austria and Slovenia, to the south and ?? to the north. I planned to cross it at Wurzenpass but got a tipp from a local to follow Feistritz, Drachschitz, Hohenthurn and circle the three country corner Austria-Italy-Slovenia through Tarvisio.
  5. Tarvisio - Ljubljana
    A fantastic cycle route along the valley of Julian Alps. passing Kranjska Gora (Winter Olympics 1986), Bled and Kranj. Basically the routes no. 2, 7, 8 and 13 of [CYCLOS].
  6. Ljubljana - Zagreb
    Again a very stimulating trip through Litija, Zidani Most, Sevenica and Brezice thanks to route no. 55, 56, 58 and 59 of [CYCLOS].
  7. Zagreb - Ogulin
    Zagreb wasn't an easy place as a cyclists. Karlovac is a big town with lot of history. I visited a fortress from medivial times. Going along D23 wasn't much fun, so after passing Duga Resa I turned to Lipa and then passed Vodona Draga and sleepy Bosiljevo to arrive in Ogulin. These are well maintained quiet roads in a geographically exciting area.
  8. Ogulin - Novi Vinodolski
    Before the descent to Adriatic there is a climb I was told. Truly enough the elevation rose from 200 m around Ogulin to 1000 m between Jasenak and Breze. From then on you have an unbroken 1000 m downhill ride to the Adriatic Sea!
    Novi Vinodolski is a busy beach resort.
  9. Novi Vinodolski - Cres
    These highly touristic places with the usual "sea, sun and sand the traffic" is not meant for cyclists. For one these islands are steep, and the July sun made the situation worse. After all this trouble I found the former fishing harbour Cres a soothing place.
  10. Cres - Trieste
    By this time I was longing for green mainland, hilly or not. The Istrian peninsula gave me exactly that. Had a quiet trip through Krsan, Vranja, Lupoglav, Buzet then crossing to Italy to finish my journey in Trieste.

Useful material

Some of the places where I stayed

Train connection

The best direct connection Venice - Zurich with cycle transport:
cisalpino Venezia St. Lucia 10:51 - Zurich HB 18:51
Reserve the seat and the cycle transport the previous day!

Connection train from Trieste:
Trieste Centrale 08:22 - Venezia St. Lucia 10:27
It is adviced to change train in Venezia St. Lucia. Since this is a dead-end railway station you can walk to the other train without climbing steps.