This was the first time I took my gravel bike abroad. I had Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, as my base for these rides. This post describes my favorite routes.
I had never considered Ljubljana, being the large city that it is, as a decent base for bike rides before. But I stayed would my aunt Zvonka in the northern part of town and from there I was out of the town within a kilometer and riding singletrack and gravel roads. If you decide to stay in Ljubljana I suggest you pick a spot away from the center, preferably in the northern part of town, like I did.
The gravel bike that I used for this adventure is a Felt Breed Carbon with a 2x12 drivetrain and 50mm gravel tires. It's probably a good idea to have a good climbing gearing on your bike if you want to do the steeper rides listed below, which are all but the Sava river loop.
The routes are:
- Sava river loop
- Ljubljana -> Idrija -> Bela -> Ljubljana
- Ljubljana MTB Dragon Challenge
- Sveti Jakob
- Viewing tower at Rašica
Click on the Read More link below to see the whole post
Sava river loop
This is a lovely scenic ride that follows both sides of the Save river, just north of Ljubljana. Mostly on gravel, with some asphalt. 100% flat, no climbs. You can go for a swim as well.
Length: 60km
Elevation gain: 174 meters
Terrain: Mix of asphalt, gravel and singletrack
Difficulty: Easy
Strava link: https://www.strava.com/activities/19567563707
Ljubljana -> Idrija -> Bela -> Ljubljana
This course uses mostly gravel roads between Ljubljana and Idrija, switching to asphalt when getting closer to Idrija. From Idrija, and towards Bela, it uses a technical singletrack that's more suitable for mountain bikes, but can be ridden by the skillful gravel cyclist as well. As an alternativ there is an asphalt road on the other side of the creek that ends up in Bela as well. While at Bela you can go for a swim (Bela). Lovely singletrack and gravel roads back towards Ljubljana with some asphalt at the middle. This is a tough ride with plenty of climbing.
Length: 140km
Elevation gain: 1631 meters
Terrain: Mix of asphalt, gravel and singletrack
Difficulty: Hard
Strava link: https://www.strava.com/activities/19087772378/
Ljubljana MTB Dragon Challenge
I know it says "MTB" in the title but this tour as very little singletrack and can be comfortably ridden on a gravel bike. The ride goes south-east of Ljubljana over lots of hills so prepare for plenty of climbing. There are some great views to be seen on this ride when you crest the hills.
Length: 110km
Elevation gain: 2617 meters
Terrain: Mix of asphalt, gravel and singletrack
Difficulty: Hard
Strava link: https://www.strava.com/activities/18984357258
Sveti Jakob
Another lovely scenic ride going over some hills, shorter than the other ones, but with plenty of steep climbs. Sveti Jakob
Length: 46km
Elevation gain: 1131 meters
Terrain: Mix of asphalt, gravel and singletrack
Difficulty: Medium
Strava link: https://www.strava.com/activities/19399549403
Viewing tower at Rašica
The number one reason you should not miss this ride is because the deer that are in an enclosure. See photos! Shorter ride, but steep climbs! Here's a page describing the viewing tower.
Length: 30km
Elevation gain: 462 meters
Terrain: Mix of asphalt, gravel and singletrack
Difficulty: Medium
Strava link: https://www.strava.com/activities/19414336244
