Across the Alps into the Logar valley

On the first day we will take you far away from the bustling city full of scorching summer. Cyclists arriving from Kranj or Ljubljana feel the relief coming from the breeze of the river Kokra. It takes one hour of ascent to reach Zgornje Jezersko.  The locals say that nature is the most beautiful there and they are not mistaken. Jezersko is without a doubt one of the most beautiful parts of Slovenia and you will be enchanted by a lot of things. Green and unspoiled nature, fresh mountain air, clear water of the shortest Slovenian river Jezernica and the lake Planšarsko jezero as well as the views of the mighty Kočna and Grintovec. After refreshments in the hostel Stara pošta you will see it has paid off to cycle a good 47 kilometres and overcome almost 700 metres of altitude to get to this pearl of Upper Carniola (Gorenjska).

The second day is the queen stage. From Zgornje Jezersko the path continues uphill to Jezerski vrh and the Slovenian-Austrian border at the altitude of 1218 metres. In the middle of a beautiful descent towards Železna Kapla, we will sharply turn right, soon after that the ascent to the Pavlič pass will begin – you will not regret being on electric bikes as there the slopes do not spare even the best cyclists. You will also not regret choosing this path. Where the ascent is the most demanding, there are also the most beautiful views of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps as well as the Karawanks and Austrian Carinthia (Avstijska Koroška). The exceptional views will not end there. When we turn to Slovenia on the pass Pavličevo sedlo (1338m) and go from Carinthia (Koroška) to Styria (Štajerska), we will start descending towards the Logar Valley, but in the meantime we will turn to the Solčava panoramic road. This is the path of the most beautiful views of the Upper Savinja Valley, there are some macadam challenges waiting for you as well as refreshments in one of numerous tourist farms along the way. It will be easier to manage a 48-kilometres-long adventure on which you will have to overcome 1300 altitude metres. After the descent to the Solčava area they will be last in line when we turn right from the main road into the Robanov kot valley, certainly one of the most beautiful and possibly also one of the most protected secrets in these parts of Slovenia.

We have all heard of the Logar Valley, if nothing else we have seen the well-know advertisement for Slovenia, my country. You will without any difficulties recognize the road where the advert was shot immediately after you enter the Logar Valley. Let us go back to the start of the third day. We will begin our tour from the farm Govc Vršnik in Robanov kot, the unspoilt Alpine valley, which remains hidden for many passers-by because of its remoteness from the main road. Those who discover it cannot remain indifferent. We will turn towards Solčava, and cycle along the road we know from the previous day, and then continue on those parts of the panoramic road we had left out. We will visit Matkov kot, the alpine valley that lies between the Logar Valley and the Austrian border. It is known for Matkov škaf, a snow cauldron, carved by a  waterfall which is about 40 metres high in spring. The waterfall is connected to our last part of the tour before we return to Robanov kot. We will turn to the Logar valley and ride our bikes as high as the road allows and then take a 15-minut walk to the Rinka waterfall at an altitude of 1120 metres. You will be able to see the source of the Savinja River even better if you take a look at the Eagle's Nest, a mountain refuge near-by the waterfall.

On the last day we will turn down from Robanov kot towards Luče instead towards the Solčava area. From there we will continue right towards Podvolovjek. The signpost will direct us left and steeply uphill towards the Volovjek pass. On the asphalt you will see some faded records of fans who were encouraging Primož Roglič, Tadej Pogačar, Matej Mohorič and other Slovenian cyclists on the 2018 race around Slovenia. Roglič paved his way to the final victory on this demanding ascent which ends at the Kranjski Rak inn, 1038 meters high, after he had cycled a similar route as you on this trip across Jezerski vrh, the Pavlič and Volovjek passes. From this pass which is dividing Styria (Štajerska) and Upper Carniola (Gorenjska), otherwise also the starting point for bikers and hikers to Velika planina, there is only the victorious descent to Kamnik and the finish plain towards our starting point.