Log in
Join travelers community
Your Profile
Logout
Tour date: 1-17 June 2005. Total distance: 1400 km.
Bicycle Tour: Eastern Europe (Italy - Slovenia - Croatia - Hungary - Slovakia - Austria - Czech Republic)
Thomas Driemeyer2005-10-16 14:37:51
Displayed times (last time: )
ahead.
SLOVENIA
The border to Slovenia is just a few km behind Gorizia. They still actually have border guards there even though Slovenia has recently become an EU member, but they just wave everybody through. Route 444 follows the freeway but is very quiet and pleasant, far more than the roads in Italy that led us here. At Ajdovscina we took route 207 and 621, which turned out to be more hilly than we thought - we gained 750 meters in one long and relentless climb, with little shadow. Very scenic though, with many views of the valleys. Near Podkraj a windy but exhilarating descent began, and after Logatec the second half of the descent was perfect, with safe long curves and no traffic. The last few km to Lubljana were busy though, as usual when entering a large city.
I used to have this mental image of Slovenia as one of those Socialist paradises, with gray people living in gray cities and trees growing in the potholes. Quite the opposite! Friendly clean cities, very good roads, and on a warm Saturday evening like this one the streets and cafes are bursting with people enjoying themselves. This country has definitely arrived in the 21st century. Ljubljana has a very pleasant old town, although much of the rest isn't very pretty.
There is also a castle on a hill overlooking the city, just behind the old town. It's a blinding example how to ruin a ruin by "fixing" it with gobs of steel and concrete. It's like someone adding a parking garage and a shopping center to a medieval castle. It's so ridiculous that it's worth a visit.
We stayed at the Alibi hostel, which had opened that week. Very clean with friendly staff, but a little noisy and rather far (2.5km) from the old town in a nondescript suburb. A friendly lady at the tourist info near the church and marketplace made the reservation for us.
The next day
...
See photographs from:
Slovenia Gallery
,
Slovakia Gallery
,
Italy Gallery
,
Hungary Gallery
,
Czech Republic Gallery
,
Croatia Gallery
,
Austria Gallery
