UNUSUAL CYCLING ADVENTURES IN KOROŠKA
- 24/04/2024
Slovenian Alps
The Koroška region in the Slovenian Alps is considered the Mecca for mountain bikers in Slovenia par excellence – no wonder as the lush green southern Alpine landscape offers countless opportunities for mountain bikers with a healthy urge for exploration. The Karawanken Geopark, Slovenia’s first cross-border mountain bike park, offers countless MTB opportunities: Tours lead over gravel roads, forest, field and cart tracks, high up to alpine peaks or deep underground. In addition to spectacular singletrails like the Berry Line (1.3 km|150 m|medium), you can also discover Slovenia’s first MTB park – the Bike Park Kope – during a mountain bike vacation in Slovenia’s most important biking region. And then, of course, there is the legendary Jamnica single trail park – a small paradise of a total of 20 km of trails-as well as the MTB ZONE Bikepark Petzen with an 11 km flow trail of a class of its own.
"Although this is one of the smallest regions of Slovenia, it gives the most diverse and rich impressions!"
Abandoned trails on the border between Slovenia and Austria
The tours mostly lead on abandoned trails once used by shepherds, hunters, soldiers and miners, through pristine valleys characterized by white limestone mountains and dense forests. Enduro riders and e-mountain bikers should definitely visit the area around the idyllic mountain village of Ribniško Pohorje, where the Black Peak E-Bike offers an unforgettable e-bike experience on a total of nine marked mountain bike routes of varying degrees of difficulty. With a length of more than 500 kilometers, the Pohorje region can be explored alone or accompanied by experienced guides with a little electric tailwind. There is also a well-marked bicycle path network of more than 1,000 km throughout the region – sometimes on asphalt, sometimes cross-country and uphill on forest trails and gravel roads. The popular 510km Drau bike path also runs 145 km from Austria through Slovenia and the Koroška region, before continuing on to Croatia. One of the MTB highlights is the Jamnica single trail park, which together with the neighboring Austrian MTB area, Bike Park Petzen is the traditional venue of the Enduro World Series and impresses with its all mountain and enduro nature trails.
Family cycling area Kope
If you like to stay with passionate mountain bike experts and regional connoisseurs – and who doesn’t? – then we also recommend the Familyhotel Bike Area Kope – Lukov Dom. The family-run bike hotel is also located in the middle of pristine nature in the Family Bike Area Kope and therefore offers the perfect starting point for bike tours of Koroška. If you set up camp here, the Kope bike park is a stone’s throw away – here you can take the chairlift up, into the adventure and back down again via the trails through the forest. Lots of jumps, fun and adrenaline included. If you want to get to know the area through and through, you should take a guided bike tour with Primoz Tertinek. The friendly hotel manager of the Lukov Dom, not only knows the region like the back of his hand, but is also a passionate cycling guide. Primoz can look back on 20 years of experience and, together with his own guides, organizes tours of the region for his guests – whether they are drawn to the mountain, the valley or even underground in an open pit mine.
The Black Hole Trail has rightly obtained the label »Slovenia Unique Experiences«
Underground beauty in the Slovenian Alps
The Black Hole Trail is a new experience and mental challenge even for the most experienced mountain bikers. After all, it’s not every day you cycle underground through the underworld of Petzen, from one side of the mountain to the other. The route runs about 5 km and 150 altimeters through the abandoned tunnels of the Mežica mine – along the border between Slovenia and Austria. There are a few technically challenging sections to master (on foot if necessary) – and you will occasionally have to straighten your headlights. Once your eyes get used to the darkness, the views of the endless black halls are breathtaking. The Black Hole Trail, which has rightfully been labeled “Slovenia Unique Experiences – Recommended by Slovenian Tourist Board” since 2023, can only be done with a guide.
THE TRAIL
Jamnica Trail Park: (17 km | 500 m | level /medium) The trail park is a small paradise of beautiful trails. It is easy to master the natural trails and you can always take a break at the Ecohotel. Koros.
Destination
koroska.si/de
Stay overnight at a specialized cycling hotel
Bikebase Ecohotel Koros
mtbpark.com
Familyhotel Bike Area Kope – Lukov Dom
kope.si
More cycling hotels and regions
bike-holidays.com
