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Winner of Bicycling Magazine's 2020 Travel Awards in the "Best Hidden Europe" Category

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Historic and scenic riding among vineyards, mountains, and lakes

There’s a lot of history involved in this cycling and multi-sport tour, with a focus on the years during and between the two World Wars. The itinerary weaves through the Mitteleuropean heritage of the area, reflecting its past under the rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, guided by the Habsburg family. It was a true crossroads of cultures, and a visit to the WWI Museum in Caporetto-Kobarid provides invaluable insights into the history and geography of these bordering regions.

Both Friuli and Slovenia are big wine producers, especially of white wines, and it’s interesting to taste the same grape varietal cultivated in different soils and climates. Friuli’s wine regions of Collio and Colli Orientali del Friuli will be the backdrop of our cycling ride towards Slovenia, and in Slovenia we pass through the wine areas of Goriska Brda, Kras and Vipavska Dolina. In September you can witness the peak of the grape harvest and the beginning of the winemaking process.

Rolling vineyards, verdant forests and snowcapped mountains form the backdrop for much of our riding along smooth, uncrowded roads and bike paths. The views are just as spectacular when we are off the bikes enjoying a variety of multi-sport activities, including river rafting, hiking, and much more.

This program has a spectacular ending on Lake Bled and in the charming capital city of Ljubljana, one of the prettiest capitals in Europe. 

Not sure if you can do it? Contact us to schedule a call about how demanding the rides are. E-bikes are also available.

 

Relevant blog: Slovenia and the Seven Things You Must Not Miss

 

Highlights

    • Two countries: from Friuli in Italy to Slovenia with the Alps as the backdrop
    • Scenic, quiet roads without traffic
    • Outdoor activities: cycling, river rafting, hiking & more
    • Wine tasting at a Friulian producer 
    • Picturesque Lake Bled
    • Enchanted Radovna Valley and Vintgar Gorge in Slovenia
    • Ljubljana and Cividale del Friuli (UNESCO World Heritage Sites)
    • Visit of WWI museum with English speaking guide
    • Grado's golden beaches
    • Aquileia, an ancient Roman powerhouse 
Dates:

Prices:

Flexible payment options are available.

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2025

USD 4,995

Private room (single supplement) USD 695

 

Duration:

8 days (7 nights)

Level:

Active

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We always felt encouraged, supported, safe, informed, respected and befriended by those two. Real professionals. You have surrounded yourself with good people - the recipe for success in a company.

Don B. Friuli and Slovenia Magnifica

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Food and Wine

We've put a strong emphasis on the food and wine of Friuli and Slovenia in our tour.

The cuisine of Friuli reflects the varied cultures that surround this region and the focus is on simple, homemade products.  Pasta, an Italian staple, is eaten in many different forms: lasagna noodles are topped with poppy seeds and gnocchi can be mixed with goulash or smoked ricotta.  Polenta is served with meat, game or cheese.  A wide variety of soups (an influence from Central Europe) are consumed with different types of dumplings.  Friuli is known for its Prosciutto di San Daniele DOP, a cured ham with a sweet, aromatic flavor that is served with bread, melon or figs, and is paired with local white wine.  Speaking of wine, the Collio region is a land of big white wines like Pinot, Tocai Friulano, Sauvignon and Collio Bianco. A smaller production of red wines includes Cabernet, Merlot and Collio Rosso.

The Slow Food presidia in Friuli Venezia Giulia are strictly linked to the traditional Friulian lifestyle of farming and cooperation. Among the Slow Food recognized products we have Garlic from Resia, Radìc di mont, Formadi frant, Pan di sorc, Pestàt from Fagagna, Cheese from the rotational dairies.

The pan di sorc (sorc means maize flour in Friulian), is a sweet and spicy bread, rich in transalpine influences. The locally grown cereals, called cinquantini, grow and ripe in a period of 50 days at the most, even then managing to do a complete cycle also in the chill and rainy Gemona area.

The pestàt from Fagagna is a very peculiar seasoning created to preserve the scents and flavors of autumn vegetables and herbs in pork lard. Its production, on a family level, occurs during the slaughter of pigs, from November to March. The lard, coming from local pigs bred in a semi-wild manner with natural feeding, is minced and mixed with chopped vegetables and spices, put into natural casings and matured in damp and cool cellars.

Producing cheese from the rotational dairies was an economical and easy way of managing the milk, suitable for the small-scale dairy production of Friuli's territory, with many farmers in every village. The milk of many families was put together and processed together. The cheese produced, simply called "latteria,” is aged for up to one year.

Just as in Friuli, Slovenia’s cuisine is influenced by the countries that surround it: sausage, Weiner Schnitzel andstrudel from Austria, pasta, gnocchi, pizza and risotto from Italy, and goulash from Hungary. The focus is on home-cooked food that is simple and hearty. 

The vineyards of the Italian Collio continue into the Slovene Brda, where the rolling hills create several different microclimates.  Unlike many of the major wine regions of Europe, Slovenia's winemaking history predates the Romans, and can be traced back to the early Celtic and Illyrian tribes who began cultivating vines for wine production sometime between the 5th and 4th centuries BC.  Under Communist rule winemaking traditions were lost, but recently a generation of post-Soviet era vintners are rediscovering them, and since Slovenia’s 2004 entrance into the European Union, their wines are being more widely distributed.  Some popular varietals are  Refosk [Refosco], Sauvignon Blanc, Ribolla Gialla, Pinot Gris, Malvasia and an indigenous grape called Pinel.

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