Emerald Lakes and Rivers: Riding Slovenia

Bled is a small lake shaped by glaciers. A church stands on a tiny island in the middle, and a castle looks down from the top of a cliff on the north shore. With the Julian Alps and the Karavanke range behind, it is the view that appears most often in pictures of Slovenia.

A lap of the lake is only about 6 km and flat, a good warm-up even for first-time e-MTB riders. This route adds forest tracks and village lanes, passing the entrance to Vintgar Gorge north of Bled and heading up the Radovna valley. The climbs are short and gentle, which makes it the easiest of the five routes.

The Radovna valley lies inside Triglav National Park. In the park you may only cycle on paved roads and routes marked for bikes, so stay on the road through the valley. It runs quietly past a clear river, meadows and old farmhouses.

Bohinj is Slovenia's largest natural lake, about 25–30 km west of Bled. It lies inside Triglav National Park, so there are no big buildings on the shore, and high mountains come right down to the water. It feels much quieter and more remote than Bled.

From Bled, the road follows the Sava Bohinjka river up the valley on a gentle climb. A road runs along the south shore of the lake to Ukanc at the western end; the north shore is a footpath, so bikes use the southern road.

The small stone bridge and church at the eastern end are the classic Bohinj view. The path to Savica waterfall starts at the western end, and a cable car from the southwest end of the lake lifts you high enough to see the whole lake from above.

Vršič is Slovenia's highest road pass. It crosses the heart of the Julian Alps, linking Kranjska Gora in the north with the Soča valley in the south. Russian prisoners of war built the road during the First World War, and its 50 hairpins, counting both sides, are each numbered.

The climb from Kranjska Gora is short but steep, and some hairpins are paved with cobbles. It is a hard pass on a regular bike, but the distance is short enough that an e-MTB can use a higher assist level and still get up comfortably. At the top, rock peaks rise right beside the road.

Over the top, a long descent leads into the Trenta valley where the Soča river begins. The road crosses Triglav National Park, so do not leave it for mountain paths. Carry on to Bovec at the bottom and you join the Soča valley route in the next section.

The Soča is famous for water so clear and green it looks like emerald. It rises in the Julian Alps and flows south through deep valleys, drawing rafters and kayakers. The villages of Bovec, Kobarid and Tolmin line its course.

Following the river downstream is mostly downhill or flat, so the riding is easy. Leave the main road for the lanes and gravel tracks on the far bank to avoid traffic and see more of the river. Bovec is also a base for mountain bike rides into the surrounding hills.

During the First World War this valley was a battleground on the Isonzo Front. The museum in Kobarid and the trenches and forts left on the hillsides tell the story of that time.

The Kras is a limestone plateau on the border with Italy. Landscapes where rainwater sinks underground and forms caves and hollows are called 'karst' all over the world, and the word comes from this region. Above ground you find red soil, stone walls and vineyards; below it, huge caves.

The plateau has little height difference, so the riding rolls gently, and quiet country roads link stone villages. Most villages have a small family winery, which suits a slow day of stopping to taste the local food.

Nearby are the Škocjan Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the much-visited Postojna Cave. Caves are explored on foot with a guide, so it is worth giving the bike a day off for a cave visit.