A 4-DAYS SPRINGTIME ROADTRIP UP TO MARIBOR AND BACK

 

MARIBOR CITY CENTER - OLD TOWN

A "moto-round-trip" of 4 days and 3 nights, spending each night in a different place, crossing 3 borderlines, covering a total amount of 637 kilometers (=395 miles) among Northern Eastern Italy, Slovenia and Southern Austria.

MY LONGEST AND FURTHEST MOTORCYCLE ROADTRIP SO FAR, AND THE ONE
THAT ALLOWED ME TO REACH MY FIRST 10.000 KM ON MY INDIAN.
MILESTONE TOUCHED JUST AT THE COMPLETION OF THE JOURNEY,
A FEW KMs BEFORE ARRIVING HOME.

22-23-24-25 April 2023

DAY 1: FROM HOME TO KAMNIK

200 KM = 124 MILES

CROSSING THE BORDER BETWEEN ITALY AND SLOVENIA 

SUNNY WEATHER

    

HERE WE ARE (AT THE FORK WITH THE ROAD WHICH GOES TO THE RESIA VALLEY),

AFTER HAVING COMPLETED THE FASCINATING ROAD SR646 WHICH GOES FROM TARCENTO 

TO ONE OF THE TO POINTS WHERE THE ROADS CROSS THE BORDERLINE 

BETWEEN ITALY AND SLOVENIA

THE BORDERLINE: FROM HERE THE ROAD IS SLOVENIAN AND IT'S CALLED 401

BREAKFAST AT “GOSTILNA PRI MOSTU” IN ŽAGA, FIRST TOWN AFTER THE BORDERLINE

LITTLE DETOUR UP TO BOVEĆ, TO REACH THE CLOSEST SLOVENIAN GASOLINE STATION 

THE SOČA RIVER

A SCENIC POINT ALONG THE ROAD 403, FULL OF TURNINGS AND SUITABLE FOR BIKERS: THIS ROAD IS ALSO DRAWN ON THE EUROPEAN MOTORCYCLING ROAD MAP

LUNCH BREAK AT THE BRUNARICA SLAP RESTAURANT IN PODBRDO,
WHICH IS LIKE AN OASIS FOR RIDERS ALONG THE ROAD 403

THE CHARMING TOWN OF SKOFIJA LOKA

 

SKOFIJA LOKA: THE CASTLE

OUR HOTEL IN KAMNIK, "POD SKALO", IS A LOVELY FAMILY-RUN B&B, HOSTEL AND PUB!

AND FINALLY...CHEERS!

DAY 2: FROM KAMNIK TO MARIBOR

130 KM = 80 MILES

ALL SLOVENIA 

SUNNY WEATHER

THE LOVELY CENTER OF KAMNIK!

SMELLING THE SPRING FLOWERS AND HAVING FUN ALONG THE SUNNY ROAD 414

COFFEE BREAK ALONG THE ROAD 447

ENJOYING THE COUNTRYSIDE ALONG THE ROAD 4

A TYPICAL BALKAN LUNCH AT THE RESTAURANT BERNARDA'S,
LOCATED JUST AT THE CROSSROAD BETWEEN ROADS 429 AND 430:
A "PLJESKAVICA", SERVED WITH ONIONS, TOMATOES, MOSTARDE AND "AJVAR",
AND PUT INSIDE THE INVITING TRADITIONAL SLOVENIAN BREAD!

            PLJESKAVICA = grilled burger consisting of a spiced meat mixture of pork, beef and lam

AJVAR = condiment based on sweet bell peppers and aubergine
THIS SLOVENIAN BREAD = it is a big round and stretchy flatbread, tasty and

oil-rich, used to contain the meat, which is directly served inside of it

ON THE ROAD 430, IN A NOT TOTALLY UNEXPECTED WAY, WE COME ACROSS A MOTORCYCLE RALLY:
IT'S IN SLOVENSKA BISTRICA, IT REUNITES ALL KINDS OF MOPEDS, AND IT'S VERY AMUSING!
SO, FINALLY WE FIND OUT  WHERE ALL THOSE BIKERS WE ENCOUNTERED
ALONG THE WAY WERE HEADING!

OUR ARRIVAL AT THE PEACEFUL AND COMFORTING "BOUTIQUE HOTEL POHORJE" IN A QUIET NEIGHBOURHOOD ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF MARIBOR: PERFECT FOR MOTOTRAVELLERS NEEDING FOR A REGENERATING EVENING!

DAY 3: FROM MARIBOR TO FERLACH

150 KM = 93 MILES

CROSSING THE BORDER BETWEEN SLOVENIA AND AUSTRIA

RAINY WEATHER

MARIBOR, GLAVNI TRG (MAIN SQUARE) 

EXPERIENCING A FAIRY-TALE AND ALMOST SURREAL ATMOSPHERE!

MARIBOR, ANOTHER VIEW OF THE OLD TOWN

MARIBOR, EXPERIENCING THE CITY CENTER WHILE THE CLOUDY SKY BECOMES THREATENING

OUR FIRST SHELTER, JUST A FEW MILES OUT OF THE CENTER OF MARIBOR,
 WHEN WE REALIZED IT WAS TIME TO WEAR THE WATERPROOF GEAR!

SHORT BREAK AT THE GASOLINE STATION AND CAFÉ "FRESH CORNER"

RIDING ALONG THE ROAD 1 IS THRILLING! I'M CONVINCED ITS NUMBER SIGNIFIES THAT
THIS ROAD IS THE FIRST ROAD OF SLOVENIA!
IN FACT, IT CONNECTS MARIBOR WITH DRAVOGRAD, WHOSE NAME MEANS THE CITY OF THE DRAVA, LOCATED JUST BEFORE THE BORDERLINE WITH AUSTRIA.
THE ROAD IS PROBABLY REMINISCENT OF A TRAIL ORIGINALLY TRACKED DURING
THE TIMES OF THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN EMPIRE,
TO WHOM SLOVENIA TOO USED TO BELONG.

BY FOLLOWING THIS ROAD 1, WE ARE GOING UP THE RIVER DRAVA, WITH AN UNCOUNTABLE SERIES OF TURNS, ALL OF THEM SHOWING SURPRINGLY SCENIC VIEWS,
EVEN WITH THIS RAINY, MISTY AND DAMP WEATHER!
DRAVA'S SPRING IS LOCATED IN THE NORTHERN ITALIAN REGION OF TRENTINO ALTO ADIGE
(IN DOBBIACO/TOBLACH), SOON THIS MIGHTY RIVER RUNS THROUGH SOUTHERN AUSTRIA,
ENTERS IN SLOVENIA, THEN IN CROATIA AND FINALLY (AFTER 749 KMs = 465 MILES),
IT BECOMES A TRIBUTARY OF THE DANUBE RIVER.

STOP AT THE "GOLD PUB" IN RADLJE

DRAVOGRAD, WITH THE ANCIENT CHURCH OF SV.VIDA (SAINT VITO) BUILT IN 1117,
IS THE CITY POSITIONED WHERE THE DRAVA RIVER CROSSES THE BORDERLINE
BETWEEN SLOVENIA AND AUSTRIA

THE AUSTRIAN TOWN OF LAVAMUND AND ITS GORGEOUS COLORFUL STREETS

CHOOSING THE LOCAL BUS STOPS AS OUR IDEAL PIT STOPS UNDER THE PERSISTING RAIN!

STILL IN THE RAIN, STOPPING IN THE WOODS, SAVOURING THE SURREAL MOMENTS

OUR ARRIVAL AT THE HOTEL "GASTHOF ZUM POST": LIKE HAVING REACHED A SAFE HARBOR AFTER SAILING A STORMY SEA!

ENJOYING A BEER AND A WARM NURTURING AUSTRIAN DINNER
 AFTER ALL THOSE GREY AND WET MILES

DAY 4: FROM FERLACH TO HOME

157 KM = 97 MILES

CROSSING THE BORDER BETWEEN AUSTRIA AND ITALY

CLOUDY WEATHER

THE MORNING AFTER, THE SKY IS STILL CLOUDY AND MISTY.
IT'S TIME TO GET READY FOR OUR FINAL STEP.

THE MORNING HAZE IN THE ROSENTAL (VALLEY OF ROSES)

SEARCHING FOR SOME ITEMS IN OUR FAVOURITE BIKERS' SHOP IN VILLACH

ENTERIGN ITALY, WE SUDDENLY REALIZE HOW DIRTY OUR BIKES ARE!

ALONG THE SS13

QUICK BREAK IN RESIUTTA: OUR LAST STOP BEFORE ARRIVING HOME

I AM VERY HAPPY AND SATISFIED WITH THIS MOTOTOUR: HOW I HAD BEEN ENVISIONING THE JOURNEY RESULTED EVENTUALLY IN A REAL EXPERIENCE ON THE ROAD PERFECTLY MATCHING MY IMAGINATION, PLUS, WITH THE ADDITION OF SOME NICE SURPRISES, A FEW CHALLENGES AND
AN EXHILARATING SENSE OF FEELING AT HOME IN EVERY PLACE  I WAS RIDING THROUGH!