5 of 5 Edelweiss

Unpaved Istria, Croatia, Slovenia = Balkan UPI

Saturday, May 11, 2019 | Peter Kuhn / Andreas Fetzer | Europe | 1 Comment

the beach road to Meduline is pure fun

D05 - the rain sets in but we will make a great day for you anyway

From the end of the 14th century until 1941 the Gottscheers lived in Kocevje Rog the gigantic forest around Kocevje. They formed a German-speaking island in Slovenia and were settled here from Austria. During the Second World War, most of the villages of the Gottscheers were destroyed. There are only a few places left where the traces of this population can be seen and we visited one of them the cemetery of Koprivnik

One of the big tombs with the typical symbols of the Gottscheer population

The road through Kocevje Rog leads us to today's bad weather highlight, the spa of Dolenjska Toplice

Back in Rijeka, we were greeted by a breathtaking view and sunshine

D04 - The Mountains to Slovenia

We leave the Tuscany Croatiens again and continue on hidden gravel roads through the green and truffle-rich woods around Motovun. The steep hills offer a beautiful view over the deep Mirnatal buried in the landscape.

Oprtalj the next most beautiful village on one of the hills that characterize the landscape

after lunch we reached the land of forests Slovenia, we took the Hermannsstraße built in 1896 from the Gottscheers for the management of the forests. In the end of the road out of nowhere appear the fairytale castle Sneznik

the two knights in the gate to the castle

in kocevje there was a trophy for the performances of the day, cheers

and we left a massage in the so called motorcyclist biebel of the hotel

D03 - The Croatian Tuscany

Today we ride from Pula trough the Istrian Bush into the Croatian Tuskany around Motovun. The hidden roads lead us along old stone walls, through olive groves and to hidden curches in the middle of nowhere

we got a delicious coffe in Bale Valle and even our mascot had to try it

a short stop at the end of the so called Lim Fjord before...

we reach this incredible picnic spot

and a great lunch is already waiting

and our mascot is the first at the table

followed by his owner

after a short ride we reach Dvigrad the so called ghost town of Istria

we took a short walk through the old walles...

and continue riding through the enchanting valley

the road at the ridge around the Buntoniga lake over spectacular panoramas

good by sun good by lovely day

D02 - From the highest mountain to the beaches of Istria

The view over Kvarner Bay in the morning looks already promising

Today we ride over the highest mountain of Istria Ucka towards the sea and the famous holiday beaches around Pula. Tristram is ready and the day can begin