Slovenia by region
There are several ways to divide Slovenia into regions. We use eight.
Cycling in Slovenia
A small country with many landscapes.
In the photo: Solčava Panoramic Road
Route No. 182, Styria
What is cycling in Slovenia like?
From village to village on quiet roads and gravel tracks, almost always a little uphill or a little downhill. The landscape, the food and the dialect change faster than you'd expect.
Four kinds of landscape and the routes that capture them
All four are only a few hours' drive apart.
Where to cycle in Slovenia?
Every region has its own character. Pick one to see what it's known for and which routes are waiting for you there.
Borders: Geodetska uprava Republike Slovenije (Surveying and Mapping Authority of the Republic of Slovenia), Register prostorskih enot (statistical regions), as of 11 October 2026, CC BY 4.0. We have grouped the statistical regions into our own regions and simplified the borders.
Upper Carniola
2 routesUpper Carniola (Gorenjska) is the Slovenia you see on postcards, but by bike you get to know it best away from the main roads. Bled and Bohinj draw the most visitors, yet there's far more here than two lakes: fields and small villages, with the Julian Alps, the Karawanks and the Kamnik–Savinja Alps rising above them. Most of the riding is on the road, from quiet valley roads to climbs like the Vršič Pass, but there's also plenty of gravel on the Pokljuka and Jelovica plateaus, and steep forest trails for mountain bikes. There's something for everyone.
All routes in this region
Slovenian Littoral
3 routesThe Slovenian Littoral (Primorska) runs from high mountains all the way to the sea. In the north, in the Soča Valley, the roads follow the river and climb out of the valley to high passes, including the Mangart Saddle, reached by the highest road in Slovenia. Further south, Goriška Brda, the Vipava Valley and the Karst open up, with a Mediterranean climate and Italian influences. The season here starts early and ends late; only the bora wind can make the riding hard on the odd day. And in Slovenian Istria, the Parenzana takes you along the line of an old narrow-gauge railway.
- Mangart Saddle22 km · 981 m
- Ajdovščina – Napoleon Bridge8 km · 30 m
- Nova Gorica – Plave – Grgar43 km · 968 m
Inner Carniola
2 routesInner Carniola (Notranjska) is a land of karst and great forests. Rivers vanish underground here, the fields flood after heavy rain, and Lake Cerknica is a lake for part of the year and a meadow for the rest. Long, quiet gravel roads run through the forests of Javorniki and Snežnik and across the Bloke Plateau, which makes Inner Carniola one of the most beautiful regions for gravel riding. The paved roads are quiet too, with little traffic.
All routes in this region
Central Slovenia
2 routesCentral Slovenia (Osrednjeslovenska) sits right in the middle of the country, which makes it a great base for riding in any direction. To the north it rises towards the Kamnik–Savinja Alps, to the south lies the Ljubljana Marsh and to the west the Polhov Gradec Hills, with plenty of gravel roads through forests and fields in between, ideal for gravel riding. A longer ride soon takes you into Upper, Lower or Inner Carniola. And after the ride there's Ljubljana, with everything from food stalls by the market to top-class restaurants.
All routes in this region
Styria
17 routesFor cycling, Slovenian Styria (Štajerska) is one of the most varied regions in the country. Flat fields with quiet roads stretch along the Drava and the Savinja, the east and south are full of wine hills with short but steep climbs, and Pohorje offers long forest climbs, gravel roads and mountain bike trails. In the west the land rises into the Alps. Wherever you ride, you're never far from a tourist farm or a wine tavern where you can stop for a bite to eat.
- Solčava Panoramic Road30 km · 870 m
- Hotel Arena – Bellevue30 km · 860 m
- Ptuj – Haloze55 km · 900 m
- Celje – Šentjur23 km · 100 m
- Maribor – Ptuj – Rače66 km · 190 m
- Logar Valley16 km · 300 m
- Maribor – Miklavž na Dravskem polju30 km · 100 m
- Radvanje – Bellevue – Areh – Black Lake64 km · 1650 m
- Celje – Laško23 km · 410 m
- Visit Gorice – Lenart, Lake Trojica11 km · 80 m
- Visit Gorice – Lenart, Sveta Ana28 km · 420 m
- Visit Gorice – Lenart, Negova Castle39 km · 500 m
- Limbuš – Ruše12 km · 20 m
- Visit Gorice – Lenart, Vurberk Castle32 km · 460 m
- Visit Gorice – Šentilj, Cmurek, Sv. Ana, Jarenina55 km · 800 m
- Visit Gorice – Lenart, Cerkvenjak, Benedikt41 km · 620 m
- Rački ribniki19 km · 50 m
Carinthia
Slovenian Carinthia (Koroška) is wooded, hilly country on the Austrian border, where the Drava, Meža and Mislinja valleys meet. The Drava Cycle Route comes in from Austria along the river, while the hills above the valleys have long climbs and quiet forest roads. Beneath Mount Peca you can even ride a mountain bike through the tunnels of a former mine.
We're still working on the routes in this region.
Prekmurje
2 routesThe flattest region in Slovenia: wide fields, riverside woods along the Mura and storks nesting on the chimneys. The hills of Goričko rise in the north, the Lendava wine hills in the south. Climbs are few, quiet roads and cycle paths plentiful, and some of them cross the border into Austria and Hungary. Prekmurje feels made for e-bikes and long, easy-going days.
All routes in this regionLower Carniola
Hills along the River Krka, vineyards of cviček (the local light red wine) and lots of small villages. Lower Carniola (Dolenjska) is a quiet region with little traffic, and its roads wind between vineyard cottages, castles and monasteries. The forests of Gorjanci and Kočevski Rog are full of gravel roads. In the south, along the River Kolpa, lies Bela krajina, where in summer you can cool off with a swim after your ride.
We're still working on the routes in this region.
When to cycle in Slovenia?
The main season runs from April to October. Spring and autumn are best for the lowlands and the wine hills, summer for the high roads in the Alps.
0 suitable
Jan
1 suitable
Feb
17 suitable
Mar
23 suitable
Apr
27 suitable
May
28 suitable
Jun
28 suitable
Jul
28 suitable
Aug
28 suitable
Sep
22 suitable
Oct
16 suitable
Nov
0 suitable
Dec
Each dot is one of our routes.suitablemoderateunsuitable
Spring
March – May
The lowlands in the east and the Slovenian Littoral are the first to turn green. The roads over the Alpine passes are often closed until May, and there's still snow high up in the mountains.
Summer
June – August
Time for the Alps, when the roads up to Mangart and over Vršič are open. When it's hot, it's more pleasant in the forest, in the mountains or by lakes and rivers, where you can stop for a swim.
Autumn
September – November
For many, the best time of year on the bike. The days are pleasantly fresh and calm, the grape harvest is on in the wine hills, there's less traffic on the roads, and the light is soft.
Winter
December – February
The days are short, the lowlands cold and often foggy, the mountains under snow. The best days for riding are the sunny ones in the Slovenian Littoral.
What to know before you ride
Roads
Main roads are busy at weekends and in summer; local roads are narrow and mostly quiet.
Forests and hills
In the forest, cycling is allowed on forest roads and specially marked trails. Logging tracks and mountain paths aren't meant for bikes, except where they're signposted for them.
Helmet and lights
A helmet is compulsory for cyclists under 18. At night and in poor visibility you need front and rear lights, and we recommend them in tunnels too.
By train
You can take your bike, for an extra fee, on Slovenian Railways (SŽ) trains that have space for bikes. In summer these places fill up fast. Routes that start at a station are labelled ‘Public transport’.
Water and food
Tap water is safe to drink almost everywhere. Many places serve home cooking, but plenty of inns (gostilna) close one day a week, and tourist farms are often open only at weekends. Inns, farms and snack bars are all marked on the map of every route.
E-bikes
All our routes can be ridden on an e-bike too.
Our routes
Every route is field-verified, photographed, and ready to ride.
Route Nº182
Route type: MTB, Gravel, Trekking
Distance: 30 km
Elevation gain: 870 mRoute Nº128
Route type: Road, TrekkingDistance: 22 kmElevation gain: 981 mRoute Nº176
Route type: TrekkingDistance: 68 kmElevation gain: 880 mRoute Nº184
Route type: Gravel, TrekkingDistance: 55 kmElevation gain: 900 mRoute Nº175
Route type: Gravel, TrekkingDistance: 28 kmElevation gain: 300 m
Route Nº167
Route type: Gravel, TrekkingDistance: 82 kmElevation gain: 685 m
How we choose our routes
We only publish routes we'd recommend to our friends. And we write down everything we'd tell them before they set off.
We ride every route ourselves.
Before we publish a route, we ride it, photograph it and write down what you'll find along the way.
We take the quieter way.
We'd rather take a quiet local road, a good gravel track or a cycle path than the main road, even if it means a small detour.
We note down what you'll need.
For every route we show the elevation profile, which stretches are asphalt and which are gravel, and the months when it's at its best. On the map we mark inns, rest stops, sights and railway stations.
You open it in your own app.
A GPX file for your device, plus links to Komoot and Strava. Free.
When things change, we update the route.
Road closures, new links, inns that have shut: as soon as we hear, we update the description and the map.
This is how all our routes look. For example, No. 184 Ptuj – Haloze.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to cycle in Slovenia?
From April to October. From June to September all our routes are suitable; in March and November mainly the lowland routes in Styria, around Ljubljana and in the Slovenian Littoral.
Is Slovenia a good place for e-biking?
Very much so. All our routes can be ridden on an e-bike too. The flat land in Prekmurje and along the Drava is especially e-bike friendly, and in the mountains an e-bike takes the edge off the long climbs.
Which routes are suitable for families?
The ones in the Family category. They're mostly short and, as far as possible, away from traffic.
Can you take your bike on the train?
Yes, for an extra fee, on Slovenian Railways (SŽ) trains that have space for bikes. Routes you can start at a railway station are labelled ‘Public transport’ and have their own version for Komoot and Strava.
Are the routes and GPX files free?
Yes. You can download every route as a GPX file for free, or open it in Komoot or Strava.
How do you use a GPX file?
Download the GPX file from the route page and import it into an app on your phone (such as BikeGPX, Komoot or Strava), into your watch's app (Garmin Connect, Suunto) or onto your bike computer (Garmin Edge, Wahoo, Hammerhead). Then choose the route on your device and follow it, even without mobile signal. The file also contains points along the way, such as inns and sights, which bike computers show next to the route. Every route page has step-by-step instructions under ‘How to use .GPX?’