Pretty harbour towns
Grappa for breakfast
Island scenery
Bikes on train
Six of us have just returned from a week’s cycling in the north of Croatia . We had looked at the south starting from Dubrovnik but it’s hard to find a route there without using the nasty busy coast road. The best way to get to the north is Easyjet to Ljubjana in Slovenia and then train to Rijeka , only €120 for six of us. That’s what we did. We all used the CTC plastic bags and there was no damage to any of the bikes – although we all got fed up with the check-in process at Stansted which took ages, we needed most of the two hours we allowed. By contrast, on the way back the process at Ljubjana was painless. The weather was great, almost unbroken sunshine and not too hot.
Our route was:
Day 1: About 18 miles from Ljubjana airport to the railway station on a rather busy road. We found a better way on the way back, a road that more-or-less follows the route of the motorway. We were able to leave our plastic bags at the Celica Hostel where we stayed the last night. It’s a converted prison complete with barred doors on the cells! Not the sort of place one would want to stay for long but amusing for one night. We paid €115 for five of us for B & B. The train was equipped to take up to 12 bikes with no hassle. Then just 10 miles from Rijeka to Opatija, an attractive sea-side town. We stayed in a hotel, other than the prison we booked nothing in advance. 25 miles.
Day 2: Our first exposure to the hills. Down the coast to Brestova, ferry to Porozina, then down the island of Cres to the town of Cres , where we stayed. Cres is a pretty place, pastel coloured buildings round a small harbour. We found accommodation by the expedient of having a beer when we first arrived and asking the waiter. No problem, we were soon established in an apartment. It’s a common arrangement there for a family to occupy the top part of a small block and rent out the lower part. Very cheap, and when we left the owner plied us with grappa-like booze! Only 34 miles but plenty of hills.
Day 3: Down the length of Cres, across a bridge to the island of Losinj and then down to the southern end to the town of Veil Losinj , where we stayed. There’s also a town Mali Losinj, both are pretty harbours but Veli is smaller and more charming. One of the things I did not expect was the quality of the roads; I should think three quarters of them were wonderful. Often it felt like velvet. The combination of the hills and the road surfaces enabled me to set a new record for myself – 41 mph. We found an apartment without difficulty. Again only 38 miles but more hills.
Day 4: We retraced our steps up Losinj and Cres to the town of Cres. We had originally planned to catch the ferry that evening but by Cres we were tired and there was another 350m climb between Cres and the ferry so we stayed again in Cres, at the same apartment. All the islands are pleasant, nice scenery and not very developed so few places to get a drink between the towns. 38 miles.
Day 5: Up the 350m and to the ferry at Merag to Valbiska on the island of Krk. Lunch in the town of Krk and we stayed at the SE end of the island at Baska which is a sea-side town with a good beach. Another apartment block with three apartments between us for €120 only. I had my altimeter with me and I generally tried to remember the heights of the summits. This day was 350m, 200m, 320m with sea level in between. So 870m and with a few more undulations I reckon it was at least 1,000m. Other days were similar. 32 miles.
Day 6: Up to the bridge that connects Krk to the mainland via a pretty sea side village of Silo where we had lunch. We stayed at Kraljeveka which is not a tourist town. The only hotel in town was a workers place where we had the last two rooms three-bedded rooms only €60 together including ham and eggs for breakfast! There was only one place to eat, a pizzeria where I had the best pizza I’ve had for many years. 40 miles.
Day 7: One of the party had to go home a day early so we cycled along the main coast road to Rijeka . A busy and not very pleasant 13 miles despite there being a motorway alternative. God knows what it was like before the motorway! We put the early returner on the train back to Ljubjana and the five of us caught another train up to Lokve – we didn’t fancy the 1,000m climb. There were a few minutes of anxiety when the train conductor said “only two bikes” but eventually the station-master over-ruled him. We then cycled to Fuzine through pine forests and European bears (not that we saw any) via two lakes. Apparently one can hunt the bears, it costs €20-40,000 depending on the size of the bear. More hills! Very nice hotel in Fuzine, where bear was off the menu because they relied on road kills and there hadn’t been any. 31 miles.
Day 8: After yet another climb we enjoyed the 1,000m whiz to Rijeka . Train back to Ljubjana, quick look round town and then our night in prison.
Day 9: We visited the castle in the rain in the morning, Ljubjana is quite a small city but nice for a day or maybe two. Then back to the airport and a punctual and uneventful trip home.
Bernard
Our route was:
Day 1: About 18 miles from Ljubjana airport to the railway station on a rather busy road. We found a better way on the way back, a road that more-or-less follows the route of the motorway. We were able to leave our plastic bags at the Celica Hostel where we stayed the last night. It’s a converted prison complete with barred doors on the cells! Not the sort of place one would want to stay for long but amusing for one night. We paid €115 for five of us for B & B. The train was equipped to take up to 12 bikes with no hassle. Then just 10 miles from Rijeka to Opatija, an attractive sea-side town. We stayed in a hotel, other than the prison we booked nothing in advance. 25 miles.
Day 2: Our first exposure to the hills. Down the coast to Brestova, ferry to Porozina, then down the island of Cres to the town of Cres , where we stayed. Cres is a pretty place, pastel coloured buildings round a small harbour. We found accommodation by the expedient of having a beer when we first arrived and asking the waiter. No problem, we were soon established in an apartment. It’s a common arrangement there for a family to occupy the top part of a small block and rent out the lower part. Very cheap, and when we left the owner plied us with grappa-like booze! Only 34 miles but plenty of hills.
Day 3: Down the length of Cres, across a bridge to the island of Losinj and then down to the southern end to the town of Veil Losinj , where we stayed. There’s also a town Mali Losinj, both are pretty harbours but Veli is smaller and more charming. One of the things I did not expect was the quality of the roads; I should think three quarters of them were wonderful. Often it felt like velvet. The combination of the hills and the road surfaces enabled me to set a new record for myself – 41 mph. We found an apartment without difficulty. Again only 38 miles but more hills.
Day 4: We retraced our steps up Losinj and Cres to the town of Cres. We had originally planned to catch the ferry that evening but by Cres we were tired and there was another 350m climb between Cres and the ferry so we stayed again in Cres, at the same apartment. All the islands are pleasant, nice scenery and not very developed so few places to get a drink between the towns. 38 miles.
Day 5: Up the 350m and to the ferry at Merag to Valbiska on the island of Krk. Lunch in the town of Krk and we stayed at the SE end of the island at Baska which is a sea-side town with a good beach. Another apartment block with three apartments between us for €120 only. I had my altimeter with me and I generally tried to remember the heights of the summits. This day was 350m, 200m, 320m with sea level in between. So 870m and with a few more undulations I reckon it was at least 1,000m. Other days were similar. 32 miles.
Day 6: Up to the bridge that connects Krk to the mainland via a pretty sea side village of Silo where we had lunch. We stayed at Kraljeveka which is not a tourist town. The only hotel in town was a workers place where we had the last two rooms three-bedded rooms only €60 together including ham and eggs for breakfast! There was only one place to eat, a pizzeria where I had the best pizza I’ve had for many years. 40 miles.
Day 7: One of the party had to go home a day early so we cycled along the main coast road to Rijeka . A busy and not very pleasant 13 miles despite there being a motorway alternative. God knows what it was like before the motorway! We put the early returner on the train back to Ljubjana and the five of us caught another train up to Lokve – we didn’t fancy the 1,000m climb. There were a few minutes of anxiety when the train conductor said “only two bikes” but eventually the station-master over-ruled him. We then cycled to Fuzine through pine forests and European bears (not that we saw any) via two lakes. Apparently one can hunt the bears, it costs €20-40,000 depending on the size of the bear. More hills! Very nice hotel in Fuzine, where bear was off the menu because they relied on road kills and there hadn’t been any. 31 miles.
Day 8: After yet another climb we enjoyed the 1,000m whiz to Rijeka . Train back to Ljubjana, quick look round town and then our night in prison.
Day 9: We visited the castle in the rain in the morning, Ljubjana is quite a small city but nice for a day or maybe two. Then back to the airport and a punctual and uneventful trip home.
Bernard
1 comment:
Thanks Bernard well worth putting on the blog!
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