Cycling in Bela Krajina
Are you up for a bike tour?
Bela Krajina is a top destination for cyclists. A little along the Kolpa River, a little in the woods, a little pause with a view, and a lot of inner satisfaction.
If your holiday looks different from others, you've come to the right place. Get away from everyone on two wheels and let the wind calm your mind. In Bela Krajina, you can choose from 16 cycling tours, including the Via Bela Krajina, which is only for the most enduring. Are you up for it? Well, let's go.
Via Bela krajina is a 187-kilometre-long distance cycling route worth every pedal stroke. It's designed so you can start anywhere. Start at the end. Why not break the rules?
Start with the hills or valleys.
If you've already decided on Via Bela Krajina, we'll start on more difficult terrain. From Črnomelj, head towards Poljanska Valley. The Poljanska Valley along the Kolpa River is a paradise for those who love boating and the wilderness of the Kolpa River. The first ascent is from Dobliče to Bistrica and then to Predgrad, from where you will descend past Stari trg ob Kolpi to Prelesje. If the Kolpa is low and warm, make sure you stop and cool down before you head off on your mapped route, which you can download on your phone. From Prelesje, a breathtaking stretch of trail awaits you along the Kolpa. After the village of Breg, you'll climb back up to Dalnje Njive and then descend a little towards Damelj, where you'll find one of the most beautiful bathing spots with an old mill.
From here Via Vinica. Vinica is the first small settlement with Petrol, a shop, a pizzeria and a café, and the Oton Župančič Memorial House. Along the Kolpa River is Camp Benetič, where you can relax with a view of the Kolpa River before climbing to Zilj and Preloka, where you will find yourself deep in the belt of Kolpa Landscape Park. Here you can admire the Marindol bracken udergrowth, one of the few remaining in Bela Krajina, and the Vrhovci Sinkholes, which are also part of the cultural landscape of our beautiful region below the Gorjanci Hills. You'll see how the karst world influences the landscape of Bela Krajina.
From Adlešič towards Podzemlje, you'll be close to the Kolpa River again. Here, it has already moderated its flow and widened. From a playful teenager jumping over the waterfalls of the Poljanska Valley to an emerald lady enjoying the easy life. Enjoy the delicious gastronomic offer of Bela Krajina in this area. This stretch of land is home to two restaurants participating in the Tastes of Bela Krajina.
On the way to Metlika, you have to stop at Otok, where a large plane used to transport wounded during World War II awaits you. Above Metlika is Veselica. You will have the most beautiful view over Metlika. Make a circuit through Božakovo and Drašiči back to Metlika, from where you continue your tour towards Semič. At Sodje Vrh, you start a slow climb to 600 metres above sea level, which begins to descend along a ski plateau towards Sela pri Vrčicah. From here, the steepest part of the Via Bela Krajina begins. First, you have to climb past Viola and Pleš to 622 metres, then descend to Črmošnjice and then climb again to Komarna Vas and Gače at 955 metres. You continue your route through Vinica and Škrilje, former Gottscheer Villages, to Planina and Mirna Gora with its mountain hut, where they serve the best pancakes in Bela Krajina with the most beautiful view of the mountains.
You did it! After Mirna Gora, it's just downhill, back to Črnomelj, where we started.
Would you like more? Choose from 16 cycling routes and cycle the length and breadth of Bela Krajina. One of the most beautiful and easiest routes is the Lebica-Krupa Cycling Route. Semič it's a great outdoor destination just waiting to be explored. Its trails lead from the centre of Semič but in all directions. Choose the one towards the Krupa Spring. The trail is usually macadam and passes by the karst features of the low karst plain, the Church of the Holy Trinity on Vinji Vrh, idyllically hidden among the woods and vineyards. You can end your afternoon tour at the Krupa Spring, which bubbles to the surface with an incredible volume of water under a 30-metre-high rock that is also home to a family of ravens.
Another beautiful cycling route is located around Metlika. Get to know Vidošiči. From Metlika, head past the Three Parishes in Rosalnice to the Church of St Anne in Vidošiči, considered one of the most beautiful churches in Bela Krajina. Surrounded by vineyards and a 360-degree view.
30.4.2024
Author: Tamara Lončarič, DMO Bela krajina
