Highlights:

• Stories of five health resorts: Topolšica, Zreče, Dobrna, Rimske toplice and Laško
• The story of hops and beer, from a multinational to a number of private producers
• The story of the rise and fall of the Counts of Celje
• Unique local gastronomy
• Mozirski gaj – flower park and open-air museum
• Herman Potočnik Noordung Space Technology Center
• Beautiful karst cave Pekel
• Fountain of beer Green Gold
• beer tasting at small breweries
• The towns of Celje, Braslovče, Mozirje, Velenje, Vitovlje, Zreče, Dobrna, Žalec. Gotovlje, Rimske toplice, Laško…

Guided tour includes:

• 8 days
• 7 nights’ accommodation
• 7 breakfasts
• organization and managent of the travel

The trip will be conducted in English.

Overall Tour Level: 

By the Footsteps of the Romans and the Counts of Celje

Highlights:

• Celje Old Castle, Celje Provincial Museum (exhibition on the Counts of Celje, City under the City – Roman Remains, exhibition on the travels of Alma M. Karlin), statue of Alma M. Karlin, Celje Museum of Recent History, City Park…

On the first day, we will warm our feet and let the bikes rest. Celje is not a big city, but it boast of a rich and varied history. This begins as early as in the time of the Romans, when the castrum Celeia was alive here. The remains of its buildings and streets, which were covered for many centuries with soil, were during the renovation of the Rector’s Palace restored into an attractive underground “place under place” as a part of the Celje Provincial Museum. The museum premises on the upper floors house exhibitions on the rapid rise and fall of the Counts of Celje, one of the most penetrating and influential noble families in this part of Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries, and a permanent exhibition on the great Celje traveler Alma Karlin. She has traveled the world on her own at the end of 19th century. We will also visit the Old County, where visitors are impressed by the illusory-painted Celje ceiling, one of the largest in this part of Europe. In the evening, we will take a walk to Celje Castle, which reigns over the city from a nearby hill. The castle is most beautiful in the evening, when you can see illuminated settlements in the entire Savinja Valley and beyond.

Distance:	app. 6 km (on foot)
Gain:	187 m
Terrain:	–
Surface:	–
Day Level:
Meals:	–
Accommodation:	Celje

To the Roots of the Counts of Celje

Highlights:

• Vrbje pond, Žovnek castle, lake and manor, Legant manor, Braslovče

We will leave Celje along the Savinja riverbed. Rich greenery will accompany us all the time, but the most picturesque will be around the Vrbje pond, where the locals have a shelter for leisure activities, and many birds nest, too. Through gently undulating hills, we will cycle to Žovnek Castle, the Counts of Celje home. Today, the castle is in restauration process and worth a visit. We will continue past Braslovče, a town that despite his small size has played important roles throughout history. We will end the day in a pleasant pension not far from Mozirje.

Distance:	44 km
Gain:	773 m
Terrain:
Surface:	asphalt / gravel
Day Level:
Meals:	breakfast
Accommodation:	Mozirje

Across the Hill to the First Spa

Highlights:

• Mozirski gaj – flower park and open-air museum, Mornova Zijalka, clustered homestead near Bačovnik, parish church of St. Andrej in Bele vode, terme Topolšica

In Mozirje we will say goodbye to the clear, bubbling Savinja and head to the nearby hills. Before that, we will visit the luxurious Mozirski gaj, where lovers of nature and tradition have gathered everything that is most valuable in this environment (and beyond). The story of Mozirski gaj is a story of nature and the people who breathe with it, and a walk through it is a symphony for the eyes and other senses. We will continue cycling in hilly landscape, passing by an energetically overflowing village of Bele vode and to the first thermal bath on our way – Topolšica. We will arrive there early enough to be able to take a bath and enjoy the healing effects of the warm water. By evening, we will head towards our accommodation in Velenje.

Distance:	25 km
Gain:	847 m
Terrain:
Surface:	asphalt / gravel
Day Level:
Meals:	breakfast
Accommodation:	Velenje

Miner’s Velenje

Highlights:

• Velenje (Coal Museum, architecture), Štrekna cycle path along the route of the abandoned railway, Vitanje (Herman Potočnik Noordung Space Technology Center, Vitanje sausages)

After breakfast, we will visit the city center of Velenje, the Mining Museum and lakes, resulted from the land settlement associated with mining. To the next destination we will be cycling from Velenje to Mislinja by Štrekna, the picturesque cycle path built on the route of the former railway. Our finish line will be Vitanje – a slightly larger village, hosting in nest the futuristic Center of Space Technologies Herman Potočnik. Of course, we will not give up the pleasure of visiting its exceptional collections. In addition to the permanent installation, the museum regularly hosts occasional exhibitions, offering often-excellent exhibits. In addition to the Noordung Center, Vitanje has another attraction – excellent indigenous Vitanje sausages, which will taste at a nearby inn. We will cycle to our accommodation in the nearby health resort Zreče over a mild hill.

Distance:	41 km
Gain:	698 m
Terrain:
Surface:	asphalt / gravel
Day Level:
Meals:	breakfast
Accommodation:	Zreče

A Day for Spas

Highlights:

• Zreče and Dobrna spas, 200-year-old spa park with energy points in Dobrna

After breakfast, we will get on our bikes and cycle to the nearby Terme Zreče, where we will taste their thermal water. In the pools, of course. Shortly after noon, we will leave the pleasant comfort of the water and drive to the nearby hill for lunch in rural tourism, which is famous as one of the best in Slovenia. In the afternoon, we will have to do another not very demanding part of the route to the next spa – Dobrna. Dobrna is one of the oldest health resorts in Slovenia (and beyond) which during its existence hosted many important and even crowned heads. The lungs of the spa complex is a 200-year-old park with many rare trees as well as with healing energy points.

Distance:	31 km
Gain:	1030 m
Terrain:
Surface:	asphalt / gravel
Day Level:
Meals:	breakfast
Accommodation:	Dobrna

Past Hell to Culinary Heavens

Highlights:

• Collection of old bicycles in the Blažiš homestead, Pekel cave, Green Gold beer fountain, Ecomuseum of hop growing and brewing, private brewery Green Gold Brewing

After breakfast, we will not have a tiring tour – just about two kilometers to an extremely interesting collection of old bicycles at a private collector and enthusiast. Today it is hard to imagine how much imagination our ancestors had to turn bicycles into traveling “craft workshops” – really worth to see! The journey to the next attraction – caves with a somewhat frightening name Hell (Pekel), will be slightly longer. The Karst cave of threatening name offers in addition to many imaginative stalactites, the highest cave waterfall in Slovenia. From the cave, we will descend to the town of Žalec, which is the center of hop production. The town is surrounded by imposing plantations of spices used in the production of beer – hops. Seedlings grow up to 7 m in height, and we will have a unique experience to pass through the plantations. The afternoon we will spend for beer tasting in the Fountain of Beer “Green Gold” and visit of the Ecomuseum of Hop Growing and Brewing. We will spend the evening for food and beer treats.

Distance:	21 km
Gain:	427 m
Terrain:
Surface:	asphalt / gravel
Day Level:
Meals:	breakfast
Accommodation:	Petrovče

Jurklošter Carthusian Monastery and the Mysterious Gračnica Valley

Highlights:

• Ceramic workshops in Liboje, Carthusian monastery Jurklošter (tomb of Veronika Deseniška), valley of the stream Gračnica, health resort Rimske toplice (health park with 23 energy points and trees from all over the world)

After breakfast, we will set off to gentle hills above the Savinjska Valley, this time to the town of Liboje, which has been, due to its rich clay deposits, a center for the production of ceramics since the middle of the 19th century. A short tour will tell us a lot about the craft skills and the lifestyle of the locals. We will return to Savinja River and approach Celje along its embankment, but just before the city, we will turn around the “suburbs” in the direction of Grobelno. After lunch, we cycle to hills leading us to the Carthusian monastery Jurklošter, which was very influential during the era of greatest successes of the Counts of Celje. Today, the abandoned monastery is famous for the burial of the remains of Veronika Deseniška, the second wife of the penultimate Count of Celje, Frederick II. With the assassination of Frederick’s son Ulrik in Belgrade, the Celje dynasty became extinct. From Jurklošter to our accommodation in the health resort Rimske Toplice will be a good hour of descent through the shady and mystical valley of the stream Gračnica.

Distance:	70 km
Gain:	1.205 m
Terrain:
Surface:	asphalt / gravel
Day Level:
Meals:	breakfast,
Accommodation:	Rimske Toplice

Between spa and beer

Highlights:

• Laško (Laško spa, Church of St. Martin, municipal building – Lilijski manor, Black Bridge)

On the last day of our journey, we will act more “holiday-style”. There will not be many kilometers that day, nor will they be strenuous, as we will be near the Savinja River. In the town of Laško we will find another spa. We will take some time to visit a town with its rich history and take a bath in the healing water as well. After lunch, which will be crowned with excellent beers from local private breweries in the local pub, we will go on the last joint journey to our starting point – the Celje railway station.

Distance:	20 km
Gain:	674 m
Terrain:
Surface:	asphalt / gravel
Day Level:
Meals:	breakfast

Upon registration:

• pay the mandatory 30% of advance payment at the time of booking
• Check the contents of the confirmation email
• Meet any requirements from the confirmation email

At least one month before the trip:

• Arrange insurance (Coris or similar)
• Carefully read the travel confirmation email, as it may contain very important information
• Pay the last installment

Potovanje poteka po krajih z omejenimi zmogljivostmi namestitev, zato bomo v posameznih primerih nastanjeni tudi v tri ali štiri posteljnih sobah. Udeležencem, ki bodo želeli enoposteljno sobo, bomo ustregli, kadar bo to izvedljivo ter jim dodatek za enoposteljno sobo zmanjšali ustrezno z nižjim standardom namestitev

We recommend self-guided tours for travelers who know how to navigate a route based on a map or GPS track and already have experience with self-guided travel. If the above description does not apply to you, a guided tour is likely to be more enjoyable and relaxing. 

The prices of self-guided tours depend on the number of travelers traveling together in the same period and destinations. The price below is based on the calculation of prices for two people sleeping in double room in high season (June – September). In case of other wishes, contact us for a customized offer.

• 8 days of cycling
• 7 nights in 3/4 star hotels or accommodation of the same quality
• 7 breakfasts
• a navigation package containing GPS tracks, maps and a guide with a description of the route and attractions

• rental of bicycles or other equipment (on request)

• accident insurance and travel cancellation insurance
• personal safety and cycling equipment
• drinks with meals included in the package
• anything else that is not stated to be included

Do you want a trip tailored to your capabilities and desires?

Would you like to choose another starting point or the end of the route; are you worried that your fitness routine is not sufficient?

Send us an inquiry to our e-mail address or via the website and we will do our best to meet your wishes and expectations. 

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