RIVER DRAVA ROUTE - FROM ALPINE MEADOWS TO PANNONIAN FIELDS
Take one of the most popular tours in Europe.TOUR INFO
The Drava River and its cycling route is one of the most popular tours in Europe. We invite you to experience its Slovenian and Croatian parts on a 6-day fully supported cycling tour with SloveniaCycling Guide. From Dravograd in Slovenia, through Maribor and Varaždin to the confluence with the Mura River at Legrad in Croatia. Welcome!
TOUR DATE: 14.8.2022 – 20.8.2022
BEST TIME TO RIDE: mid April – mid October
BICYCLE TYPE: Easy Touring
DIFFICULTY: Easy
CONTACT: saso@sloveniaguide.si / +386 70 767 567
TOURING ROUTE
Drava Cycling Route in Slovenia and Croatia offers an adventure at every turn. It is divided into six stages, which are between 30 and 50 km long and add a total of approximately 210 km. When taken in six stages or days, it is suitable for cyclists who enjoy their cycling adventures and like to visit the most beautiful corners, feel the pulse of the towns they visit and where they spend the night, and at the same time pamper their palates and indulge in the experiences they offer. Among other things, cyclists that take the route this way will encounter rafting, rowing, swimming, gold panning, natural attractions and cultural offerings of towns and places along the way.
The Slovenian part of the Drava Cycle Route is mainly on less trafficked local roads and to a lesser extent on well-maintained cycle paths and tracks. Due to the different types of road surfaces and the partly more demanding climbs, the Slovenian part of the route is more suitable for better prepared cyclists.
DAY 1 – ARRIVAL TO SLOVENIA – ACCOMMODATION AT DRAVOGRAD
Individual or organised (transfers) arrival in the town of Dravograd, situated in the valley of the river Drava, close to the Austrian border. Check-in at the hotel, meet the Slovenia Cycling guide and welcome drink. Individual dinner. Overnight.
DAY 2 – GREEN VALLEY FROM DRAVOGRAD TO RADLJE OB DRAVI
Breakfast. Meet the guide and start the first stage near Dravograd. The old town centre and the view of the ruins of the old castle above the market place make Dravograd simply enchanting. Our route takes us first through Bukovje, past the mighty and beautiful manor house, where you can stop and discover its history. Through the forest above the River Drava, which we can observe from a height, the path leads us between some beautiful houses overlooking the Drava Valley, past Trbonje to Vuzenica, which lies at the confluence of the Drava and Cerkvenica rivers, below the northern slope of the forested Pohorje Mountains. Crossing a bridge over the river, you will arrive in Radlje ob Dravi. Accommodation and some free time. Individual dinner. Overnight.
STAGE DATA: 30 KM, 626 vertical meter in ascend.
DAY 3 – ACROSS THE HILLS AND FOREST TO MARIBOR
Breakfast. Today we have a slightly more difficult tour and stage. We will cross the Drava river and start climbing through a gorge – at the mouth of the Velka stream. Here the trail turns right, where a challenging climb of about 6 km awaits us to Janževski Vrh, Lehen and Lovrenec na Pohorju, in the heart of Pohorje’s spruce forests. From there, we continue eastwards, leaving Ruše and Limbuš behind, and arrive in Maribor. Hotel accommodation. Free time to enjoy the lively capital of Slovenian Styria. Visit the oldest vine in the world (Stara Trta), located in the old harbour area along the River Drava, called Lent. Wine tasting and a walk through the pedestrianised area. Individual dinner, overnight.
STAGE DATA: 50 km, 640 vertical meter in ascend.
DAY 4 – FLAT FIELD AND OLDEST TOWN OF SLOVENIA – PTUJ
Breakfast at the hotel and some free time before departure for the third stage. From Maribor we have a few short climbs and descents through Malečnik and Trčovo to Duplek, which lies on the north-western edge of the Slovenske gorice mountains, where the hilly landscape descends into the flat part along the Drava. First we cycle through Vurberk and Krčevina and soon arrive in Ptuj, the oldest town in Slovenia. Check in at the hotel, later we will go on a “bike walk”, visit the magnificent Ptuj Castle, try some wine and have some fun. Individual dinner. Overnight.
STAGE DATA: 35 km, 228 vertical meter in ascend.
DAY 5 – OLD DRAVA FLOW AND BAROQE TOWN OF VARAŽDIN
From Ptuj, we continue our journey past Lake Ptuj, Slovenia’s largest artificial lake on the River Drava, covering 346 hectares. It was created by damming the River Drava below Ptuj. Partly following the course of the river, we cross some fields on a large plain and arrive in Ormož. From Ormož, the trail leads past fields and through villages to Središče ob Dravi, a town between the River Drava and vineyards whose history dates back to the Neolithic period. It was first mentioned in written records in 1255, when the Ptuj aristocracy took it into the Hungarian fief. At the Trnovec border crossing, the road crosses into Croatia. After a few kilometres, the path turns onto an unpaved road between fields to beautiful dunes along the Drava River. After 6 km of cycling along the wild river banks, you reach the village of Pušćine, and 5 km further on you can see. Varaždin, a town with a perfectly preserved town centre. Accommodation in Varaždin. Individual dinner and overnight.
STAGE DATA: 60 km, 185 vertical meter in ascend.
DAY 6 – CYCLING TO THE CONFLUENCE OF MURA AND DRAVA
Breakfast at the hotel. Today we set off on the last leg of the journey. From Varaždin, the route takes us partly along Lake Varaždin and then through picturesque villages to Lake Dubrava. In Prelog there are two noteworthy sites: the Baroque Church of St James and the Hortus Croatiae Museum with its rich collection of Croatian naive art. Just outside the town is a small marina on Croatia’s largest artificial lake. We will arrive in a south-easterly direction via app. 53 to the confluence of the rivers. Organised transfer to Maribor.
STAGE DATA: 52 km, 40 vertical meter in ascend.
RETURN TRANSFER: By minibus to Dravograd.
DAY 7 – TRANSFER TO DRAVOGRAD (CAR PARK)
Breakfast. Transfer by minibus to Dravograd. End of services.
PRICE AND SERVICES
TOUR INCLUDES
- 6 nights hotel accommodation in a double room with breakfast at: Hotel*** Dravograd area, Hotel*** Radlje ob Dravi, Hotel**** Maribor, Hotel*** Ptuj, Hotel*** Varaždin
- SloveniaCycling guide and assistance according a tour program
- daily luggage transport
- small gift for each participant from the organizer
- organized transfer (passengers+ bikes) from Croatia to Dravograd
- organisation costs
- VAT
NOT INCLUDED
- lunch, dinner, drinks and personal expenses
- additional transfer from arrival airport and departing airport or other arrival points in Slovenia/Croatia – on request
OPTIONALS
Transfer from the airports or other, to the start point in Slovenia /Dravograd – on request!
PRICE
- 629 eur / person in double room
(departure with minimal 8 people) - single room supplement: 169 eur
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
- min. 8
- max.: 16
BIKE RENTALS
- E-BIKE: 280 eur / tour
- MTB classic 28 inch: 229 eur / tour
ACCOMODATION EXAMPLE
Accommodation example; According to our service policy , we are looking to accommodsae our cyclists at some extraordinary venues in order to make yor stay comfortable and to experience some traditional flair..Like the house at Ptuj medieval center which is called “MuziKafe”…
WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN US?
Send us your wishes, desired date of travel, number of participants, difficulty, preferences … and we will prepare a tour tailored to your wishes and needs.
You will spend some exceptional days with us, expirience beautiful parts of our country.
We will make your vacation unforgettable 🙂