If you’ve been inspired to get in the saddle by Slovenia’s 2024 Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar, now is the time to follow his wheels and discover not just Slovenia but the whole of the Balkans using your pedal power, on a brand-new 5,480-kilometre cycling route.
Trans Dinarica
Opened on 31 July 2024, the Trans Dinarica, named for the Dinaric Alps separating the continental Balkans from the Adriatic, takes cyclists on an epic 95-stage cycling odyssey through the stunning landscapes of eight nations: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia.
With a focus on introducing further-flung parts of the region rather than just bringing more tourist footfall to the big cities, the trail is broken up into 50-kilometre sections and traverses dense forests and spectacular mountain scenery, and follows clear emerald rivers and extraordinary coastlines. And unlike a car road-trip, it allows users time to absorb the individual character of the places it passes through.
50km sections
“This is a route for travellers who like to cycle,’ Alex Crevar, one of the route’s advocates and developers, said, speaking to TimeOut Croatia. ‘It’s for people who want to discover parts of the Balkans that weren’t on their radar before, a combination of coast, forest and inland villages, broken up into 50km sections with a place to eat and stay at the end of each day’s ride.”
More than putting together a series of maps, bringing the trail to the public has been a labour of love for the team at GoodTrail, involving GPS data sets, liaising with local cycling experts who know the routes, bringing in accommodation providers, and setting up appropriate signage, as well as developing an online presence and a navigation pack.
As Crevar says, would-be adventurers can now “plan every stage with services, cultural stops, Unesco sites, national parks, accommodation, restaurants, prime places to stop for sights.”
Off the beaten track
And being prepared also means choosing the right bike. The Trans Dinarica is not a road race on nicely asphalted roads where cars will be whizzing past. It involves sections on dirt tracks and dusty lanes that promise to lead cyclists into the heart of undiscovered Europe.
“From the beginning of the Trans Dinarica’s development until today, the idea is to give travellers a way to enjoy the region while moving safely and at their own speed,” says Jan Klavora, project coordinator and a GoodTrail founder. “We’re confident visitors will be amazed by their time here and will come back year after year.”
