We are cycling the Trans Dinarica route from Tirana in Albania, heading north, up through the Balkans then turning west to head across the Alps and across France to Roscoff where we hope to catch a ferry back to the UK.  We have been cycling now for 28 days since leaving Tirana in Albania, through Montenegro, Bosnia Herzegovina and Croatia which are covered in my previous blogs.  We are now in Slovenia having already cycled 1326 kms and climbed 25,890 m.  This is the last part of the Trans Dinarica for us as we finish the route in Tolmin.   For the full Trans Dinarica route and all the regular updates visit http://www.transdinarica.com.

Below is a map of the route we took through Slovenia.  If you cannot see the map it is because you are looking at the blog in an email link.  You need to click on the top right of the email “Read on Blog” so you can see the maps and videos.

Tuesday  2nd June 2026

Cavle, Croatia to Ilirska Bistrica, Slovenia

Climb 822 m  Distance 48.3 km

We left a bit later than normal as breakfast was included in our stay.  But it didn’t matter as after all the rain it is much cooler now, between 18 C first thing to 29 C by midday.  The heatwave was finally over.

We had an option at the start.  Either cycle up a steep hill on a busy road to see a castle or go off road through fields on the flat and look at the castle from below.  The fields were lovely, long grass with Corn Buntings and Sky Larks singing and flitting about.  It was almost too muddy though after the rain.

Our first climb of the day was on a nice gentle gradients through lovely shady woodland, again with Chiffchaffs, Chaffinches and Blackcaps singing away.

Before getting to Slovenia we went through the small village of Lipa, with a population of only about 190 people.  There were memorials at both ends of the village and preserved old stone ruined houses.  The memorials were all for 1944.  It was the site of one of the worst war crimes in Istria of WW2.  On a Sunday the whole population of the elderly, women and children, the youngest 9 months old, were herded into a building and burned alive.  269 innocent civilians died.

We crossed the unmanned border into Slovenia and cycled along small lanes through meadows and woodland.  Just before the end we had another off-road section that was surprisingly difficult.  It was through a wood and very boggy and slippery after the rain.  But at the far end was some nice flat gravel through another flowering meadow.

As we cycled into Ilirska Bistrica everyone’s gardens are full of peonies and roses.  We are staying in the centre of the old town in a cell like tiny room above a restaurant.   We tried to visit the museum and church but both were shut.

Wednesday  3rd June 2026

Ilirska Bistrica to Sežana

Climb 919 m   Distance 58.1 km

We weren’t sure about cycling today as the forecast was grim.  They were right about the thunderstorms and heavy rain overnight, but wrong about the 100% chance of rain all day.

So after the last clap of thunder at 9.30 we set off in a light shower that soon stopped.  This allowed us to do the long, steep climb without waterproofs.   As we climbed we had views of mist rising from the wooded hillsides.

As it had been so wet Bernie redid our route to avoid the off-road sections as we thought they might be very muddy and slippery.

About lunchtime we got to the Skocjan Caves which looked quite dramatic on their advertising with scary high walkways.  I wasn’t quite sure if Bernie would enjoy it that much but he said he would give it a go.  But after a really nice lunch in their cafe we found they had sold all their tickets for the day.

Getting going again after all that food was a bit of a struggle, but it wasn’t far to the next advertised attraction in Lipica.  This was Stud and display area for the world famous Lipizzaner horses.  We went past several meadows with large numbers of the beautiful grey mares with their dark foals, that will go grey as they get older.  They weren’t looking their best as they were very wet.  We decided to pay to go into the main area but that was a disappointment as there was nothing going on in any of the exercise areas, so we just saw the horses in their stables and a carriage museum.  The horses were lovely.

From there it was an easy roll into Sežana.  Our apartment is on a busy road but luckily overlooking the carpark so it’s not too noisy.  As usual in Slovenia, it is run by Italians.  I think I have only heard Italian spoken since we crossed into Slovenia.

Thursday, 4th June 2026

Sezana to Nova Gorica

Climb 513 m  Distance 56.7 km

It was sunny again and we had a nice easy day with only 513 m of climb and none of it too steep.  Almost straight from the door we were on very quiet lanes that wound through fairly dense woodland and pretty villages full of well maintained old buildings and flowering gardens.  The difference from Croatia and Bosnia was quite marked. Slovenia had negotiated a peace settlement early on in the Bosnian conflict of the 1990’s so had suffered less damage and atrocities.  

I had been thinking how lucky the people here had been when we stopped in Kolmen for coffee.  There I read on the information boards about the area, how, in WW2 the Nazis had raised Kolmen and all the surrounding villages to the ground and taken all the people by cattle trains to Bavaria to work camps.   After the war the Red Cross helped many of the survivors to return to their villages and helped them to rebuild.

We were meant to be on gravel tracks a lot today, but the first three had been tarmacked over.  They were still nice and quiet and full of cyclists of all types.   Every five kilometres or so there was a covered picnic area with bike racks, a bike stand for repairs and a pump.

When we did get some gravel it was well rolled and easy to cycle.  Eventually at the bottom of a big hill we arrived in Miren and were on two way cycle tracks all the way to Nova Gorica, generally alongside the Italian border.

When we arrived we thought it would be funny to nip into Italy for lunch before finding our apartment in Slovenia.   This didn’t quote go as planned as our pannini with meatballs turned out to be two deep fried meatballs on sticks, so we went back to Slovenia for a more substantial lunch.

We spent the afternoon walking up the steep hill behind our apartment to visit the Franciscan Monastery Kostanjevica.

Friday  5th June 2026 

Nova Gorica to Tolmin

Climb 937 m     Distance 43.4 km

Hooray, we have cycled the Trans Dinarica from Tirana in Albania, through Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia and Slovenia to Tolmin.   That’s 1485 km and 28,260 metres of climb.  Last year we did the circuit from Tirana in Albania around to Lake Ohrid then through North Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia to Sarajevo, 1758 km and 30,000 m of climb.  So I feel that we have done most of the Trans Dinarica and it has been amazing.  Each country has been so different and full of it’s own character.   We have gone from freezing cold with snow blocked passes, been rained on and up to 40 C in a heatwave.  Flower filled meadows, butterflies  and nesting birds are what makes starting in May worthwhile.

Everywhere the people have been kind and helpful which is amazing considering the tragedy and suffering they have been through, not just in 1990’s but also in WW2.

We would both like to say a big thank you to the TD Team who put so much time into creating this route through so many countries and for keeping it up to date.

Now we just have the small task of cycling home to North Devon in the South West of the UK, about 1800 km and over a couple of mountain ranges.

I have to say that when I looked at today’s route into Tolmin I thought it was going to be a dull roll along a river.  How wrong was I!  It is the first time on the route that the notes have said we will have to push, and I think that was the steepest bit so far, including the mountain sections.  We only cycled 44 km today but we climbed 937 m.  We were exhausted and soaked from the rain when we finally rolled into Tolmin and the end of the TD for us.  Tomorrow we start on the Julian Alps!

 It has been great fun cycling the Trans Dinarica and certainly challenging at times.  The weather has gone from cold snowy passes,  very occasionally rain through to a heatwave at 40 C.  We are now starting the next part of our journey as we cycle home and this will be covered in our next blog.  If you have any questions or comments please get in touch.