EP_K_02_By bike through the living museum of the karst to the Glinščica Valley

By bike through the living museum of the karst to the Glinščica Valley

August 20, 2023

HIKING

LOCAL CUISINE

CYCLING

UNSPOILED NATURE

TRADITION

IN-DEPTH EXPERIENCES

From the starting point at the Sežana railway station we will quickly reach the cycling route running along a paved gravel road near Lipica and on to Bazovica. Along the road, on both sides, there are “arts” created by nature from karst stone. We will also visit the always beautiful Lipica, which fascinates both with nature and with the snow-white Lipizzaner. But our journey will not end at the end of the road in Bazovica, because Kras hides here another extraordinary gem – the valley of the Glinščica stream, along which the route of the narrow-gauge railway once ran, which is used as a cyclers and walkers path after the railway was abandoned. Therefore, we will add a few kilometers and altitude meters for the price of this wonderful view of Trieste.

The way back will lead us on the Italian side past the villages of Gropada and Padriče, then back to Slovenia and past some other attractions of the Kras Living Museum to Orlek and back to our starting point of our journey in Sežana.

This time we will treat ourselves to our Kras culinary experience on the Italian side of the border, but of course with suppliers of Slovenian origin.

A green approach to travel also requires the use of green, sustainable means of transport to the starting point of the route. This is a reason why our trip starts and, of course, ends at the railway station in Sežana. Though everyone who lives near the railway between Ljubljana and Sežana will be able to get there by nature-friendly public transport, which for many is even free.

Duration:	1 day
Total distance:	38,1 km
Avg. distance:	–
Total height:	536 m
Bicycle type:	trekking, gravel or MTB, e-support recommended
Countries:	Slovenia; Italy
Begin/End:	Sežana railway station
Price (guided / self-guided):	30 €

Highlights:

Living museum of the Kras, Lipica stud farm, the valley of the Mother of God of Lourdes, Napoleon’s oak, the valley of Glinščica, the villages of Bazovica, Boršt, Ricmanje, Padriče, Gropada and Orlek

Price includes:

Entrance fees according to the program
Organization and management of the trip
traditional snack at the end of the trip

Overall Tour Level::

The trips are planned very carefully, but we cannot predict unforeseen events or road works, so minor deviations or adjustments of routes are also possible.

Tour description:

From the Sežana railway station to the beginning of the hardened gravel road, reserved only for cyclists and pedestrians, it is only a few turns on the roads for motor traffic. The stone structures, which are part of the Living karst museum, will be partly standing right next to the road, but sometimes we will have to branch off to get to them. We will admire such natural creations. as well as dry stone works of art created by human hands, especially stone houses, shepherds’ and farmers’ shelters.

The Lipica stud farm and the buildings surrounding it are set back a few hundred meters from our route behind the grove, so we will drive there along the forest tracks. We will choose tours in Lipica according to the wishes of the participants and the offer.

After it we will return to the wide gravel road and continue to the village of Bazovica, and at the hamlet of Draga join the cycle path through the valley of Glinščica. We will enjoy its beauty and wonderful views of Trieste and its surroundings until the village of Ricmanje, where a delicious meal of Kras delicacies will await us in the local “osmica”. We will return to Slovenia through the villages of Padriče and Gropada.

All these places were the areas of the fiercest conflicts during World War I, of which monuments are everywhere. When we will return to our side of the border, we will again “meet” more stone “arts”. We will return to the Sežana railway station via the village of Orlek, but if there is time and will, we will visit the extremely beautiful botanical garden in Sežana.
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Overall Tour Level::

Irena Hlede is an architect by her profession, but she has worked in the fields of graphic design, journalism and sustainable mobility as well. It was engaged in many sports activities, from sailing to skiing or badminton, but the common thread throughout remains cycling. She regularly participates in the non-governmental organization Slovenska kolesarska mreža (Slovenian Cyclists network) as well as with the European Cycling Federation ECF, lectures on cycling and remains loyal to long-distance cycling. In this field, she completed several trainings – among others for the Assessor under the scheme “Cycle Friendly Employer”, Development of Mobility Plans and for the EuroVelo Route Inspector. She obtained the title and knowledge of a tourist guide at the national level, too, and is the founder and owner of the travel agency GremoZeleno – GoGreenWay. In addition to the in the university obtained areas of architecture and art, she is also keenly interested in ethnology, geography and history with an emphasis on everything related to the local tradition, especially some less known areas, such as the indigenous religion and the people who followed it. She also researches many “borderline” skills, such as dowsing or geomancy. It is a convinced environmentalist and an opponent of violence and wars in general.

She speaks English and French and, of course, Croatian and Serbian.

Terrain configuration

	Mostly flat terrain, only shorter lower hills are possible.
	Slightly hilly terrain, ascents and descents are shorter and technically and undemanding for those who are not fit enough.
	Hilly terrain, ascents and descents can also be longer and steeper-
	Hilly terrain, ascents and descents can be very long and technically demanding.
	Mountainous terrain, very demanding ascents and descents on single tracks, tows or otherwise demanding trails that require a high level of fitness and technical skills.

Day Level

EASY: Relaxed cycling, suitable for beginners and families who want cycling experiences. There is a lot of time and opportunities on the way to stop and relax, and the terrain is undemanding in terms of altitude – mostly flat or with gentle slopes. The road surfaces are also undemanding – asphalt or well-paved and smooth gravel. As a rule, the lengths of daily sections do not exceed 35 kilometers.
MEDIUM EASY: Suitable for cyclists with an active lifestyle who cycle regularly. The cycling sections are longer and more demanding in terms of fitness. Medium-demanding terrain can also contain longer and steeper ascents and descents. The lengths of daily sections of mostly road-cycling tours are on average between 45 and 75 kilometers, and touring-cycling tours more than 30 kilometers.
MEDIUM DEMANDING: Suitable for occasional cyclists – mostly undemanding cycling, but some days can also contain longer easy ascents or descents or shorter ascents that are more demanding or descents. The lengths of the daily sections are on average between 25 and 55 kilometers per day.
DEMANDING: Suitable for very active and well-prepared cyclists who want cycling challenges that are more demanding. Medium to very demanding terrains can also contain longer and steeper ascents and descents. The lengths of daily road and cycling sections are on average between 65 and 85 kilometers, while touring cycling sections are correspondingly shorter, but at least more than 40 km.
VERY DEMANDING: The most demanding cycling challenges. Suitable for excellent cyclists with high fitness level for longer cycling tours. These can be either typical road-cycling tours with daily sections longer than 85 kilometers or cycling tours on demanding terrains where the daily sections are shorter, but in any case longer than 50 kilometers and demanding in both height gain and surfaces.