The trail
There’s something supernatural about the colour of the Soča River – it glows with an iridescent blue-green tint that only the finest and clearest water in the world could possess. Unsurprisingly, the Soča Valley is a paradise for outdoor sports and adventure holidays. Here you can kayak through some of its calmer corners, take a guided rafting trip down some Class 5 rapids, go canyoning between the rock crevasses or zipline over them – the choice is yours!
If you want to take the opportunity to raft along the River Soča, we will limit your biking to half a day. You will enjoy the trails on the lower banks of the pine-forested Soča River and if there’s time, you can even go for a swim under the picturesque Kozjak Waterfall.
But for the die-hard bikers among you, the full day trip includes climbing the Stol mountain ridge near the Italian border. Mount Stol is one of the most popular mountain biking destinations in the Soča Valley, with a trail tracing the longest ridge in the Julian Alps (34km). There you will find breathtaking views of the Adriatic Sea, the Soča Basin and the Kanin Mountains. From the Mount Stol ridge, there is also a 30-minute hiking trail to the Mount Stol summit (1673m) which can be done on foot. The other highlight of the day is a world-class, winding forest singletrack which leads straight to the banks of the River Soča. The less adventurous among you can choose to return to the River Soča via an easy and panoramic gravel road which crosses the green-gold meadows above the sparkling Nadiža River Valley.
The following day is a big one: Mount Matajur day! There is not much to say about this stage except that it is close to perfection. It has it all: a mighty alpine climb that leads to a belvedere at 1641m with remarkable views over the Friulian plains in Italy; a 1500m downhill singletrack that is probably the best you will ever experience; once you descend, the scenery changes so dramatically that you will feel like you are in Tuscany, even though you are biking through the stunning vineyards of Collio Goriziano in Italy and Goriška Brda in Slovenia; and finally, you will be indulged with wine tastings and Italian-influenced culinary delights – everything you could want from a meal in a small Italian hamlet, except you’re in Slovenia so it will be delightfully tourist-free.
Riding surface
The tumultuous history of the Soča Valley has left behind a large number of mule tracks that were used during the First World War and offer a great way of reaching great heights by mountain bike.Average mileage
If you want to take the opportunity to raft along the River Soča, we will limit your biking to half a day, around 35K and 800 meters of elevation. Add another 30K and 600 meters elevation gain for the Mount Stol experience. The Matajur stage is a long ‘queen stage’ with 80k, and +/-2000m of elevation gain (or less depending were we start after a short transfer).
Officially recognized travel agency
VVR registration nr. 9733
© BEYOND BIKING, 2015