In the Shadow of the Julian Alps

We loved the beauty of Slovenia , riding through such green farmland, forests and little villages. The chef's dinner at the hotel Lambergh was terrific. Cycling distances were perfect. Only slight disappointment were the buffet dinners at the first two hotels- they were pretty  ordinary

The cycling routes were excellent and we liked the variety of landscape. We found the alpine scenery and Triglav National Park absolutely breathtaking and also enjoyed Lake Bled (we hired a rowing boat to the Island), Lake Fusine (Italy) and the town Radovljica which was old and beautiful - Vidic House cafe was excellent for coffee and cake.

Other highlights were the swimming pool and backdrop at Hotel Spik and the amazing Chef's dinner at Hotel Lambergh. The Muzej Talcev in Begunje which illustrated the brutal experiences of prisoners in WWII was poignant and well worth a visit. Also we walked up to the idyllic St Peters Church and view point from Begunje - the tourist information office in the village were very helpful.

The only minor disappointment was the Zelenci Nature Reserve, outside Kranjska Gora - not a lot there!

Superb holiday all the hotels were of a very high standard & all very welcoming after a days ride in wonderful Slovenia. The route took us to some the amazing sights, which would be hard to see find in a car.

This was an excellent holiday. The scenery was fantastic. We had superb meals at Sova restaurant near Lake Bled in Mlino and at Julija in Ljubljana. On day 5 of the cycling we did an extended route alongside the river from Bled back to Radovljica which was on a designated cycle path and was spectacular with kingfishers seen alongside the route. This was our favourite Inntravel cycling holiday to date.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined our cycle In the Shadow of the Julian Alps with our Ljubljana City add-on

We really enjoyed our trip to Lake Bled and the Julian Alps. The e-bikes made it a pleasurable experience so that we could enjoy the magnificent mountains, lakes, waterfalls and sparkling streams around Kranjska Gora. Slovenia is a beautiful country.

The whole holiday was expertly organised and everything ran like clockwork - the hotels could not have been more welcoming and accommodating re the bicycles/transfers etc. The cycle instructions were excellent, and the variety of routes and things to see what perfect. An excellent holiday, thank you.

Highlights were the wonderful scenic cycle routes through tranquil countryside. Swimming in lakes and rivers, delicious food, friendly people. We actually found Ljubljana hot and overwhelming after this peaceful holiday, would not recommend this, it would have been better to stay at Chateau Lambergh for another day.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers enjoyed our In the Shadow of the Julian Alps self-guided cycling holiday followed by our city add-on in Ljubljana.

We really enjoyed our holiday. The routes were so beautiful and perfect and we were so suprised how beautiful Slovenia is since we didn't know anybody who had traveled there. We would love to travel with Inntravel again if the hotels can be more accommodating to a vegan diet. We chose electric bikes and were happy we did so because then we didn't have to perserve our energy as much and even though the trip was approx. 160 km all in all we biked about 230 km because we took some additional twists and turns. With an e-bike we could also sleep in and often left the hotel at around 10 or 11. I would imagine that you had to leave earlier in the morning if you had a normal bike. 
It was just so easy to check in to the hotels with our luggage already there and it was nice not to have to think about breakfast and dinner some of the nights even though we would have liked better vegan options - expecially because we had informed inntravel about our dietary restrictions weeks in advance. I know Inntravel informed the hotels because upon arrival I reminded the reception about it (as Inntravel had reccommended us to do) but when it came to dinner and breakfast it was unsatisfactory. 

Slovenia is such a beautiful country with its mountains and wild flower meadows. The water in the lakes and rivers was so clear and blue it was amazing. Great for a lover of outdoor swimming. We loved Vintgar Gorge and were delighted to see a couple of dippers. There was a good mix of scenery and places to visit like Bled Castle. The cost of eating and drinking was quite reasonable. 

We have just completed 2 Inntravel tours, back-to-back. We had wonderful weather and loved From the Tyrol to the Bavarian Alp. The scenery was outstanding, and the mountains awe-inspiring. We were very glad to always have our own off-line maps and walking poles, as there are a lot of hills/mountains in this part of the world. Lovely hotels and great meals.

Our cycling tour In the Shadow of the Julian Alps was also amazing. Great cycling weather. At the last minute we opted for e-bikes. We had never used these before, and decided to try them, since they seem so commonplace in Europe. They were great fun! We upgraded rooms at Hotel Spik, which gave us a spectacular view. Surely worth it! The meal at this hotel was the least memorable, however we gave our business to a local restaurant the following night and had a wonderful meal. Following the recommendation of a previous traveller's review of a restuarant outside Ribno, Sova about 3km from the hotel, we had a wonderful meal there, and would thoroughly endorse that recommendation. We also had a great lunch there with spectacular views looking over Lake Bled. The cycle route for this trip had endless moments of spectacular views and wow moments. Would throoughly recommend. The people of Slovenia were kind and welcoming, and we loved visiting this country.

This holiday had many of the great things needed in a cycling holiday: beautiful quiet countryside, good quality paved bike paths, some challenge but not too much in getting up hills, and excellent hotels.  It was of the right length, both in each day's ride and in the number of days riding.

Electric bikes leave you with a smile on your face at the end of each day.  What a wonderful way to travel - you can use the electricity or not, as you please.  Slovenia is a gorgeous country, very well set up for cycling.  Its fairy-tale landscape is truly appealing and the people very friendly

Of our four Inntravel cycling trips this has been our favourite (only knocking Denmark off top slot because of stunning scenery!). Slovenian people just the loveliest friendly helpful people, whenever we stopped to consult direction notes someone would stop to ask if we needed help. Cycle to Lake Fusine a high spot (literally... quite a climb) with amazing scenery. Two hotels with swimming pools a real asset after a hot days cycling. Very inexpensive compared to other EU countries. €1.20 for coffees.

Tips

1 Vintgar Gorge was very entry expensive at €10/person for a 1.5K walk with loads of bus parties and very crowded so we did and immediate uturn and avoided and this was early summer season  so either go before sunrise or direct us elsewhere

2 A lot of ‘Mercator’ supermarkets at most villages so picnic in fields much nicer than below average food in local bars and in several villages there were no places to-eat

3 Kranskja Gora,  Charlie ice cream cafe in pedestrian area square... Kolodvorska Ulica...has best home made gelataria ice cream

4 Vegan public kitchen in Bled ... vegan burgers with salad worth a detour https://public-vegan-kitchen-bled.business.site/ At side if shopping centre.

This is our 3rd holiday with Inntravel, all have been excellent (Salzburg Lake District, and Puglia), In the Shadow of the Julian Alps was really good, as the cycling was interesting on very few busy roads, the Slovenians were friendly and helpful and the mountain scenery really beautiful, it’s similar to the Austria trip, probably more rural.

Overall a lovely holiday with some beautiful scenery. However spoilt slightly by the unseasonally cold and wet weather.

Slovenia - what a fantastic country and hidden European gem. Well done to Inntravel for discovering this idyllic little country with so much to offer in all seasons. From Lake Bled to the Italian Alps this area is absolutely stunning with friendly people to match. There is no 'hustle and bustle' wherever you go and everyone seems so relaxed, perhaps its in the mountain air. The cycling routes from Lake Bled to the crystal blue lakes across the Italian border are fantastic with much of the route on designated cycle paths that are in excellent condition. This was slightly more challenging than previous experiences but we completed all of the routes with very little training beforehand. Two of the hotels were very businesslike and modern which meant that they felt a little formal for our liking. That aside the facilities i.e. swimming pools were very good as you would expect from a business hotel. The Chefs Dinner (inc. at Hotel Lambergh) was amazing and not at all what we were expecting. It felt more like a taster menu that you would get from a very high standard restaurant. Hotel Ribno was our favourite. Log cabin style hotel in keeping with the alpine feel. Nowhere near as modern and up to date as the other two but much more relaxing and informal, may need to revisit in the winter months when it is snowing! Give yourself a day in Ljubljana if you get the chance, lovely capital and very different to the rest of the Slovenian experience which has been excellent. We would highly recommend this cycling tour in Slovenia.

A really enjoyable introduction to Slovenia which had beautiful, peaceful scenery with a good variety of cycle routes. We were very fortunate to have delightful weather and the hotels were restful. The local people we encountered were always helpful and friendly. We felt the trip was very aptly named as we appreciated the magnificent landscapes of the Julian Alps.

Slovenia is an undiscovered gem. Beautiful scenery, great accommodation. Perfect for cycling even when wet!

Perhaps offer a "Gourmet" and a "Basic" food/accommodation option with associated price. There is an amazing Hotel with fabulous meals in Bled that we visited on our dinner day off. I'd have happily paid more for a nicer hotel room in cases 1 and 3 and for more interesting/tasty meals overall! On itinerary personal highlights - Lake Bled. Loved Vrsic Pass (not on the itinerary, but makes a great option for more adventurous travellers!) Also Lake Bohinje - send people there instead of the beekeeping places! It's beautiful!

We loved our cycling holiday. The routes were fun and exciting and we loved seeing the wonderful places we got to see and visit along the way. I would really recommend this holiday to everyone. 

As Inntravel cycling groupies, we found this holiday the toughest cycling we have done to date; the clue is in the title: The Julian Alps. But it was fantastic, with beautiful scenery, great cycling, open water swimming in the icy cold lakes, beautiful villages and interesting and very different hotels. The cycles were very good and without any problems.

We stayed on one night in Ljubljiana and you would be missing a treat not to spend 24 hours in the city (we were entertained to a leg of the world Beach Volley Ball tour - apparently the Slovenians are very good at it).

Our family of six have Inntravel cycled in Mallorca, Catalunya, Puglia, the Czech Republic and the Danish Riviera. All have been exceptional holidays but cycling in Slovenia surpassed our expectations and was voted the best to date.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined the cycling holiday In the Shadow of the Julian Alps with our Ljubljana City add on

Glorious scenery which makes you wonder how Slovenia has gone relatively unnoticed for so long and, even allowing for Inntravel's high standards, the best bikes we have ever had.

We very much enjoyed our Slovenian cycling holiday.  This partly because of the country's beautiful scenery, partly because of the excellent Inntravel route and partly due to our good fortune with the weather.  On several days we woke to what looked like rain, but by the time we got going it was blue skies, puffs of cloud and balmy cycling weather.  The hotels were well positioned and their staff were always friendly.  The eating in/out balance was about right.  We appreciated that the hotels Spik and Lambergh were more 4* than 3*. This was the first time we had done this type of holiday, and are keen to try another one.

Slovenia is a beautiful country full of people who are obviously very keen (and tidy) gardeners. Everything is spotless, yet the atmosphere is very relaxed. The food is perhaps not as good as in France or Italy, but it we had plenty of good food.

Shadow of the Julian Alps is a very good introduction to cycling holidays for people like us who use our bikes a lot but have never done a long trip before. We also enjoyed meeting and interacting with the two groups who started the trip a day before we did.

The e-bike was brilliant. People have the idea that it's cheating and that the bike does all the work for you, but that is not the case. You still do the work, and if you mostly have it off (as I did) and rarely above "eco," you are doing plenty of work -- but can really enjoy the holiday because you know that you can get that little bit of help if you need it. You'll be pushing hard, but you'll still be cycling rather than walking up that last bit. I think my husband would have enjoyed the holiday more with an e-bike and you should more proactively promote this option.

Overall an excellent holiday and a spectacular place to visit.