Trail guide Soča Valley – punk rock in the wild east

Do you love solitude and rough trails in a rugged, Mediterranean-influenced mountain world? If so, the ideal destination for you lies within the Julian Alps, specifically the Soča Valley. A mix of breathtaking scenery, great hospitality and a Mediterranean, Alpine climate awaits you here. And one of the most beautiful rivers in the world sparkles in the valley. In essence, it provides the perfect foundation for an exceptional mountain biking holiday.

The Soča Valley is located at the northwesternmost tip of Slovenia and runs in a north-south direction, parallel to the Italian border. The most famous part in the outdoor scene is the area around the town of Bovec, the Eldorado for water sports. While MTB fans are much rarer here, the area offers almost endless possibilities with its military trails and numerous alpine and cattle tracks. Only the cycling ban in the core zone of the Triglav National Park limits the possibilities for high alpine biking.

Getting there:
The journey to the Soča Valley takes around 4.5 hours from Munich, travelling via Salzburg to Villach and via the A2/A23 motorway to Tarvisio. From here, take the country road over the Predil Pass down to Bovec. Unfortunately, travelling by public transport is complicated and time-consuming.

Best time to visit:
Located on the southern side of the Alps, and due to its proximity to the Adriatic Sea, the climate is quite mild. Rainfall in the Bovec basin is higher than in the rest of the valley due to the damming effect of the surrounding peaks. The best time for biking is from April to October. In spring, you should always expect some snow at higher altitudes. The first flakes can also fall early in autumn in the summit regions.

Accommodation:
There are numerous flats and a few smaller hotels in Bovec. You can find a good overview, including a booking tool, here: soca-valley.com/en.

Shuttle and guiding:
You can travel with your bike on the Kaninberg cable car. Travelling to the middle station shortens the journey to the trails of the fourth Tour in this Collection. Otherwise, it's a case of pedalling up the valley. Some outdoor providers such as Tiptop Bovec ( tiptopbovec.com ) offer shuttles to the starting points of the tours. Guides can be hard to find.

You can find more inspiration for your biking holiday in Slovenia in our printed story about the Soča Valley in Mountainbike issue 04/2023: shop.motorpresse.de/zeitschriften/sport-freizeit/mountainbike/einzelhefte/print/mountainbike-4-2023.html (in German). There's even more cycling at bike-x.de (in German).