Embark on a guided cycling adventure and explore The Dragon to Bear Cycling Route with a guide, who will accompany you from Ljubljana to Kočevsko.

There are 3 cycling routes of different difficulty levels available - easy, basic and difficult (the mountain bike version), which you can cycle in one or two days, in any direction. 

Program duration: 2 days
Season: April - September
Težavnost: moderately demanding/demanding
Suitable for: families with older children, couples, individuals, small groups

Package summary:

- the guide will meet you in Ljubljana, where you will start the route,
- you will visit the Dragon Bridge and the Ljubljana Central Market where you will get to try local delicacies,
- you will cycle with the guide from urban environment to unspoiled nature,
- you will visit the Ljubljana Marshes - a UNESCO site where pile-dwellers built settlements 5.000 years ago,
- you will visit the vicinity of the Krokar beech primeval forest, which is on the UNESCO list of natural heritage,
- you will end the adventure by visiting Kočevje and an overnight stay at Hostel Bearlog.

Program description:

The cycling adventure begins on the famous Dragon Bridge in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, where a guide will meet you and present you with the program of the cycling adventure. Nearby, you can start your day with coffee in one of the nearby cafes. You can grab breakfast and snacks for the way by heading to the Ljubljana Central Market, where vendors offer fresh-baked bread, vegetables, cheeses, nuts, honey and more. You can get to know Ljubljana in a different light by heading on one of the guided tours, where learning about culture is intertwined with tasting food, beer and wine, such as the Moustache Tour.

After getting to know the center of Ljubljana, you will get on your bike and continue your journey accompanied by the guide to the south of Slovenia. The next stopping point is the first of two UNESCO sites you will visit on your way - the Ljubljana Marshes, where pile-dwellers created their innovative settlements 5,000 years ago, to live with the wetlands and ancient swamplands.

When you continue cycling, you will feel how urban life slides back into nature, asphalt roads are replaced by forest paths, and high-rise buildings dissapear into a forested landscape.

At the end of the day, you will arrive at the Municipality of Kočevje, which is the largest in Slovenia in terms of size, and you will be impressed by the Secret Forest, which covers more than 90% of the Kočevsko region. All three large carnivores still live in the forests here and can also be observed in their natural environment: the brown bear, the lynx and the wolf.

The route will also take you near the Krokar beech primeval forest, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List in 2017, and consolidates untouched pristine forests on the picturesque edge of the Kolpa River Valley. Entry into the primeval forest is prohibited and these protected areas can only be observed from their periphery! However, you can opt for a guided tour, where a local tour guide will take you along the edge of the Krokar primeval forest and introduce you to all the interesting facts associated with it.

When visiting Kočevsko, you can also opt to go on one of the wildlife tracking and observation programs, where the guide will take you to the "Bear's Room", where you will learn more about bears, their importance and natural environment. Then you will go to the forest and look for traces of wild animals in their natural environment, while learning and exploring the secret forest. In the evening you will go to the observatory accompanied by a guide and a hunter, from where you will observe the animals and listen to the sounds of nature.

You will end the day with an overnight stay at the Bearlog Hostel in Kočevje.

Price of the guided package "Cycling the Dragon to Bear Route" is:

190 EUR/person (2 people)
150 EUR/person (3 people)
130 EUR/person (4-5 people)
100 EUR/person (6-8 people)

The price includes:
- 1x accommodation with breakfast in Hostel Bearlog, in Kočevje
- 1x dinner (goulash)
- navigation package
- guide

Additional offer with extra charge:
- Transport of luggage from Ljubljana to Kočevje: 100 EUR / transport
- Bicycle rental 30 EUR / day, e-bike rental: 50 EUR / day

Contact and inquiry:

The program can be adapted to your requirements and wishes. Contact us at info@kocevsko.com, for all explanations and inquiries, we will be happy to help you.

We look forward to your visit to the Secret Forest of Slovenia.

Route details:
Nr. 1: easy route: Ljubljana - Turjak - Videm - Dobrepolje - Kočevje (72,8 km)

Nr. 2: basic route: Ljubljana - Turjak - Sodražica - Prigorica - Kočevje (80,7 km)

Nr. 3: difficult route: Kočevje - Glažuta - Lake Bloke - Kurešček - Ig  - Ljubljana (99 km)