Introduction

A picturesque countryside tour with emphasis on wine, good food and relaxation in hot thermal springs. Suitable for cyclists of basic fitness, modest daily distances.

Daily programme

Day 1: ARRIVAL IN MARIBOR.
Your starting point is Maribor, Slovenia’s second largest city. The town is located on the bank of the Drava River and is home to one of the country’s few town castles. The castle houses the only Slovene fashion museum, which has an excellent collection of costumes and uniforms, the most prestigious being a military uniform worn by Tito. A Helia representative will welcome you with a drink and provide you with your itinerary and maps for the trip, and answer any questions you might have. You can spend the rest of the day exploring the town’s three main squares, take a walking tour of the city and sampling its wonderfully vibrant night life. Accommodation in 3* hotel.

Day 2: MARIBOR – PTUJ (31 km).
Cycling tour goes across Ptuj fields, along the bank of Drava. Flat only. Accommodation in 3* hotel.
Your route will follow the Drava River as it meanders its way southeast across the vineyards and orchards of the Drava Plain and passes through Ptuj, the oldest continually inhabited settlement in Slovenia. Stroll through the streets and soak up the 2000 years of history as you marvel at the rich, elaborate architecture watched over by the incredibly well preserved castle that dates as far back as 69 AD. Visit the Ptuj Wine Cellar, which has its own shop and tasting room. We recommend you try the Traminec white wine. A visit to the Monday morning market is a must. The nearby Haloze Hills also offers you the opportunity to sample more of the wonderful wines of this region.

Day 3: PTUJ – JERUZALEM (42 km).
Across flat plains with a short hilly section at the end and one sharp 100m/330ft climb. Accommodation in 2* country inn, set among the vineyards – you’ll love the room with a view –price includes wine tasting in the house cellar!
Leaving the stony streets of Ptuj, your route takes across the immense eastern plains that lead you through tiny villages and picturesque scenery. In the village of Ormož you can visit the wine cellars for lunch and taste the white wines that are predominant in the region. Ormož is the border town with Croatia, so you can pop across the Drava Bridge and pay it a quick visit. From Ormož you will cycle northwards along the famous Ormož to Ljutomer wine road. Although this is the smallest of Podravje’s wine growing districts, it’s also one of the most famous. You will cycle through a landscape of terraced vineyards where the sound of the Klopotec, a wooden wind powered rattle designed to scare off birds, will fill the air. Your day will end at the hilltop village of Jeruzalem, named by the crusaders who passed through the region and loved the wine so much they named the settlement after the holy city

Day 4: JERUZALEM – MORAVSKE TOPLICE (44 km; 49 km with a detour).
Some hilly sections in the morning followed by an afternoon across the plain. Accommodation in a 3* hotel – part of the thermal spas in Moravske Toplice.
In the morning you will continue along the wine road, first stopping at the observation tower where you will marvel at the panoramic view; on a clear day you can see as far as Hungary. There is a never-ending choice of wine cellars between here and Ljutomer offering some of the best white wines in the region; although you might not want to stop at too many in case you start cycling around in circles bleary-eyed. Visit the floating mill of Veržej before crossing the Mura River into the most eastern region of Slovenia, Prekmurje.  The black pottery workshop in Filovci and the modern church in Bogojina are just two of the places you visit before arriving in Moravske Toplice.

Day 5: MORAVSKE TOPLICE (Rest day or roundtrip with 3 options: from 25- 65 km).
Rest day or roundtrip of 30 km. Accommodation 3* hotel.
Relax at the hotel swimming pool or take an easy cycling trip towards the Hungarian border.
You can take the day off and immerse yourself in the healing powers of the thermal spa that Moravske Toplice is most famous for. Or you can take a short cycling trip out to the border of Hungary. Visit Bukovnica Lake, said to have bio-energetic healing effects! Along the way you’ll see the many L-shaped farmhouses and the beautiful white storks nesting on the rooftops. Cycle a couple of kilometres and cross into Hungary and visit a typical market in the border town of Lenti. Enjoy a coffee in Lendava and try the local speciality, gibanica; a sweet pie containing apple, walnut, poppy seeds and cottage cheese. Lendava is Slovenia’s most easterly town and has a sizeable Hungarian population. Once refuelled you can then take a leisurely ride through the vineyards of the Lendava Hills back to your hotel.

Day 6: MORAVSKE TOPLICE – LENART (41 km).
First part flat followed by gentle rolling hills. Accommodation in 2* country inn. Price includes wine with dinner!
As you head back westward you will stop at Murska Sobota Castle, which houses a regional museum with an interesting exhibition devoted to the culture and traditions of the Prekmurje region. You will then cross the River Mura on an old-fashioned float before cycling across low green hills, stopping for a picnic beside a tranquil lake. You will end the day in the small settlement of Lenart, set amid the centre of the Slovenske Gorice Hills with beautiful surroundings and the spire of the lovely Church of St. Lenart, which was also used as a walled fort against the invading Turks, standing proud over the village.

Day 7: LENART – MARIBOR (36 km).
A slightly hilly day. Accommodation in 3* hotel.
Sauerkraut and blood sausages: For your final day you can take a leisurely ride through more vineyard covered hills and quaint rural villages and farms. Soon you will join the Malečnik wine road that leads into Maribor. Although this is predominantly white wine territory, there are a couple of very good reds. Stop in the small village of Vodole just on the outskirts of Maribor, where you can have lunch in one of the tourist farms serving up grilled blood sausages with sauerkraut.

Day 8: END OF TRIP.

Pricing

Price per person: 760 EUR (minimum 6 persons, maximum 16) (Currency converter here)

Price includes:

• Accommodation in the above mentioned hotels in two bedded room with WC and shower, on a basis of bed & breakfast.
• Luggage transport between the hotels (one piece per person).
• Information package including detailed route description (one per booking party).
• Wine tasting in Jeruzalem and free glass of wine with dinner in Lenart.
• Free entry in hotel swimming pools in Moravske Toplice.
• A welcome drink and a visit of Helia representative on the arrival evening.
• A licensed English speaking guide who follows the group in a van.

Supplements:

• Half board 80 EUR.
• Single supplement 110 EUR.
• Bike rental 75 EUR per week (touring bikes are equipped with lock, pannier and basic repair set. Price includes delivery and pick up). Every additional day: 12 EUR per bike. Bike rental period starts on day 2 of the tour and ends on the evening of their return to Maribor (day 7).
• Helmet rental 12 EUR.

To book additional nights in Maribor or other towns please go here.

Discounts:

• Children up to 12 years when sharing room with parents -30%.
• Third adult person on an extra bed (sharing) in a double room: -10% on the basic price.

Not included:

• Entrance fees.

There is free guarded parking lot in Maribor hotel.

Bike insurance: bikes are insured against minor breaks and normal wear (up to a damage of 10 EUR). They are not insured against theft or frame break. Insurance is available against these events at the rate of 2 EUR per bike per day.
Transfers to and from Graz (Ryan air) and Ljubljana (Easy jet) airport are available here.

Connecting tours: Our Slovenian Castles Tour from Maribor; Drauradweg from Bleiburg (Austria).

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