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A picturesque countryside cycling tour with an emphasis on great local wine, good food and relaxation in hot thermal springs. Suitable for cyclists of basic fitness, lovers of good wine and food, also families with children. Modest daily distances leave a lot of time for taking photos or relaxing in hot springs.
Tour highlights:
• Visit Maribor & the oldest vine in the world
• Slovenia's oldest city - 2000 years of history
• Sip wine as the sun sets over lush vineyards
• Soak in the hot springs of Moravske Toplice
• Stay on a typical farm and taste local food
Itinerary
Day 1: ARRIVAL IN MARIBOR. 4* city hotel.Your starting point is Maribor, Slovenia’s second largest city. The town is located on the banks of the Drava River and is home to the oldest vine in the world and 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. Down by the river in Lent you can visit Old Vine House, where, at over 400 years old, you'll find the world's oldest vine growing on the front.
Day 2: MARIBOR – PTUJ (29 km). 4* spa & wellness hotel.
You will cycle today along the Drava River as it meanders its way southeastwards across the vineyards and orchards of the Drava Plain, and passes through the oldest settlement in Slovenia, Ptuj, with 2000 years of history and an incredibly well preserved castle dating as far back as 69 AD. Visit the Ptuj Wine Cellar, which has its own shop and tasting room, and try the Traminec white wine.
Day 3: PTUJ – JERUZALEM (41 km). 3* guesthouse, set among the vineyards.
Today your route takes you across the eastern plains that lead through tiny villages and picturesque landscape. In the scenic village of Ormož, tucked comfortably at the foot of the Slovenske Gorice Hills, you can visit the wine cellars for lunch and taste the white wines that are predominant in the region. From here you cycle northwards along the famous Ormož to Ljutomer wine road, through a myriad of terraced vineyards where the sound of the Klopotec, wooden wind rattles, will fill the air.
Day 4: JERUZALEM – MORAVSKE TOPLICE
(40 km, 48 km with a side trip). 4* spa hotel with outside and inside pools.
In the morning you continue along the wine road; 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.
Day 5: MORAVSKE TOPLICE
(Rest day or trip of 25 km or 50 km). 4* spa hotel with outside and inside pools.
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 theraputic Bukovnica Lake, believed to have bio-energetic healing effects! Along the way you’ll see many L-shaped farmhouses and beautiful white storks nesting on the rooftops. Enjoy a coffee in the Slovene-Hungarian border town of Lendava and try the local specialty cake, gibanica.
Day 6: MORAVSKE TOPLICE – VITOMARCI
(41 km). 2* family farmhouse / agritourismo.
As you head back westward you can stop at the lovely Renaissance castle in Murska Sobota, which houses a regional museum with an interesting exhibition devoted to the culture and traditions of the Prekmurje region. Then cross the River Mura on an old-fashioned float before cycling across low green hills to a little village nestled amid the lovely Slovenske Gorice Hills.
Day 7: VITOMARCI – MARIBOR
(36 km). 4* hotel.
For your final day you can take a leisurely ride through quaint rural villages and farms. Soon you will join the Malečnik wine road that leads back into Maribor. Although this is predominantly white wine territory, there are a couple of very good reds. Stop in the quiet little village of Vodole, where you can have lunch in one of the tourist farms serving up grilled blood sausages with sauerkraut.
Day 8: Departure from Maribor after breakfast.
Price
Price: 610 EUR per person based on two people sharing(Currency converter here)
Price includes:
• Accommodation in hotels in a two-bed room with WC and shower, on a bed & breakfast basis
• Luggage transfer – one piece, max 20 kgs / 45 lb. Every additional item 10 EUR, payable on the spot
• Information pack including text road notes (in plain English) and corresponding maps. One per booking, every additional set 20 EUR
• Free entry to hotel swimming pools in Moravske Toplice spa hotels
• Wine tasting and free wine with dinner in Vitomarci on day six
• Personal welcome meeting and briefing upon arrival
• GPS data
• Local tourist and other taxes
• Backup service (hotline) during the trip
Optional extras:
• Seven three-course dinners 125 EUR
• Single room 130 EUR
• Bike rental 80 EUR classic touring / trekking bikes are equipped with 21 gears. One back, side pannier per bike. One cycling odometer, one lock, one spare inner tube, one set of Allen keys and a basic puncture repair kit per couple / pair of bikes. Every additional day: 15 EUR per bike. Additional odometer 20 EUR, payable on the spot. Bike rental period starts at 9:00 on day two of the tour and ends at 18:00 on day seven
• Electric bike 200 EUR
• Helmet rental 12 EUR per week
• Transfers. Ljubljana AP (or downtown) – Maribor 65 EUR. Graz AP to Maribor 30 EUR. Maribor airport - Maribor hotel 10 EUR. All prices per person, two persons minimum, one way
• Additional night in Maribor in 4* hotel, per person per night, in a double room, B&B 60 EUR. Single room 90 EUR. Three-course dinner 15 EUR
Price excludes: flights, entrance fees, meals not mentioned in itinerary, drinks with meals (unless otherwise noted).
Travel Options
Starting point of this trip is the city of Maribor in NE Slovenia.Getting there...
By plane: closest airport is Graz, served by Austrian Airlines, KLM (Amsterdam), Easyjet (Berlin), Swiss (Zürich), Turkish (Istanbul) and Lufthansa (Munich). Even Vienna is a good option, it has good train connections. Next is Ljubljana airport (LJU). Several airlines serve it. From the Ljubljana airport you can travel to Maribor by bus (direct buses, takes about three hours) or train (every two hours, takes about two hours) or book our transfer: Ljubljana Airport to Maribor, 65 EUR per person; one way, two persons minimum.
By train: Maribor railway station is on the Vienna - Ljubljana / Zagreb mainline in the town centre. You can simply walk to the first hotel which is 500 metres away.
By car: take any Maribor exit from the A2 motorway Ljubljana Graz. For a fee of 18 EUR, the car can be parked in the secured parking lot of the first hotel for the duration of the trip.
.... and away: just use one of the options above.
Testimonials
Dear Jana and Staff!Bravo! What a wonderful bike tour we had through Maribor country. The landscape especially around Ptuj / Jeruzalem with all the vineyards was amazingly lovely with spectacular views. Good weather followed us through the whole ride. The one day off we took at Moravske Toplice was windy/rainy so we really lucked out. The tour is a true gem - beautiful, tranquil and the people were helpful and very friendly. This part of Slovenia is heavenly and we would highly recommend this tour.
