Have you ever thought about the cycling holidays in Slovenia? This time, we will discover beautiful hidden corners in the far west of Slovenske Gorice. The center of the region is Upper Kungota, and the described excursion is mostly followed by a marked Kungota biking trail. The most beautiful part of the tour takes place north of the Upper Kungota, where we circle up among the endless vineyards, climb to the viewing tower at Plačko vrh, see the “heart” of Slovenia, and have a rest in one of the great tourist farms. The whole tour is quite long, and the altitude meters are gathering quite a bit, but the trip can be arbitrarily shortened.
Example of the Cycling Holidays in Slovenia
Lower Kungota. We drive from Maribor to the border crossing Šentilj, and at the large roundabout, we turn towards Kungota. We drive to Lower Kungota and park on the left side of the road next to Dom krajanov and a football field.
Description:
From Lower Kungota, we head along the main road towards Zgornja Kungota, but only 2 km to the village Gradiška, where we turn sharp right. We drive past the houses and turn left at the first crossroads. At the next crossroads, we stick to the right, and here we have to bite into the first serious climb. Before the first houses on the top of the slope, we go left, and the path becomes somewhat more “friendly.” The road continuously follows the ridge of the hill that is towering towards the north. We will also notice the blue boards that mark Kungota cycling route no. 4. In the distance, soon, there will be a viewing tower at Plače vrh, which serves us for orientation because some intersections near the peak are not marked. Plački vrh can be climbed both from the west and from the east side, and the view from the mighty tower is one of the peaks of the excursion.
So, now we are at the top of cycling holidays in Slovenia.
From the top, we descend to the west and pass the vineyards to the asphalt road, where we turn left and continue with a steep descent to the south to the village Plače. The blue bicycle signpost (No 4) directs us to the right and starts climbing among the pristine vineyards with more and more beautiful views. We drive north-west until we reach the “T-Crossroads,” where we turn left steeply down.
We will climb down to the cute village Svečina, right in front of the village; we go to the right and again begin to climb. When we arrive at the top of the hill with a unique view, we go right, and after a few meters, blue bicycle markings direct us to the left. We do not think about these tags, but we continue straight and cross the Austrian border (but only about 500 m). Stay left and just after the Trunk restaurant you have to turn left among the houses. Return to Slovenia and descend to the wine-growing farm Dreisiebner. At the end of the yard farm, a beautiful romantic view is waiting for us … From Dreisiebner, “by heart,” we descend into the valley, and after a pleasant downhill, we reach the crossroads with a wider road. If we are already tired, turn left and follow the main path that leads us to Upper Kungota and continues to our starting point in Spodnja Kungota.
Instead of Conclusion on the Cycling Holidays in Slovenia
If we do not have enough bicycles, we can climb up to Gaj above Maribor. We only cross the broader road, and we start driving on the asphalt. The ascent goes through the forest, and at the only intersection of the equivalent roads, we go left and cycle to the sightseeing Gaja. Following the blue markings, we descend slightly towards the west, and then there are some short climbs waiting for us. The blue markings are lost in the meantime, so it will be difficult for us to follow the Kungota Biking Trail all the time, which is supposed to lead us to the Sea Trench at Lower Kungota. It is most certain that at the crossroads, we hold the left, and inevitably the path will lead us to the main road between Upper and Lower Kungota, after which we will return to the starting point.
Highest point:
Plački vrh: 509 m
Gaj above Maribor: 583 m
Length (time, km):
Lower Kungota – Plaki vrh: 1.15 h (13.5 km)
Plački Vrh – Dreisiebner: 1.15 h (14 km)
Dreisiebner – Gaj over Maribor: 1 h (12.5 km)
Gaj above Maribor – Lower Kungota: 30 min (12 km)
Total: 4 h, 52 km
Basis:
80% asphalt (42 km) 20% gravel (10 km)