Across the Western Balkans by mountain bike. The part of the continent where Europe is still unique and therefore unmistakable. Off the beaten track, far from traffic, over remote highlands to small towns full of intense history. From the forest belt to the Adriatic.
From Bosnian coffee to Albanian espresso. And of course (lots of) gravel roads and (some) singletrack & mule tracks. This is our brand new "Trans Balkan" adventure, developed and made possible by a Dutch-Swiss-Austrian team living in the Balkans. Welcome to Europe's most adventurous corner.
DEPARTURE DATES
May 2024 – May 26, 2024 (fully booked)
September 2024 – September 29, 2024
Category Mountain biking
From EUR 1'990
Itinerary
BOSNIA (Days 1-5):
Day 1 Travel and arrival in Sarajevo, Bosnia Welcome to Sarajevo, the fascinating gateway to the Balkans. Pick up from the airport. We meet our local guides, set up our bikes together and after a first “Sarajevsko” beer or Bosnian coffee, we cycle from the outskirts to the city center - along some modern bike paths and past bulletproof houses from the painful past.
Dinner with a former Hilton chef who realized her dream and opened her own restaurant - very happy for us.
Day 2 Cycling on the Olympic 84 Bobsleigh Track We roll through the old town with our bikes before a modern cable car takes us up to the “Trebevic”, the closest mountain to Sarajevo. This was one of the host cities of the 1984 Winter Olympics, and almost 40 years later we ride through the original bobsleigh track from back then (approx. 450 m long and easy / suitable for everyone). Full of graffiti, overgrown with some grass – but in safe condition and ready for a cool experience! Other elements of this day are green forests with beautiful single trails, various ruins and maybe even a group of wild horses. “Outdoor city of Sarajevo”. In the afternoon, time for yourself or to visit the historic city center from the Ottoman era. Dinner & second night in Sarajevo (Hotel “Hecco Deluxe”).
Day 3 Cycling tour to the most isolated mountain village in Bosnia The morning begins with a short visit to the war tunnel museum under Sarajevo airport and a 45-minute transfer to the mountains. In a sleepy ski resort, we prepare our bikes, maybe have a coffee: And now we're off! 😉 Because it only gets more beautiful as we climb with our bikes through beech forests and up to a high plateau with breathtaking views and panorama. If the weather is good & for those who have energy, we also climb the optional 1980 m high Bjelasnica mountain - the view is worth it. Picnic lunch on the high plateau and after a long drive through these plains, we reach what is probably the most beautiful and certainly the highest village in Bosnia: "Lukomir", with its typical tin roofs, manual work in the potato fields and charming old grandmothers in their traditional costumes. Accommodation in a simple, authentic guesthouse.
Day 4 The no man's land of the "Bogumils" - and a long descent It is a cool morning in our mountain village, but with a bit of sun or physical exercise we are soon back in action. Today it is again these vast, almost moon-like plateaus that we are driving through. Practically no villages or people, but a feeling of solitude and every now and then a "stećak", these monumental medieval tombstones of the Bogumils (we will explain more about this on site). Picnic in the green grass, then a long descent over many kilometers, a lot of elevation and winding roads down into the valley of the Neretva River. At the end of this day in pure nature, we sit back and let ourselves be driven - an hour, to the famous city of Mostar. Dinner & night in Mostar.
Day 5 You have to cross this bridge Today we're taking it a little easier when biking - but of course it always has to be a little ;-). In the morning we take time for Mostar with its famous bridge and the old town - a worthwhile visit with a good local guide. A van transfer takes us into the Bosnian hinterland, where after lunch we follow the "Ciro Trail", an old railway line that was specially converted into a (simple) cycle path. We cycle leisurely through vineyards - today the focus is on enjoyment. Dinner & accommodation ("Hotel Platani") in the attractive small town of Trebinje, not far from the border with Montenegro - the next destination of our Trans-Balkan adventure.
MONTENEGRO (days 6-8):
Day 6 Imperial-Royal and the Bay of Kotor In the morning, a short transfer across the border to Montenegro, the "black mountains". Once in the country, we get on our bikes and climb the first "imperial-royal" (that is: Austro-Hungarian) stretch of road on our tour: impressive cobblestone streets full of curves and retaining walls, built 150 years ago with great physical effort. For cannons, troops - and emperors. Many years later, we are completely alone here - at most a few birds circle above us. Once we have reached the highest point, we are rewarded with a long descent, complete with optional singletrack switchback (level S2) down into the Bay of Kotor. A fjord like Norway - but we are on the Adriatic. Large & late fish lunch right on the waterfront and then a gentle ride along the bay to Kotor.
Day 7 The Fortress Trail above Kotor We wake up in the old town of Kotor, this famous medieval town with its massive city walls. Until a few years ago, this place was overrun by cruise ships, but today it is perfect for our visit. After breakfast, we do a cool loop ride before spending another night in Kotor (this also allows us to use this day as a rest or hiking day for those who wish). We cycle up a hill above the bay with spectacular views (and some tough climbs…), visit an underground fortress from the Austro-Hungarian era after a picnic, and then whizz back to the Bay of Kotor over 40+ switchbacks (most of them singletrack!). With happy faces, we drink a cold beer on the lounger. Dinner & second night in Kotor (“Hotel Marija”).
Day 8 The old railway line and the black hole In the morning, 1.5 hour van transfer along the coast of Montenegro - an attractive trip - to Bar. In "Stari Bar", or "old Bar", today's tour begins, which takes us over the coastal mountains and into the hinterland of Montenegro. We follow an old narrow-gauge railway line, today partly asphalted (but without traffic) and partly gravel. Always with a very pleasant climb, so that we don't have to pant like old steam locomotives. At the highest point of the route, we drive through a 2000 ft long summit tunnel - we use our headlamps or at least cell phones and play with the echo of a tunnel that is all ours.
Late lunch including wine & “Raki” tasting at a local farmer – luckily there are only a few easy kilometers left to our final destination… 😉
ALBANIA (Days 9-11):
Day 9 Time travel through Albania To enter the last country of our Trans-Balkan adventure - Albania - we use our bikes as fully loaded "pack animals" and push them across the (official) border. To our left and right are large trucks, and another adventure awaits us ahead. Once in Albania, we leave our luggage in the van, leave the road and cycle into this previously completely isolated and therefore still very unique country. Soon we find ourselves in remote mountain villages where life seems to have been untouched for a hundred years. We ride some great singletrack in a fairytale chestnut forest, enjoy a traditional lunch and in the afternoon cycle across open fields to the regional town of Shkodra. There we have dinner and spend the night in a remarkable hotel ("Tradita").
Day 10 With the trail builders of Tirana We return to modern life - but not without one last adventure in our luggage. Transfer to the capital Tirana in the morning. At the hotel we grab our bikes and let ourselves be guided safely through the fascinating traffic chaos and to the city limits. This is where nature and the great mountains around Tirana begin - a huge outdoor playground. There has also recently been a local trail building scene in the city, and the guys show us their best single tracks, which tower directly above the city. "Hot stuff"!
Dinner and farewell party with the group & big cheers to many lasting memories – across the Western Balkans.
Day 11 Last day (Sunday) Transfer to the airport & return journey from Tirana
Fact sheet
Included:
- 9x guided bike tours with a local, national guide at the front and an additional guide from us at the back of the group - for maximum safety and your own personal choice of pace. The guide we provide is also the overall tour leader and your contact person for the entire trip / all countries.
- All accommodation (8x in comfortable double or single rooms (Sarajevo 2x / Mostar / Trebinje / Kotor 2x / Shkodra / Tirana), 2x in traditional accommodation (dormitories only, Lukomir & Virpazar), all meals (hearty breakfasts in the accommodations, lunches in simple guesthouses along the route or picnic, traditional dinners in the guesthouses & hotels, farewell dinner in Tirana)
- Wine tasting in Montenegro, tunnel museum in Bosnia, cable car in Sarajevo, guided tour of Mostar, etc.
- All transfers (including from/to the airport and also the transport of your bike packing/box from Sarajevo to Tirana)
- Daily luggage transport to the accommodations
- Support vehicle for technical support / assistance in case of emergency (but no “follow car” that is always available)
Not included:
- Arrival in Sarajevo, Bosnia and return from Tirana, Albania
- Personal Bikes & Equipment
- Personal drinks, expenses for tips and possible souvenirs
- Internationally valid accident insurance (mandatory)
NOTE: Rental bikes on request, but generally we ask you to bring your own bike (and your bike packing/case/box will be transported by us from Sarajevo to Tirana).
Difficulty level of the described tour:
- fitness - 2 (on a scale of 4 as maximum): Mountain bike tour with daily distances of an average of 40 km and cumulative climbs of 800 m / 2600 ft, which corresponds to about 4-5 hours of pure riding time per day. Some days even more, see program for details. An "average" level of fitness should be sufficient for this tour. It should be noted that spring and autumn can also bring temperatures of up to 30 degrees, which requires additional energy.
- Technical difficulty - 2 (on a scale of 4 as maximum): With mainly gravel roads/paths, this tour is not very technically demanding, however some of these natural roads are rough and therefore require at least good concentration and reaction. In addition, the tour also contains approx. 10% (very cool) singletracks from S1 to S2 on the singletrack scale. If necessary, these singletracks can mostly be bypassed. Tour not suitable for mountain bike beginners/without previous off-road experience.
Type of tour/surface: A very varied trip with all kinds of surfaces, but in detail about 43% natural roads (from relatively easy gravel to large stones on Roman roads), 44% asphalt (practically always small roads with little or no traffic) and about 11% singletracks (old mule tracks with zigzags, hiking trails in forests, shepherds' paths). Experienced riders could also enjoy this tour on a hardtail, but a full suspension bike makes it more comfortable and easier. NOT suitable for a gravel bike, the terrain is too rough for that.
Security: We consider cross-country/touring mountain biking relatively safe, even in these Balkan countries, where emergency services and medical care do not quite meet Western European standards (in fact, they are quite good in the capitals). Prevention is equally important, and together with our tour partners in each country we are prepared: careful planning of routes and descents, and guides who always carry extensive first aid kits and are properly trained. On our guests' side, a valid accident insurance with international coverage and the signing of a liability waiver before the tour is mandatory.
Entry: With a valid passport (at least for a few months more).
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