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In a nutshell
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Start
Finish
Countries
Stages
Rest days
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Ljubljana, Slovenia
Athens, Greece
Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina,
Montenegro, Albania, Greece
36 stages
7 days
Pula (CR), Split (CR), Dubrovnik (CR),
Tirana (AL), Ksamil (AL), Kastraki (GR),
Olympia (GR)
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Total distance
Average distance
Total climbing
Average climbing
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3.600 km
100 km
52.500 meters
1.450 meters
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2.250 miles
63 miles
172.000 feet
4.750 feet
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Road condition
Period
Accommodation
Price full tour
Discount
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99% paved
Monday September 1st, 2025
Monday October
13th, 2025
Mixture of camping (26) and hotels (18)
€
7.195,-
€ 300,- for early registration
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Description
The Balkan. It is where Europe greets the Orient; where
Christians and Muslims have cohabited for centuries
building its own strong culture and unique society. The Balkan
is a fascinating region that has also shaped the history
of modern Europe.
This beautiful geography hosted huge
incidents in history from the splitting of the Roman
Empire into two, to the assassination of Archduke
Ferdinand that sparked World War I. It has witnessed
many wars and struggles, and was named the "powder-keg
of Europe" due to strong ideals of the natives. Whilst
the Balkans hold such a rich history, it is also truly
blessed with its astonishing natural beauty. From
magnificent mountains covered in tall green forests, to
crystal waters and a myriad of islands with endless
white beaches. The Balkans are a unique facade of Europe
with its familiar, yet distinct style and vibe.
There is not universal agreement on the region's
components. Some define the Balkan in cultural and
historical terms and others geographically, though there
are even different interpretations among historians and
geographers. The interpretations might give discussion,
one thing is sure : the history and geography of the
Balkan is an ideal blend for another wonderful bike
tour. We would like to welcome you on the
Balkan Boulevard.
We start our journey in
Ljubljana, the attractive capital of
Slovenia. The small
country is still covered in forest for more than half of
its total surface, which makes it one of the greenest
countries of Europe. It's an earthly paradise of
snow-capped peaks, turquoise-green rivers and a
Venetian-style coastline.
On our way to the Julian Alps
in the north west of the country we pass
Lake Bled. This
bluish-green lake with a tiny baroque chapel on a
picturesque island, a medieval castle clinging to a
rocky cliff and high peaks as backdrops, has been a
world-renowned paradise for centuries. It will be hard
to start a tour in a better way.
When you think that the Balkan Boulevard is mainly a
cycling tour over wide flat avenues with waving palms
along the turquoise Mediterranean, you are wrong.
Completely wrong. Already on day three we make a side
trip to the Mangart Saddle
near the border of Italy. An epic one-way road leads up
to more than 2.000 meter and gives spectacular views
over the Julian Alps.
It's not only in the beginning of the tour that you will
need all your granny gears, it's all the way down to
Athens that the route is everything, except flat.
After rolling down from the wild, karstic plateau in
Slovenia we arrive for the first time at the Adriatic
Sea in Trieste, Italy.
The great seaport of the Habsburg Empire has a fabulous
waterfront with a neoclassical architecture and its own
unique border-town culture.
The visit to Italy is only
brief, since soon after we cycle along the rocky beaches
of Istria located
in Slovenia and mainly
Croatia. This sunny peninsula in the
Mediterranean Sea is characterised by little picturesque
fisher towns and an interior of rolling hills and
fertile plains. We don't miss out on Istria's historic
capital Pula which
ruled the Adriatic for centuries from the southern tip
of the peninsula. The city has a famous and imposing
2.000-year-old Roman amphitheatre and offers many other sights
in the centre and surroundings. Add the beach and you
have a great place for a first rest day.
As you might expect from us, we always try to find less
known, but wonderful climbs. Also this time in Croatia.
We cycle from sea level up to the top of
Mount Vojak, with
1.372 metres the highest peak on the Istrian peninsula.
The mountain in the middle of the Učka Nature Park
offers spectacular views over the Adriatic Islands.
Islands that we will hop-on and hop-off in the following
stages. Before we arrive at
Krk, Croatia's
biggest island, we pass the bustling city of Rijeka. A
ferry brings us to the 22-kilometres long island of
Rab with in its
middle the eponymous town, characterised by four elegant
bell towers rising from the white stone streets. A short
ferry, 17 kilometres of Croatia's mainland and another
short ferry and we are at
Pag Island. It doesn't look quite like a typical
island in the Adriatic. Pag Island is dry and relatively
barren with a strange kind of lunar landscape.
Back on
the mainland we pass the old town of
Zadar which is
overflowing with heritage. This intriguing small finger
of land is almost entirely encircled by stone defences
and boasts roman ruins and medieval churches.
We head further south and have our second rest day in
Croatia's second-largest city, Split.
The highlight in the exuberant city is the Diocletian's
Palace, one of world's most impressive Roman monuments.
We cross the border into
Bosnia Herzegovina to explore
Mostar. The city is
full of quintessential Ottoman architecture, with plenty
of traditional restaurants, market stalls, mosques and
other historic buildings. It's especially Balkans' most
celebrated bridge, the Stari Most, that forms a majestic
stone arc between medieval towers and is like a magnet
for every visitor.
Back into Croatia we arrive in the beautiful city of
Dubrovnik, dubbed
the "Pearl of the Adriatic". Dubrovnik has been ruled
through the centuries by the Venetians and the
Hungarians, each of which have left their marks. Few
cities offer a more immersive experience into the past
than the walled city of Dubrovnik and is definitely
worth a rest day.
The Balkan Boulevard is a concatenation of wonderful
destinations and Unesco world heritage sites. It doesn't
matter in which country they are situated. The next
unmissable site is the Bay
of Kotor with its brain-blowing beauty. Kotor is
a little fairy-tale place and the most beautiful and
best-preserved town in
Montenegro. We leave the bay behind and climb up
to Mount Lovćen.
The mountain holds a special place in the heart of all
Montenegrins and is the inspiration behind the name of
Montenegro, Black Mountain, referring to the dense
forest that covers its slopes. Cruising down from the
mountain we arrive in
Cetinje, the historical and cultural capital of
the country. The tiny town has sometimes been described
as a mini European capital.
We continue for dozens of
winding kilometres along Balkans' largest lake,
Lake Skadar. The
Dolphin-shaped lake has its tail and two-thirds of its
body in Montenegro and its nose in Albania. A large area
on the Montenegrin side has been protected by a national
park and is today renowned as one of Europe's top bird
habitats. On the south side of the lake we have already
entered Albania as
we arrive in Skhodër,
the traditional centre of the Gheg cultural region. It
is one of the oldest cities in Europe and arguably the
most attractive urban centre in Albania.
We head further south and arrive in
Tirana, the
capital. The city has undergone a transformation of
extraordinary proportions since awaking from its
communist slumber in the early 1990s. Tirana's centre is
now unrecognisable from those grey days, with buildings
painted in primary colours, and public squares and
pedestrianised streets that are a pleasure to wander
around on your rest day.
We will be surprised by
Berat with its own very special magic. Its most
striking feature is the collection of white Ottoman
houses climbing up the hill to its castle, earning it
the title of "town of a thousand windows". Before we
arrive at the Albanian Riviera, we pass the
protected landscapes of
Vjosë-Nartë. We make half a loop in the southern
part of Albania to include several of its interesting
cultural sites like Gjirokastër, Përmet and
the ancient Greek city of Butrint, all
in a setting of unspoilt nature.
Finally we arrive in
Greece, our last country of the Balkan Boulevard.
The sites of this glorious and highly diverse country
are countless. We have tried to incorporated a good mix
to get a full picture of this ancient country, the
cradle of Western civilization. We cycle from the edges
of the Vikos Gorge,
one of the deepest canyons in the world, in the heart of
the Pindus Mountains, to the astonishing monasteries of
Meteora, perched at
the top of beautiful sandstone mountains. We cross one
of Europe's longest and most modern suspension bridges
near Patras to arrive at the amazing beauty of the
Peloponnese. We have a rest day planned in
Olympia, the
archaeological site where the Olympic Games began and
where nowadays every four years the Olympic flame is lit
amongst the well preserved ruins. And at the end, we
will be surprised by the incredible acoustics of the
ancient amphitheatre of
Epidaurus before we finish in the capital of
Greece, Athens.
The whole route follows mainly well paved and quiet
roads. The course varies from rolling hills and winding
roads along the coast to steep challenging climbs more
inland. Especially Slovenia, the south of Albania and
Greece are mountainous, but also the other areas are
definitely not flat. Be prepared : you don't get one
single flat stage.
The Balkan has a Mediterranean climate with ideal
cycling conditions in September and October. Sunny,
pleasant warm and sometimes a refreshing rain shower.
Time remains to visit the cultural sites, to sample the
rich local cuisine and to sit on a terrace along the
Adriatic Sea.
The 2nd edition of the "Balkan Boulevard" starts
Monday September
1st, 2025 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The finish
lies after almost 6 weeks, 34 stages and 3.600
kilometres in the heart of Athens.
How many wonderful places do you need to put in a
bicycle journey to make it attractive? Ten? Twenty?
More? The number of interesting sites in a tour through
seven different countries with all their own people,
culture, religion, language, history, landscape and
infrastructure is infinite. Add to that dozens of
challenging climbs and wonderful small quiet roads in a
beautiful setting of mountains and sea, and you can ask
yourself the question : why haven't we organised here a
tour before? Yes, why?
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The credo of Bike Dreams is : "Life is not the
dreams you have, but the dreams you realize".
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