Croatian Coasts

Adriatic coast, sun, sea, views and a lot of curves

This trip takes you along the beautiful Adriatic coast and through the interior of Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. These countries were part of the former Yugoslavia, which was already a popular holiday destination at the time. Not surprisingly, the sun shines profusely, the coasts are beautiful and there is a lot to see in the historical places and nature parks in the inland. The 600 km long Croatian Coast Road is the most beautiful and longest coastal road in Europe. This trip has varying daily distances of 220 to 380 km in short and long route variants. These are matched as much as possible to the highlights of this trip, so you can ride and have the choice to visit the sights. 

The outward journey (first day) and return journey (last day) you will drive on your own initiative.

From Ljubljana, you drive to Istria, the peninsula in northern Croatia. As soon as you are out of the city, you drive on small roads and through small villages. The contrast with the city is big, so you'll immediately return to the country's ancient culture. Even before you reach the border with Croatia, you get a nice view of the Adriatic Sea. You continue driving inland towards the Croatian border. You pass the border in a beautiful forested area. Since January 1st 2023, Croatia is a full EU country, so you can now cross the border more easily and you can pay with the Euro in Croatia.

You continue through forests and inland roads with many curves in Istria. With a nice diversions, you drive towards the Adriatic coast. You will pass the well-known and touristic town of Poreč. After ±35km of coastal road, you drive inland again. Via winding roads you pass an ancient settlement dating back to Roman times. The roads remain compact and surrounded by lots of greenery. You now drive into the Draga valley. You spend the night in a beautiful hotel with pool on the Adriatic coast.

Today you have a choice of three different routes. Will you choose a delightful and extra-long route full of curves, the Adriatic coast and lots of greenery? Or for the short version of that? Or would you rather explore the islands of Cres and Krk by ferry? Anything is possible today, but get on your bike early today. Whatever you choose, the ingredients for today are many curves, beautiful views and of course the long Adriatic coastline. The road quality is most of the time very good and it steers wonderfully. The coastal views vary from right on the coastline to a bit higher up, through bays and through small and bigger coastal towns. If you have chosen to visit the islands of Cres and Krk, the route includes a coffee stop right by the sea. The route ends in Zadar, a city with a long and eventful history, much of which you can see in the old town which is within walking distance from the hotel. Along the old Venitian city wall and the Riva Nova promenade you will walk to the organ played by the sea and the Nikola Bašić light square. In the centre you will also find ancient remains from Roman times.

Today you say goodbye to the beautiful city of Zadar and you have again several options of driving the routes. You also have the opportunity to visit the waterfalls of Krka, which is a must when you are in Croatia. You can also choose to visit Split, the biggest and most important city in Dalmatia, or spend some extra time at your destination and explore the island of Hvar. Today's route is simple and let's you follow the coastline all the way to Split where the ferry leaves for Hvar at 2:30 pm (14:30h) in the afternoon or at 8:30 pm (20:30h) in the evening. Before you arrive in Split you will pass Sibenik and the impressive Krka waterfalls located in the national park. After about 160 km you will arrive at the ferry in Split. If you haven't been to the Krka waterfalls you have the opportunity to visit Split. Split is also an ancient city with a Roman past. You can find this back in the old town centre with the old Roman Palace of Diocletian. The Cathedral of Saint Domnius is also a landmark and is named after the patron saint of Split. After crossing to the island of Brac by ferry in an hour, it's only 35 km to the resort in Bol. Here you can enjoy the hotel's many facilities or relax on one of the Adriatic coast's most beautiful beaches.

A relatively short and very scenic route is set for today. You get up early and start on a winding road that takes you to the length of the island of Brac to Makarska. In just under half an hour, you'll be across and continue the route to Dubrovnik. Once you arrive in Makarska, the route heads along the coast into the hills near Podgora. After about 20 kilometres you will pass through the Biokovo Nature Park, continuing the route on a beautiful steering road with views over the countryside. Via the beautiful coastline you continue the route to Dubrovik, here you also take in a bit of Bosnia, this is a remarkable part of Bosnia. According to the Dayton Peace Treaty, the Bosnian civil war ended and Bosnia got a piece of the coast. That got its fill here. After Bosnia, you drive the last 65km along the coast to the hotel. Where you can relax and enjoy the views and hotel facilities.

By now you are halfway through this journey. Time for a rest day or do you prefer taking the motorbike again? The choice is yours. For today, you can relax and enjoy the surroundings at the hotel or in Dubrovnik's old town. Dubrovnik also has a rich and eventful history. In the old town, for instance, you can still see the bullet holes from the fairly recent Balkan war from the 1990s. With an Uber or water taxi you can drop yourself off at the gate of the old centre and from here you can immediately start a walk along the old city wall. For dinner too, you are completely in control today. If you like Italian food, Trattoria Mea Culpa is a must in the old town. A bus runs from the hotel to the old centre. 

If you still prefer a nice route then there is a short route and long route available that will take you to and through Montenegro. This combines the coastline and picturesque towns with brand new roads and "authentic" roads with stunning views. You will also pass National Park Lovcen in southern Montenegro, where two climates meet: the Mediterranean and the continental climate. This combination gives different and beautiful species of Flora and Fauna. While driving the route, you can clearly see that economic development in Montenegro started a bit later. If you still want to visit Dubrovnik in the late afternoon or evening, you can do so by taking the short route.

After Dubrovnik, you will soon enter Bosnia and Herzegovina today. Get up in time to cross the border in the mountains just above Dubrovnik without having to wait long. You are now leaving the EU, so stop to have your passport and registration papers checked. In the mountains of Bosnia, which is rich in forests, it is great driving with beautiful long and winding roads. You seem to be alone in the world here, so little traffic. The long route drives nicely and again today there are a number of sights in the route. The route brings you after about 150 km to the Kravice waterfalls. Park the bike here and follow the footpath down the hill at the barrier. It's only a few hundred metres walk to the waterfall. On one of the terraces you can enjoy a drink and the splashing waterfall. If you have your swimming trunks on under your motor suit, you can take a dip in the bright green water.  

After the waterfalls you drive 50km further into Mostar. Here you will find the 16-century Ottoman arch bridge at Mostar, rebuilt after it was destroyed in 1993 during the Yugoslav civil war. The route then continues through a mountainous area to Sarajevo, after a few kilometres you drive around the Jablanicko Jezero lake and drive along a winding road to the hotel in Sarajevo. The hotel is a short walk from Sarajevo's old town and several restaurants. Going into town is really a must. You will be treated to small streets and alleys, many terraces and a large amount of historical buildings. This melting pot of three different population groups, who also live two different religions, makes it a special experience.

Today's route takes you further into Bosnia to the for many the unknown but vibrant city of Banja Luka, Bosnia's second largest city and crowned most undiscovered and most beautiful European travel destination of 2019. The hotel is located opposite the centre of Banja Luka which again gives you the opportunity to explore this place, fairly unknown to tourists, on foot. Today's route is relatively short and lends itself perfectly to this. The middle part of the route gives you a glimpse of the culture and inhabitants of the interior of Bosnia. You pass many villages and imagine yourself to be decades back in time. Especially with all the Golfs and Cadets, keep in mind that the locals hardly speak English. You pass the village of Turbe and the route continues along a winding road into the countryside to the hotel in Banja Luka. 

Perhaps the most famous highlight of this trip can be found at the end of today's short route. Today's route is relatively short and you can drive quickly to have enough time in the afternoon to visit the Plitvice Lakes and Waterfalls. The first part of the route is curvy, while the second part of the route is flatter and smooth to drive. You will start with the curvy and beautiful roads you drove yesterday through the interior of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The roads get smoother along the way and after about 180 km you pass the border with Croatia. Again, a real border control. After about 10 kilometres you enter the park, the hotel where you will be staying is in the middle of the impressive park and is equipped with all conveniences. 

The trip ends with a beautiful and fun route back to Ljubljana where you started the trip. The main ingredient for today's route is curves! The route starts rolling through the countryside further into the interior of Croatia. After about 100 kilometres you pass the Kupa and river and also the border from Croatia to Slovenia. This is also the last real border control as you enter the EU area, where real border controls no longer exist. Via Novo Mesto, a town through which the Krka river flows, you drive north on Slovenia's beautiful roads and at some point turn west back to Ljubljana. You will stay in the same hotel as on the outward journey and have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful buildings, cosy streets, cafes and the relaxed Slovenians.