Cycling day trip from Žiri to Radovljica

Roll out from Žiri, a valley town best known for its Alpina shoemaking heritage, and head into the Škofja Loka hills. This is a big day out: roughly 69 km with close to 3,000 m of climbing, topping out around 1,200 m. Expect mostly quiet asphalt backroads with a sprinkling of gravel tracks and short path sections—perfect for an endurance-minded road bike with sturdy tires or a gravel setup.

The route stair-steps over wooded ridges and plateaus (think Jelovica vibes), rewarding you with wide-open views toward the Julian Alps and Karawanks before a flowing descent to the Sava plain. Keep an eye out for shady forest stretches and sealed lanes linking tiny hamlets—traffic stays minimal for most of the ride.

Finish in Radovljica, one of Slovenia’s prettiest medieval towns. Roll into Linhart Square for a well-earned treat; the town is famed for its beekeeping tradition (check out the Museum of Apiculture) and an annual chocolate festival. Short on time? You can always linger by the Sava or spin the extra few kilometers to nearby Lake Bled.