Balkans Cycle Tour, Vienna to Istanbul

April - June 2011

 

All content copyright © Ashley Burke 2011. Not to be copied, duplicated or used for any purpose without permission.

 

Stage 1 - Austria

Vienna to Fürstenfeld, 29 April - 1 May 2011

About 2 days of riding southwards from Vienna brought me to the border with Slovenia at Bad Radkersburg. I chose a route through lower Austria that had relatively little in the way of major hills or mountains, but nevertheless some pleasant forests and wineries. I had some cold wet weather, but enjoyed a great campsite at Fürstenfeld. Here's a map:

Map of Stages 1 and 2 (Austria and Slovenia)

My first night of the trip at "Camping Neue Donau" in Vienna, Austria.

28 Apr 2011

The bike packed up and ready to go on the first day of cycling.

29 Apr 2011.

Two days of hard riding in cold wet weather brought me to Camping Fürstenfeld in southern Austria, not far from the border with Slovenia.

About to head off to Slovenia on the morning of 1 May 2011.
Camping Fürstenfeld. About to head off to Slovenia on the morning of 1 May 2011.
Pleasant scenery and vineyards south of Fürstenfeld, about 20km north of the Slovenian border.

 

Stage 2 - Slovenia

Gornja Radgona to Brežice, 1-2 May 2011

I crossed the border into Slovenia at Bad Radkersburg on the Austrian side and Gornja Radgona on the Slovenian side.

After crossing from Austria into Slovenia I followed quiet rural roads like this one.

On 1 May 2011 I kept going through Ptuj and then had a fascinating ride on a tiny road very close to the Croatian border just south of Rogaška Slatina. This tiny road was only wide enough for one car (or a bike) and there was no traffic. Unfortunately I don't have any photos of this section.
I eventually reached a campsite about 10km south of Rogaška Slatina. Here I met a German man who invited me over to his caravan for dinner and breakfast. It was a sunny morning on 2 May 2011 when I bade him farewell and continued my ride.
He wanted to take photos of me actually riding.
 

The 2nd of May was a Monday but all the shops in Slovenia were closed, and I needed to buy food. I decided to cross the border into Croatia in the hope that shops would be open there.

Just before crossing the border into Croatia I had lunch beside this little chapel.

To continue the story after the Croatian border crossing, go to Stage 3.

[Next - Croatia]

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This web page created on 29 Jun 2011, last updated 29 Jun 2011.

All content copyright © Ashley Burke 2011. Not to be copied, duplicated or used for any purpose without permission.