Juggling between our top family cycling picks this weekend, particularly the warmer coastline and mountainous Kranjska Gora, we opted for a lesser known route in the Radovna Valley instead. Our goal was to spend a relaxed yet active day out in a beautiful valley away from the crowds, and Radovna turned out perfect.
Cycling in the Radovna Valley
13 kilometers long with 283 meters elevation gain, the Radovna cycling trail starts in a small village Krnica just 6 km from Bled and takes you across plains and forests all the way to the village of Zgornja Radovna. It basically ends in paradise. Imagine long empty plains, now speckled with white and purple flowers, at the foothills of the Julian Alps, and no one but a few cyclists equally happy to get out of the way. That’s the Radovna Valley.
Eating in Radovna
After cycling for about an hour (or two, maybe even three with unmotivated kids), you’ll probably appreciate a good lunch. Being one of our first concerns after those long 13 kilometers, we parked our bikes by a local restaurant Pr’ Psnak and ordered it. My daughter’s comment on the mushroom soup? “Mum, you must cook this soup every day!” And she doesn’t usually eat mushrooms. Obviously, we cleaned the plates. I guess Pr’ Psnak follows the old recipes thus bringing full flavor to their food. It tastes as it should taste, exactly like I remember from my early years when visiting my grandparents’ old farm. Plus, the food is mainly local and organic. Yummy!
Other activities in Radovna?
Hiking, for sure. Although my trails always start a little further up from the Krma Valley rather than the Radovna Valley (Climbing Triglav: the third try and Triglav: finally getting it right), there are a few interesting hills and medium-sized mountains I should really give a try one day. For one, I might start with Jerebikovec, an incredibly panoramic mountain above Radovna with spectacular views over both the Radovna and Krma Valleys and the towering mountains in the distance.
We didn’t hike, though. The colorful meadows looked tempting and the grass soft, then one thing led to another, and we ended up playing a friendly match of football with a few local boys. My husband against five kids and me. Ashamed to say, we lost.
Cycling from the Radovna to the Krma Valley
After a short break in a sunny meadow, it was time to hit the road again. Following the empty road further on towards the mountains, which soon turned gravel and started easily ascending again, our goal was the Kovinar Hut (Kovinarska koča), a popular stop for mountaineers after long hiking adventures. However, the hut doesn’t open until June, so the crowds were still nonexistent, yet the late afternoon views over the Krma Valley and its surrounding mountains were magical.
We ate an apple in silence, lost in our own thoughts, and watched the sun and shadows playing with the peaks around. Later that day, my daughter asked if we could climb Triglav together this year {woohooo!} and I thanked my lucky star for choosing Radovna that day. Truly, it’s inspiring. And if you’re not into mountains already, you will definitely be after spending a day there.
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Thank you so much for this blog! I assume, then, that it’s an early spring this year? I don’t see much snow. We will be coming to this area in June. Normally, I read that the mountains “open” in July, but unless there is an enormous new snowfall, it looks as if they are open now?
Many thanks
Deane from CA USA
Hi Deane and thanks for your comment!
Well, the mountains are open all year round, but it’s definitely easier to hike June-October when there’s no snow. You should check the snow conditions somewhere in the mid of May, from then on it’s highly unusual to snow even in the mountains. The big ones, though, will probably keep a few patches of snow, so if you’re planning of hiking in high mountains, it might be wise to bring an ice axe and crampons. If you’d like, I can hook you with a great mountain guide for a safer trip.
Best regards, Neja
Oj, Neja! Sem po naključju našel tvoj luškan blog. Se najde kaka fajn ideja za družinski izlet. Lahko kdaj skupaj kaj ušpičimo. 🙂
lp, Matej od Gabra
Oooo nisem vedela, da ti tudi blogaš, super 🙂 Jaz sem absolutno za kakšen skupen izlet, bo večja motivacija pri naših malih nergačih 🙂 No, več pa v živo. lp
Ja, lepa je ta cesta v Radovni. Sem bil letos trikrat tam. start v Kranju, čez Bled, Radovna, Mojstrana , Begunje, pod gorami, Kranj. Nisem hotel delati preveč reklame za nov asfalt po Radovni. Bo prehitro preveč ljudi, še bolj pa se bojim motoriziranih turistov in motoristov. bo
Would it be possible to rent bikes somewhere to ride this? We are visiting Bled in June and would love to get the family on bikes. Other ideas? Thank you!