From European Bike Week at Lake Faaker See to Slovenia on the Vršič Pass
If you want to do a short mountain tour as part of European Bike Week to get used to the conditions, I can recommend the tour from Lake Faaker See to Slovenia, over the Vršič Trenta mountain pass. It's a beautiful tour over the Wurzen Pass, crossing into Slovenia and climbing to an altitude of 1,620 meters.
There is a small restaurant on the hillside where you can get snacks, drinks, and coffee. You can also enjoy a wonderful view of the Slovenian mountains. If you want to spend four hours outdoors in good weather, you will enjoy this tour.
But let's start at Lake Faaker See.
The start is at Harley Village Faaker See
European Bike Week at Lake Faaker See, which is where the tour to Slovenia begins. Gas stations in Austria are usually in high demand.
From Villach, it is approximately 20 kilometers to the nearest petrol station in Slovenia. If your tank is not completely empty, you should avoid the crowds in Villach and refuel in Slovenia instead.
The drive to Berg-Kaffee is about 70 kilometers, so it's not too far, but despite the short distance, it's a very scenic route with some beautiful mountain curves to drive on.
From Trenta to the top of the pass, there are 50 curves with a gradient of 14%. If you are riding with an AIR-Drive suspension, you should not set the Harley too low.
Turn toward Wurzen Pass
Shortly after Villach, turn left behind the Shell gas station and head up towards the Wurzen Pass. A gradient of 18% is quite mountainous for someone from the flatlands, but traffic is limited.
There are a few nice curves on this route, where you mainly encounter Harleys. For several years now, the Wurzen Pass has been nothing more than a side road.
The curves should not pose a challenge for any experienced biker, but those whose bikes have a little more power will have a clear advantage, accelerating nicely out of the curve with torque—it's fun.
Wurzen Pass – Photo break at the T-34 tank
After all, you are 1,073 meters above sea level, so at least it feels like you are high up on the mountain.
Up here stands the old Russian T-34 tank, which was erected here in 2009. It commemorates the defensive position that was located here in 1963 during the Cold War. Today, the tank is a popular photo motif.
Photo gallery from the Slovenia tour
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Gas station
It's about 20 kilometers from Villach to here, and it's not as crowded as it is around European Bike Week. The further you get from the event, the more it naturally disperses.
Many Harley bikers pass through here after crossing the Wurzen Pass to start their day trips to Italy or Slovenia. There are great routes everywhere to the left and right of the roads, and the area is simply beautiful to look at.
The petrol station is located directly on the main road. A few kilometers in the other direction, you are already in Italy, but now we are heading up the Slovenian mountain for a coffee.
Food – Brunarica Kosobrin
Here we got stuck on the way back. From the road you can see a small hut with a smoking chimney.
Here you can get the traditional Solyanka soup and some really delicious fresh homemade bread to go with it, which we were more than thrilled about.
In this hut, there is a large pot over the fire where soup is being prepared. Bikers obviously come here often, as the Harley-Davidson flag was hoisted by the road and the pot was full of soup.
The mountain calls for a coffee break – Tičarjev dom
At an altitude of 1620 meters, this is a great place to enjoy a coffee, take in the beautiful view, and there is also a platform on the hillside for photo sessions.
About 70 kilometers from Lake Faaker See, you will find a beautiful destination in the mountains. Great curves lead up the mountain and back down again. The road is okay, but if you have a lowered custom bike, you should watch out for dips in the road when cornering.
At times, there is a photographer who takes pictures of every biker on a higher bend. You can order the photo at the finish line.
Of course, many Harley riders already know this meeting place. Especially when the weather is good, there is a lot of activity here. There are other places to visit if you drive up the mountain, but the view from up here is one of the most beautiful.
In just over four hours, the relaxed tour with a lunch break was over, but it was wonderful. There were lots of bikes to see, and I was able to photograph a few people on their Harleys. But take a look for yourself in the photo gallery from the Slovenia tour.
Text and image credits: Copyright Wolf
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