EUROPE: The 7 Countries of Yugoslavia

Clutch Team will meet you at the airport in Ljubljana, introduce you to first basic information about the area, and transfer you to the hotel. We will meet in the hotel lobby at 3:30 pm, and officially start the tour with a briefing and a little bit of paperwork; you will meet the other riders, and the motorcycles you will be riding. The first day will end in the traditional Slovenian restaurant with a special welcoming dinner.

First in the morning we follow the flow of Sava River, with 990 kilometers the longest river of former Yugoslavia. Nice twisty roads are taking us through hilly countryside between many medieval castles back to the Eastern Slovenia where we stop at small town called Bizeljsko. Town is famous for Repnice, caves dug into quartz sand which was washed to the area of Bizeljsko millions of years ago by Pannonian Sea. In the past local farmers used them to store agricultural products but today they serve as wine cellars. After crossing the border back to Croatia we stop in Kumrovec, birth place of Josip Broz Tito, dictator who ruled Yugoslavia for decades. We finish in Zagreb, Croatian largest city and the cultural, economic, cinematic, sporting and governmental hub of the country. After rest in the hotel we will go for a walking tour to meet this interesting old city with its numerous historical monuments and a long cultural history. 

Today we’ll ride to Bosnia and Hercegovina. Countryside roads will first lead us through many villages and small towns before we stop in Sisak, one of the oldest settlements in the area. Very nice place to stretch your bones and enjoy a coffee in one of its many cafeterias in the old town. After crossing the border into Bosnia you will feel the difference, you will see many mosques with minarets, some road signs will be in Cyrillic alphabet, people will get even more friendly. Your tour guide will get it more close to you with his eye opening stories about the near history. Banja Luka is the biggest town on the way, with its famous promenade streets with many cafes and good restaurants what makes it perfect stop for your first Bosnian lunch. From here we have two more hours to our hotel on the peaceful mountain plain with great twisty road leading there.

Today we have a short ride to Olympic Sarajevo, Bosnian capital city. We’ll have riding free afternoon to feel this fantastic city with interesting history and charming oriental influence. We have our hotel in the heart of the downtown to make us easy access to the old town. On the way we’ll visit the War Tunnel which was built under the airport runway during the siege of Sarajevo 1992-1995. Sarajevo is one of the cities where always wish to go back, and back, and back… and you’ll feel that same.

Just after we leave the city behind the real riding fun starts. This will be the day of the corners, 250 kilometers of twisty roads with not much traffic. Roads take us through some of the most remote areas of both, Bosnia and Serbia. On the way to the border just before we cross into Serbia we stop in Višegrad to see the Ottoman-era Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge, an UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was popularized by Nobel prize winning author Ivo Andrić in his novel The Bridge on the Drina. After crossing the border we stop at a traditional village that the Serbian film director Emir Kusturica built for his film Life Is a Miracle. After lunch here come more twisties until we hit the last 90 kilometers section before the capital city Belgrade with much more open, straight and faster road.

Rest day in Belgrade. Belgrade is the capital city of Serbia. It lies on the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. The city has a long history, dating back to the 4th century BC, when the area was settled by Celtic tribes. There are many options how to spend your rest day. You can walk around the old part of the city called Kalamegdan, visit tomb of Josip Broz Tito, ride or drive to the hill Avala above the city for a nice view from TV tower platform or just sit in one of many cafeterias around the main street and enjoy this friendly city.

After saying goodbye to Belgrade we ride South to the hill named Oplenac in the city of Topola. It’s famous for the St. George’s Church where the Mausoleum of the Serbian and Yugoslav Royal Family of Karadjordjevic is located. Our destination today is Kopaonik, the most famous skiing area in Serbia, located in the mountains with very peaceful nature. It’s perfect place to relax after spending a day in a vibrant capital.

Today we ride to Macedonia, nice twisty roads leaving Kopanik which open when the area gets more flat and the road became faster. We ride direct to Skopje, the Macedonian capital city where we spend a couple of hours enjoying the walk through the downtown. From there we have another 100 kilometers to small village called Demir Kapija, where we stay in a boutique hotel owned by very famous Macedonian wine producer. We'll spend the evening with exceptional food and wines.

First part of the day we are riding a bit faster roads over very agricultural countryside, very big flat area wherever you look. After Kruševo the road gets much more twisty and enjoyable to ride and that continue for the rest of the day. Our final destination is Ohrid, beautiful town by even more beautiful Lake Ohrid. For sure among the top 5 tourist destinations former Yugoslavia had to offer to the world.

Rest day in Ohrid. Ohrid is notable for having once 365 churches, one for each day of the year, and is referred to as the Macedonian Jerusalem. The city is rich in picturesque houses and monuments. There is much to do here if you want to be active on your rest day. You can go for a ride or take a boat trip to the 10th century Monastery of Saint Naum, 29 km South from Ohrid on a shore of the lake.

We are heading North to the mountain area, very beautiful riding, twisty road with nice views all the way to Mavrovo, Macedonian most famous ski resort. Small town by the artificial lake makes perfect lunch stop on our way to Kosovo. Locals, they call it mysterious and romantic, sheltered by the high hills of the mountain Korab. Today we cross the border into one of the youngest independent countries on the world-Kosovo. They split form Serbia in 2008. Tonight we stay in Prizren, located on the slopes of the Šar Mountains in the southern part of Kosovo.

This morning we enjoy breakfast on the main square of the Prizren Old Town. Then we ride over a flat plain to Peč, a busy trading town with a patriarchal monastery, which stands above the city and consists of four fresco-decorated churches, a library and a treasury. Patriarchate of Peč was listed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2006 and represents one of the most important religious monuments in the country. Breathtaking views on mountains roads will take us over 1795 meters High Mountain Pass to Montenegro. More corners follow the Tara River Canyon on our way to Žabljak, the centre of Montenegrin mountain tourism. Žabljak is located in the middle of Durmitor National Park, UNESCO World Heritage Site, a natural wonder you will never forget.

Today we ride up to a 1900m high pass right through the heart of Durmitor National Park.; arguably one of the most beautiful areas in the world. This national park was formed by glaciers and is traversed by rivers and underground streams. Along the Tara River Canyon, which has the deepest gorges in Europe, the dense pine forests are interspersed with clear lakes and boasts a wide range of endemic flora. After we descend from the mountain ‘twisties’ we ride through Podgorica, the capital city of Montenegro, named Titovgrad in the past (Tito’s city) after Yugoslavian dictator Tito. In the afternoon we finish our riding back at the sea in Budva, the historical town on the Montenegro Adriatic Coast.

Today we ride up to the Lovcen National Park, located in the rocky region of the Dinara Alps. The slopes of Mt. Lovcen steeply rise from coastal region of Budva. “Black Mountain”, after which Montenegro got its name, rises to 1749 meters in altitude. In this Park is the mausoleum of Montenegrin ruler and poet Petar II Petrovic Njegos. These regions of the Lovcen Montenegrins are considered sacred. From the top of the mountain we descend down to Kotor, a city of traders and famous sailors. We’ll be riding a spectacular road of many switchbacks with some breathtaking views of the Bay Kotor. The Medieval architecture and numerous monuments of cultural heritage have made Kotor a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site. We end our day in Dubrovnik, Pearl of the Adriatic.

Rest day in Dubrovnik. Explore the compact and beautifully preserved medieval fortifications of Dubrovnik's UNESCO-listed Old Town. Take in the terracotta-roofed townhouses and centuries-old stone monuments; from the 17th-century Rector's Palace to the Baroque Cathedral. Take a walk of the City Wall for spectacular views of the Old Town or just sit on Stradun, its vibrant main street and enjoy coffee and Dubrovnik’s hospitality. You can take a cable car to the hill above Dubrovnik and be amazed by the breathtaking views of the Old City, the crystal clear Adriatic Sea and the numerous islands.

We follow the scenic coastal road heading up to Split. After we enter Bosnia we turn inland and ride to Mostar, last UNESCO Word Heritage Site on our adventure. Mostar has been most famous for this beautiful historic Ottoman-style bridge, which spanned the Neretva River, and in what is considered the historic centre of the city. The city was the most heavily bombed of any Bosnian city during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina 1992-1995 following the breakup of then-Yugoslavia. At the beginning of the war, the city lost many important buildings and the Old Bridge was one of them. It has been rebuilt using some of its original pieces recovered from the Neretva River. A significant portion of the city has been rebuilt and visitors might be suprised to see that this formerly war-torn city is a lively and beautiful destination once again. After lunch we ride back to the coast and continue to Hvar Island.

Rest day in Hvar. Whatever you want to do on your rest day, you may find here on this Island, which is considered to be one of the 10 most beautiful Islands in the world. Night life and cultural attractions of cosmopolitan Hvar town, boat excursions to Pakleni Islands, sandy beaches near Jelsa, the ancient town Stari Grad in which past centuries mingle modern tourist facilities, heavenly beaches under pine trees in Zavala, exotic atmosphere of south cliffs in Ivan Dolac, Sveta Nedjelja or Milna, the “little Venice” ambient in Vrboska, ride through and sense lavender fields near Zastrazisce, Gdinj and Bogomolje, peaceful secluded bays near Sucuraj…this is just a fraction of it…you need to explore it. 

After return to the mainland in Split we’ll head north, following the coastline towards Pag Island. Along the way, we will stop in Trogir, historical city and UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will follow the Adriatic Sea, with spectacular views over its many Adriatic islands. After riding over two thirds of the island, we will reach our hotel, based in the middle of the vineyards, where we will enjoy fine dining with various sorts of vine of the region.

In the morning we take short ferry ride back to the mainland and there is 60 kilometers (37 miles) of amazing twisty road waiting for us. Clutch Team listed this section among Top 10 Best Roads of Europe. After this gorgeus ride we say goodbye to the sea for the next two weeks and we head inland over the Velebit mountain range to Lika region where we end up at Plitvice National Park, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. After checking in to the hotel we go for a walk tour of this unique natural wonder. Here waters are flowing over the limestone and chalk have and over thousands of years they deposited travertine barriers, creating natural dams which in turn have created a series of beautiful lakes, caves and waterfalls.

Today we cross the border into Slovenia. Some people call it hidden jewel in the European crown. We’ll ride through green countryside with numerous small villages which are home to sincere and hospitable people of great diligence. On our way to the capital city Ljubljana we’ll stop to visit Postojna Cave, one of the greatest Slovenian tourist attractions and the most visited cave in Europe. We’ll aboard the underground cave train and admire the size and splendour of the underground world, where the geological past is recorded in a unique manner. We finish our incredible trip with a farewell dinner.

Clutch Team will transfer you to the airport or to any other place in Ljubljana, from where you continue your travel.