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Biking

Biking
Zagreb and biking is not at first glance a match made in heaven. However, even though those parts of the city not swarming with traffic are hilly enough to put off all but superheroes, cycling sure beats swapping armpit juices with your neighbours in the tram and battling it out over parking spaces with road rage victims.
Of course, you can always head for Jarun and the leafy alleys of Maksimir also make for a pleasant ride. But if you fancy something a little more challenging, and can piggyback your two wheels on top of your 4WD, we strongly suggest you head for the Žumberak-Samoborsko Gorje Nature Park just west of Samobor. It’s a region of serrated ridges, idyllic vineyards and hilltop villages. We’ve picked four bike routes for you - here’s what to expect along the way.
Route 1 - Vistas Route 24km
Samobor - Cerje - Kotari - Okić - Konščica - Kladje - Samobor
This route affords great views of not only the Nature Park but also Sljeme and its foothills, and is sprinkled with chapels and temples to food and drink. If you’re a real wuss there’s an inn near the start in beautiful Anindol; if you can make it to Manja Vas you can eat and drink at the Suban family house; home cooked food is also served in a hut just beyond Okić, and there is the Milečki Inn just beyond Konščica. This is a round trip- a visit to Okić means turning off for a few kilometres, but it’s worth it for the view of the ruins of the 11th Century hilltop fortress.
Route 2 - The Waterfall Trail 36km
Medven Draga - Vranjak Waterfall - Brisalo Waterfall - Dragan’s Mill - Jelenići - Koretići - Grdanjci
These mountains are karstic, meaning that the stone is soft and easily carved by water, giving rise to spectacular natural rock shapes. After Medven Draga, you enter the canyon of the Slapnica stream, a protected area. You’ll pass the 30m Vranjak waterfall with a cave at the bottom, and the 15m Brisalo waterfall which plunges into a little lake. The stream has quite some force, and Dragan’s Mill is just one surviving example of mills that were once placed along the way. The valley widens into woodland and meadows. Towards the end of the trail you can turn off for either of two “eco-villages”, Žumberak or Divlje Vode. These are basically ecology and outdoor fun complexes, both offering food and horseriding, while at Žumberak you can also sleep over (tel. 3387 472/3). Worth making a weekend of it.
Route 3 - The Trail of the Fairies 42km
Grdnjaci - Stojdraga - Budinjak - Gornja Vas - Petričko Selo - Hartje - Željezno Žumberačko - Kostanjevac - Čunkova Draga - Medven Draga
Not strictly for fairies at this distance, but so called because near Budinjak is a stone called “Zelenko”, or “The Green One”, which fairies reputedly danced around to uplifting house music. In a more sinister vein, this was the place where witches lay in wait to do unspeakable things to unsuspecting locals coming to tend their vines. Near Budinjak is another eco-village and Iron Age burial mounds. Before that, near Poklek is the 12th Century Tuščak fortress. A 15km detour through Tomaševci, Sopote and Sošice takes you past the Romanesque Žumberak fortress, the Sopot waterfall and mill and the Basilian Sisters Convent in Sošice, which houses an ethnographic museum. The last part of the journey from Kostanjevac takes you past more waterfalls and mills.
Route 4 - The Trail of the Bats 65 km
Samobor - Bregana - Grdnjaci - Divlje vode - Kostanjevec - Koretići - Golubići - Brezovac -Žumberački - Dragonoš - Slapnica - Smerovišće - Samobor
Disappointingly, this trail gets its name not from winged beasts but from the Samobor mountain bike club of the same name. The first part follows the Bregana river valley, again passing by the Divlje Vode and Žumberak Eco Villages. A detour of 12km takes you through Slani Dol, a hilltop village with the information centre for the whole Nature Park. A charming little pub, “Goga” is nearby and does great home made white wine. This trail, though demanding, gives you a great circuit of the entire Samobor uplands with an incredible number of things to see along the way.
Please note:
Since Samoborsko-Žumberačko Gorje is a hilly area, there is some challenging terrain. Some parts of the trails are on unsurfaced roads. Therefore, please take care with steep descents, and don’t push yourself too much in hot weather unless you’re sure of your fitness level. Always take a bottle of water with you, and, of course, respect the countryside code and the fact that this is a protected area.
For more detailed information on all these routes, including maps, the following contacts can help you.
Zagreb County Tourist Board Preradovićeva 42 tel. 487 36 65 www.tzzz.hr . Mon - Fri 08:00 - 16:00

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