About the trail

Škofja loka region

THE REGION

It only takes twenty minutes to get from the capital to the picturesque valleys of the Škofja Loka region. The hills that separate Ljubljana and Bohinj are rich with history and gems of nature, connected with winding roads, paths, and single tracks without crowds or traffic jams.

If you ride through the ancient towns, you’ll meet friendly locals and time-travel to another era. You’ll visit Škofja Loka with its incredibly well-preserved medieval old town; the blacksmiths’ burg of Železniki; the shoemaking capital of Žiri; the cheese-making hub in Gorenja vas, and countless hidden spots with breathtaking views, secret histories, and wild stories. The hills, the rivers, the lesser-known paths. It’s all here.

THE HIDDEN HILLS TRAIL

The Hidden Hills Trail is a long-distance e-bike trail in Slovenia that links four municipalities of the Škofja Loka region and various tourist spots (accommodation, restaurants, attractions, artisans, farms, etc.). The trail was carefully designed to include the most captivating sightseeing points in the area and lead past all the local attractions.

The Hidden Hills Trail is the best e-bike trail in Slovenia for many reasons: the gorgeous landscape and the diverse terrain; the almost traffic-free roads that will bring you closer to the pristine and calm nature; and the secluded spots where friendly locals welcome every visitor with open arms. We also pride ourselves on several services that will make your journey easier, safer, and more enjoyable.

Highlights

240 km long cycling trail
7 stages
7,000 meters of elevation gain
Crossing 4 municipalities
Trail designed for E-bikes
Asphalt and gravel roads, including parts on single trails
Pre-alpine region of Slovenia
Green Destination Certificate

Advantages of Visiting the HH e-bike trail in Slovenia

Uncrowded
No traffic roads
Special Trail information and booking center
Top advice from experienced and competent employees
Unique individual travel planning and booking
Superb services such as luggage transport, shuttle services, local cuisine, accommodation reservations, etc.
Attractive and extraordinary trail offers
Trail Hotline: Daily from 08:00 to 20:00

information

Trail Map and Stages

Stage 0 - Ljubljana - Škofja Loka (Connecting Stage)

Lets start cycling with an exciting ride from the city centre of Ljubljana to the medieval town of Škofja Loka. After leaving the city centre you will start with an ascent up to St. Katarina, overlooking Ljubljana valley, and continue all the way to scenic St. Jakob church which offers a 360-degree panoramic view. After the descent from Polhograjski Dolomiti hills, you will reach Škofja Loka – the town full of history and culture.

Highlights

the capital Ljubljana
Sv. Jakob
Polhograjski hribi
medieval Škofja Loka

Route specs:

Distance: 30km
Duration: 5h
Elevation gain: 780 m
Elevation loss: 730 m
Difficulty: 3/5
Technique: 3/5
Stamina: 3/5

Road type: Asphalt and tarmac

Stage 1 - Škofja Loka

A warm-up circuit around Škofja Loka showcases the beauty of one of Slovenia’s oldest towns and its surroundings.

Highlights

Škofja Loka
Sorško polje
The old town center
View of the surrounding hills
The Poljanska Sora and Selška Sora rivers

Route specs:

Distance: 20 km
Duration: 2 hours
Elevation gain: 210 m
Elevation loss: 210 m
Difficulty: 1/5
Technique: 1/5
Stamina: 2/5

Road type: Asphalt and tarmac

Stage 2 - Škofja Loka - Stari vrh

The second stage takes you from one spectacular vista to another, revealing local cultural heritage, intact nature, and history.

Highlights

Križna Gora
The Church of the Holy Cross
The view of Stari Vrh
Descent and refreshment by the Sora river
St. Thomas’s Church, one of the most photographed destinations on Instagram
The old military road
Stari Vrh Ski Resort

Route data:

Distance: 26 km
Duration: 4 hours
Elevation gain: 1127 m
Elevation loss: 639 m
Difficulty: 3/5
Technique: 4/5
Stamina: 3/5

Road type: Asphalt, tarmac, and a short part of a single trail.

Stage 3 - Stari vrh - Soriška Planina

Follow the picturesque path along the hills, thick spruce forest, and remote villages where time flows differently.

Highlights

Descent to the ancient village Selca through mountain hamlets
Ascent to Kališče and Dražgoše
The forests of Jelovica
The alpine village of Prtovč under Ratitovec
The route on the sunny side of the Alps through Danje
Soriška Planina

Route data:

Distance: 44 km
Duration: 7 hours
Elevation gain: 1818 m
Elevation loss: 1410 m
Difficulty: 5/5
Technique: 4/5
Stamina: 5/5

Road type: Asphalt, tarmac, and a short part of a single trail.

Stage 4 - Soriška Planina - Blegoš

Our guides will take you through lovely villages with rich histories to impressive vantage points, including the second-highest peak of the Škofja Loka Hills.

Highlights

Descent to Sorica
Petrovo Brdo and a break in a mountain hut
Ascent to Podporezen with a view of the Porezen hill
Cycling through Davča
The Cerkno Ski Resort
Ascent to Blegoš, the highest point of the trail

Route data:

Distance: 33 km
Duration: 6 hours
Elevation gain: 1156 m
Elevation loss: 1120m
Difficulty: 4/5
Technique: 4/5
Stamina: 4/5

Road type: Asphalt, tarmac, and a short part of a single trail.

Stage 5 - Blegoš - Žiri

The fifth stage of the trail will let you explore the secret spots of the Žiri Basin and offer you breathtaking views of the Alps.

Highlights

Kladje
Ermanovec and their bell
The view of the Julian Alps
Sovodenj
Mrzli vrh
Žiri

Route data:

Distance: 52 km
Duration: 6 hours
Elevation gain: 1015 m
Elevation loss: 1914 m
Difficulty: 4/5
Technique: 4/5
Stamina: 5/5

Road type: Asphalt, tarmac, and a short part of a single trail.

Stage 6 - Žiri - Gorenja vas

The penultimate part of the trip is where you’ll discover the historical line of fortifications built before WWII, before riding through quaint villages to see two masters making cheese.

Highlights

The Rupnik Line
Javorč
Gorenja vas
The Pustotnik and Bogataj cheese dairies

Route data:

Distance: 29 km
Duration: 5 hours
Elevation gain: 910 m
Elevation loss: 1022 m
Difficulty: 3/5
Technique: 3/5
Stamina: 4/5

Road type: Asphalt, tarmac, and a short part of a single trail.

Stage 7 - Gorenja vas - Škofja Loka

The last day’s itinerary starts at the bucolic mansion Visoko that gave Slovenia one of the most important novels. From there, you’ll ride over the hills and through remote homesteads back to Škofja Loka, where you’ll visit an old bridge where the devil himself used to appear. You’ll wrap the trip up with a refreshing swim in Sora.

Highlights

The Visoko Mansion
Bukov Vrh, and the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows
Črni Vrh
Sveti Ožbolt
The Sopotnica settlement
Škofja Loka
The Devil’s Bridge
The Škofja Loka Outdoor Pool

Route data:

Distance: 30 km
Time: 5 hours
Elevation gain: 790 m
Elevation loss: 830 m
Difficulty: 3/5
Technique: 3/5
Stamina:3/5

Road type: Asphalt, tarmac, and a short part of a single trail.

Stage 8 - Sorška Planina - Bled (Connecting Stage)

There is no better way to start the day at one lake and finish it with a well-deserved swim at the other. The route will take you from lake Bohinj up to the mountain pasture Zajamniki, which is known as the most picturesque panorama view in Slovenia. After leaving one pasture you will cross many of them and have a chance to try traditional alpine cheese. Having enough of typical shepherd’s mountain huts you will start with a long descent to Lake Bled and finish the day.

Highlights

Lake Bohinj
Pokljuka – Zajamniki
Lake Bled

Route data:

Distance: 45 km
Elevation gain: 1110 m
Elevation loss: 1150 m
Time: 5 hours
Difficulty: 4/5
Technique: 4/5
Stamina: 4/5

Road type: Asphalt, tarmac, and a short part of a single trail.

Best Time to Travel

Spring (April and May): The trail is officially open. There could still be snow on the northern sides of the hills, but otherwise, the trail is rideable.

Summer and Autumn (June to October): The best time to visit the trail due to the altitude, climate, and temperature.

In our opinion, the best months to ride are September and October.

Equipment

To bike on the Hidden Hills Trail, you need the following biking equipment:

Bike – Mountain bike, gravel bike, or trekking bike; we highly recommend Electric mountain bike
Bike helmet, raincoat, bike shoes.
Backpack with spare parts and tools.
Water for hydration, and snacks.
First aid kit
E-bike charger (if you are using an E-bike)

Hint: For a more effortless and more pleasant biking experience, you don’t have to carry all your things with you every day. We can arrange daily luggage transfers to your next accommodation.

Requirements

The difficulty of Hidden Hills Trail ranges from easy to medium and is technically not too demanding. No parts of the trail are marked as very difficult or dangerous. All you need is a bit of caution and the ability to ride the bike on gravel roads.

Each stage is marked as easy, medium, or difficult, depending on the distance and altitude one needs to overcome. In a few stages, the trail takes you up to 1,500 meters above sea level, so sufficient physical fitness is required.

You should be able to cover stages 40 kilometers long, approximately 1000 meters of ascent, which might take up to 6 hours.

Hidden Hills Trail is primarily designed for e-bikes (mountain & gravel bikes), so some stages can be much more difficult on a normal bike. We strongly recommend you use a bike that doesn’t have any mechanical issues and is well maintained.

In an appropriate season and stages, children older than 12 years can participate as well.

Attractions / Things To Do

History and Culture

The Rapallo border
The Rupnik defence line
The secret Partizan hospital Franja
The Nace house
The Škofja Loka castle
The Železniki museum

Culinary experiences

Handcraft workshops

Sport activities

Service

Accommodation & Food

The area of the Hidden Hills e-bike trail in Slovenia offers unique places to stay. You’ll mostly find small boutique hotels, B&B accommodations, country cottages, tourist farms, or campsites. They’re all located in nature, surrounded by fields and forests.

Along the Hidden Hills trail, you can choose between three different types of accommodation.

Basic: Simple, clean, functional – inns, guesthouses, mountain lodges, tourist farms, or camping.

Classic: two- or three-star accommodation. Hotels, apartments, or boarding houses.

Comfort: three or four-star accommodation. Some even offer a spa, but such accommodation is not available on all stages.

Almost all accommodations offer the following services:

– Bed and breakfast: rich self-service breakfast or table service.

– Half board: breakfast and dinner (usually a three-course dinner).

– Bike storage

Mobility

1. Luggage transfer

For a more care-free journey, we can, in addition to accommodation, also arrange luggage transfers between your accommodations and person transfers. If you are looking for a more pleasant and enjoyable biking experience, you may order your own luggage transfer (one piece per person, up to 20 kilograms).

2. Van transfer

Transfer to the starting point or the destination of your choice: you may choose the transfer to take you from the start of your stage and back to your starting point (bike & luggage transfer included). We can also arrange the transfer to your chosen destination (e.g., to the bus or train station, airport, etc.).

3. Additional transfers

If you decide to skip a certain part of the trail or even the entire stage (if a particular part of the trail is not suitable or interesting to you, in case of illness, minor injuries, tiredness, etc.) and need a transfer to your next accommodation, we can help you with that. Contact our HHT Booking Center, and we will help you find a transfer to the desired destination. There is an extra charge for the transfer.

E-bike Charging Stations

Did you know forests cover 64% of the surface area in Slovenia? We are doing everything to keep it that way, and that’s why you’ll find many natural parks and protected areas.

In the past couple of years, Slovenia fully committed to becoming a sustainable green country, using clean energy to protect our forests and nature.

In the Hidden Hills trail area, people and organizations are doing everything to protect and sustain the environment. One big step towards that was building charging stations for electric cars and electric bikes. You will find them along the trail.

You can always charge your e-bike at any restaurant, accommodation, or mountain hut. Just show them our logo, and they’ll be more than happy to assist you.

Check the map with locations of electric charging stations (including privately owned properties).

Don’t forget to take your E-bike charger with you.

Service

We are available every day during your trip, so your vacation runs as smoothly and effortlessly as possible.

The call center: In case of an emergency, you may call every day between 8 AM and 8 PM.

After you choose and book your package, we’ll send you additional information on accommodations and other services that might come in handy during your trip.

Arrival

You can access the Hidden Hills Trail by various means of transport, and from various directions (the tickets are not included in the price):

By car: You can park at the starting point of each stage. The parking spaces are mostly free of charge. After the end of the biking trip, you may use our transfer service to return to the starting point and your car.

By train or bus: You can take a train or bus from Ljubljana or Jesenice to Škofja Loka, and book a transfer to the starting point of the trail.

By plane: We suggest you use the airports in the vicinity: Ljubljana, Trieste, Klagenfurt, or Venice.

About the Navigation App

For navigation purposes, we use the Ride With GPS app, which can be downloaded for free on all Android and iOS devices. If you choose one of our packages, we’ll give you access to the HHT Trail. The app offers the following information:

The GPS track
Navigation guidance
The exact location of all the restaurants, accommodations, e-bike charging stations, attractions, and viewpoints
Pictures from delicate crossings
And more (events, etc.)