Cyclists riding through the rolling green hills of Goriška Brda
Slovenia · Italy · One borderless ride

Cycling in Nova Gorica — two countries, one saddle

Pedal across Europe's friendliest border. Nova Gorica and its Italian twin Gorizia — together the first cross-border European Capital of Culture 2025 — sit where the emerald Soča River, the Vipava Valley vineyards, the Goriška Brda hills and the Karst plateau meet. Few towns this size pack in so many landscapes to ride through.

Nova Gorica, Slovenia300+ routesmapped rides around the cityYear-roundsub-Mediterranean climateGiro d'Italiastage finish, 24 May 2025GO2GOcross-border bike sharing

300+

Mapped routes

4

Landscapes

2

Countries

Year-round

Riding season

Why cycle here

A borderless cycling playground at the meeting point of four landscapes

Nova Gorica is Slovenia's youngest city, built after the Second World War directly on the Italian border, opposite historic Gorizia. Since the border checks ended, the two towns have grown into a single conurbation you can cross freely by bike — espresso in Italy in the morning, štruklji in Slovenia for lunch. In 2025 the twin cities made history as the first cross-border European Capital of Culture (GO! 2025), leaving cyclists a legacy of new cross-border cycle paths and signed themed routes.

🌍

Two countries in one ride

Urban cycle paths link Nova Gorica (Slovenia) and Gorizia (Italy) with no border formalities — ride from one country to another as easily as crossing a square.

🏔️

Every terrain in 30 minutes

River valleys along the emerald Soča, rolling vineyard hills in Goriška Brda, flat wine roads of the Vipava Valley, and Karst gravel — all reachable on a single day ride.

🌞

Ride all year

A mild sub-Mediterranean climate keeps the valley routes rideable in every season; high plateau and Karst gravel rides are best from late May to early October.

🩷

Giro d'Italia pedigree

The Vipava Valley's legendary ascents have featured in the Giro d'Italia twice, and in May 2025 the Giro finished a stage right on the shared Europe Square.

🕊️

History on the way

Routes cross the former Isonzo Front of WWI — Sabotin ridge, Sveta Gora and the Walk of Peace link open-air museums, trenches and memorials from the Alps to the Adriatic.

🍷

Wine & food stops

Trails are lined with tourist farms, osmice wine taverns and orchards — Brda cherries in spring, Solkan radicchio, Vipava's indigenous Zelen and Pinela wines.

Border marker between Slovenia and Italy set into the pavement in the Nova Gorica–Gorizia conurbation
The border marker on the pavement — ride straight over it. Photo: EUNews
Signature rides

City & cross-border routes — start from the centre

These easy routes begin in or right next to Nova Gorica and are ideal for a first taste of the region — including the official ring route created for the European Capital of Culture year.

Europe Square in front of Nova Gorica railway station with the border marker between Slovenia and Italy
EasyCross-border

GO!2025 Ring — European Capital of Culture route (R059)

📏17.3 km⛰️+245 m⏱️~1.5 h
The official cultural ring linking Gorizia and Nova Gorica, created for GO! 2025. Starting at Gorizia's railway station, it threads the Italian old town, crosses the border via the Rafut pass to Kostanjevica monastery, tours Nova Gorica's modernist centre and returns across the historic Transalpina station and the Isonzo river bridges.

Highlights

  • Gorizia castle, Piazza Vittoria and the Great War & Fashion museums
  • Kostanjevica monastery — crypt of the last Bourbon kings of France
  • Europe Square (Piazza della Transalpina) — stand with one foot in each country
Cyclist crossing a suspension footbridge over the emerald Soča river
EasyCross-border option

Plave – Nova Gorica cycling trail

📏22.4 km⛰️+150 m👨‍👩‍👧Yes
A gentle riverside ride that passes the world-famous Solkan railway bridge, then crosses the Soča on Slovenia's longest suspension footbridge — a small adrenaline kick in itself. The trail rolls across the Solkan field, home of prized Goriška radicchio, to Europe Square in front of Nova Gorica station.

Highlights

  • Solkan Bridge — world's longest stone-arch railway bridge
  • Optional detour: Soča Fun Park, bungee jumping and the Solkan kayak centre
  • Continue into Gorizia (IT) or follow the border path to Šempeter pri Gorici
Easy

Panovec city forest loops

🌲380 ha🥾Marked📍City edge
Nova Gorica's green living room: a protected urban forest (a natural monument since 1985) criss-crossed with gravel roads and singletracks, a fitness trail, running track and an outdoor gym. Perfect for a relaxed morning spin or a family ride in the shade, reachable from the city centre in minutes. A popular loop links Panovec with Kostanjevica monastery.
Day trips

Rivers, vineyards and border ridges

Within an hour of the city you can be riding alongside one of Europe's most beautiful rivers, climbing a Giro ascent, or weaving between wine cellars on both sides of the border.

Moderate

Soča Valley ride — Tolmin to Solkan

📏37.7 km⛰️~600 m⏱️~4 h
Follow the emerald-green Soča downstream through the valley, tracing the historic 1906 Bohinj railway line almost the whole way, past the stone bridge at Kanal ob Soči and on to the monumental Solkan Bridge at the gates of Nova Gorica. Mostly gentle gradients; return by train with your bike is possible on the Bohinj line.
ModerateCross-border

Collio & Goriška Brda vineyard loops (R060)

📏81.4 km⛰️+987 m⏱️Full day
One wine landscape, two countries and two names: Italian Collio and Slovenian Brda. A rolling loop of ridge roads between terraced vineyards, hilltop villages like Šmartno and Dobrovo castle, and endless cellar doors. The same roads hosted part of the Giro d'Italia 2025 stage into Nova Gorica. Shorter loops are easy to carve out of the route.
Two cyclists riding through the green Vipava Valley with vineyards and mountains
Easy

Vipava Valley wine roads & family trails

📏10–40 km⛰️Low🍇Wine region
Flat, quiet lanes between vineyards and orchards along the Vipava River — the valley is famous for Slovenia's largest selection of indigenous grape varieties (Zelen, Pinela, Klarnica). Family trails link Ajdovščina's Roman walls, the medieval gem of Vipavski Križ and the delta-shaped springs of the Vipava, with tourist farms for refreshments along the way.
Challenging

Sabotin & Sveta Gora — border ridge MTB

⛰️Steep🚵MTB / gravel🕊️WWI heritage
Climb the 609 m Sabotin ridge — today the national border between Slovenia and Italy — through the Park of Peace with its WWI caverns and trenches, with views from the Dolomites to the Adriatic. Combine with Sveta Gora (Holy Mountain), a pilgrimage basilica above Solkan, reachable by bike on the asphalt road.
Challenging

Trnovo & Banjšice plateaus

🚵MTB / gravel🌲Forest wilderness
North of the Soča rises a wild karst plateau of deep forests, high meadows and the dramatic Otliško okno natural rock window. Rugged, little-trafficked trails for experienced mountain bikers and gravel riders — the most untouched riding in the region.
Moderate

Karst gravel — Cerje, Komen & Štanjel

📏~50 km⛰️~800 m🚲Gravel-ready
South of the city the Karst plateau serves up a mosaic of asphalt and gravel through stone villages. Ride to the 25 m Monument of Peace tower at Cerje for a panorama over the Vipava Valley, the Karst and the Gulf of Trieste, then on to Komen and the picture-perfect medieval village of Štanjel with its Ferrari Garden. This is the Trans Dinarica's path south.
Plan your rides: the free Vipava Valley Outdoor web app offers selected cycling and hiking trails with descriptions of points of interest along the way; route planners like Komoot and Outdooractive list 300+ mapped routes around Nova Gorica for road, touring, MTB and gravel.
Mountain bike trails

Singletrack country: Škabrijel, Sabotin & Sveta Gora

Three forested hills rise straight out of the city — and the local trail builders of TCS Nova Gorica have covered them with hand-shaped singletracks. The Nova Gorica region ranks among Slovenia's top MTB areas on Trailforks, with five trail zones reachable from the centre by pedal power alone. Trails use the European S0–S5 grading; most zones mix flowy lines for intermediates with technical options for experts, plus uptrails designed for e-MTBs.

41 trails

listed on Trailforks — #6 MTB region in Slovenia

67 km

of singletrack with ~6,300 m of descent

50+ routes

on Komoot, rated 4.6★ by 100+ riders

5 areas

Škabrijel, Sabotin, Sveta Gora, Mark MTB & TCS network

Mountain biker riding a rocky forest singletrack trail in Slovenia
Forest singletrack, Slovenian style. Photo: bike-holidays.com
Moderate

Škabrijel — the city's own trail hill

⛰️646 m📍City edge🚵Enduro / all-mountain
The closest singletracks to town: a dedicated MTB trail and an e-bike uptrail climb this WWI hill above the city, where hand-built lines like Škabrijelka, Šponda and Črni Maček ("Black Cat") drop back through the woods. On top, an observation tower gives a panorama over both Gorizias. Komoot's "Stone Water Spring – Škabrijel" loop starts right in Nova Gorica.
Challenging

Sveta Gora — Kraljica, "The Queen"

⛰️682 m🏆Local flagship trail
The holy mountain above Solkan hosts the area's most praised hand-built flow trail, Kraljica // TCS — riders on Trailforks call it "epic". Earn the descent via the uptrail or on the asphalt road, then explore the WWI loops under the Kuk and Vodice ridges (22.8 km / +765 m and 23.9 km / +824 m) past caverns, a mausoleum and basilica views over the Gorizia plain.
Aerial view of Mount Sabotin above the emerald Soča river near Nova Gorica
ChallengingCross-border

Sabotin — border-ridge singletracks

📏25.5 km⛰️+699 m🚵MTB
The classic "Over Srnjak to Sabotin" route climbs the old road through Goriška Brda to the mountain hut on this 609 m border ridge — a labyrinth of WWI caverns with views from the Adriatic Sea to Triglav. Rocky, historic and unforgettable; combine with the Sabotin Park of Peace at the top.
Easy

Panovec & Jelenova (Deer Trail)

🌲380 ha👨‍👩‍👧Beginner-friendly
The protected city forest doubles as the local MTB nursery: shaded gravel roads and gentle singletracks like Jelenova – Deer Trail are perfect for first off-road rides, skills warm-ups and family spins — minutes from the centre on marked paths.
Epic

Plateau epics: Banjšice, Čaven & Kanal

📏34–53 km⛰️+1,200–1,600 m🏔️S1–S2
Big days out in wild country: the Banjšice Plateau ride (34.5 km, +1,344 m) climbs from the Soča–Idrijca confluence to remote hamlets and long gravel descents; Čaven (52.6 km, +1,593 m) rises from Ajdovščina above the Vipava Valley; and the Northern Kanal loop (45.7 km) strings together forest tracks with views to the Adriatic, the Alps and the Dolomites.
Good to know

Trail maps, GPX & local knowledge

Trailforks (region "Nova Gorica") has the full local network with GPS tracks, trail-condition reports and the Euro-style grading; Komoot's MTB guide adds 50+ community routes. Trails are built and maintained by volunteers of the local TCS association — respect closures and give back a smile (or a donation) when you ride. Best season: April–October. Need a bike? MTB and e-MTB rental with delivery to your accommodation is available from local specialists such as RockVelo (via Camp Saxida) and bike-friendly hotels like Sabotin in Solkan.
Passing through: the Trans Slovenia 01 MTB tour — part of the famous Transalp linking Slovenia, Italy and Austria — runs from the Julian Alps through the Soča Valley to the Brda Hills, then across the Vipava Valley and the Karst to the Adriatic coast, right through this region. Guided multi-day MTB traverses can be booked with local operators.
Long distance

Nova Gorica on the epic routes

The city is a natural base camp or stage stop on two celebrated long-distance trails — one for bikes, one for bikes and boots alike.

Cyclists on a country road through the Vipava Valley on the Trans Dinarica route
Multi-day8 countries

Trans Dinarica — through Nova Gorica

📏~5,000 km🇸🇮264 km🏆Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2024
The Western Balkans' flagship cycling route begins in Slovenia and its very first stage runs from Tolmin along the Soča — via Plave and Solkan — straight into Nova Gorica, ending the day at Europe Square. From here the route crosses the Karst (Cerje, Komen, Sežana) toward Croatia and beyond. The Slovenian section, split into 4 main stages of ~50 km, is described as one of the route's most beautiful and best-equipped stretches, with bike shelters and tool stations along the way. More than 15,000 cyclists rode it in its first 18 months.

Highlights

  • Stage Tolmin → Nova Gorica: Soča river, Brda vineyards option via Kolovrat climb
  • Stage Nova Gorica → Sežana: 53 km of Karst gravel, vineyards and stone villages
  • Official operator for Slovenia: Visit GoodPlace (guided/self-guided, bike rental, luggage transfers)
Multi-dayCross-border

Walk of Peace — from the Alps to the Adriatic

🕊️WWI themed trail📍Sabotin section by bike
A cross-border themed trail along the former Isonzo Front, linking battlefields, cemeteries, ossuaries and open-air museums. The section around Nova Gorica — the Gorica Circle of Peace over Mount Sabotin — is rideable by bike and passes the ruins of the 14th-century St. Valentine church on the ridge. Down by the river, municipalities are developing a continuous cycling route following the Soča from its source to the sea, with art installations along the banks.
Pedal-powered sightseeing

Landmarks to ride between

Every route here strings together real sights — no filler kilometres.

The stone arches of Solkan Bridge spanning the emerald Soča river
Solkan Bridge — the world's longest stone-arch railway bridge, on the Plave–Nova Gorica trail. Photo: SolkanBridge.com
Solkan · on the Soča

Solkan Bridge

The world's longest stone-arch railway bridge: an 85 m arch of 4,533 stone blocks, opened in 1906 on the Bohinj Railway (Vienna–Trieste). Blown up in 1916 and rebuilt in stone in 1927, it soars above the emerald Soča — and you can bungee jump from the road bridge next to it.

On the border

Europe Square / Piazza della Transalpina

The shared square in front of Nova Gorica's 1906 railway station, with the national border running across the pavement. A symbol of European integration — and the finish line of the Giro d'Italia stage in May 2025.

Nova Gorica

Kostanjevica Monastery

Franciscan monastery on a hill above the border with a celebrated rose garden; its crypt holds the tombs of the last Bourbon kings of France, including Charles X, who died in Gorizia in 1836.

Above Solkan

Sveta Gora (Holy Mountain)

A pilgrimage basilica and Franciscan monastery with sweeping views over the Soča valley. Reachable by bike; WWI caverns and trenches line the slopes.

Border ridge

Sabotin Park of Peace

A 609 m ridge that is today the Slovenian–Italian border, dotted with WWI caverns, trenches and the gothic ruins of St. Valentine's church. Views from the Dolomites to the Adriatic Sea.

Karst edge

Cerje Monument of Peace

A 25 m observation tower on the Karst rim guarding the memory of WWI battles, with one of the finest panoramas in the region: Vipava Valley, the Karst, the Alps and the Gulf of Trieste.

Gorizia (IT)

Gorizia Castle & old town

Cross the border for the medieval castle of the Counts of Gorizia, Habsburg-era boulevards, the Great War museum and Piazza Vittoria — all on the GO!2025 ring route.

Goriška Brda

Šmartno & Dobrovo

A fortified medieval village of stone lanes and a Renaissance castle amid the Brda vineyards — classic stops on the cross-border wine loops, with cellar doors for Rebula and Merlot tastings.

Cycling events

The Giro d'Italia finished here

Slovenia is a cycling-mad nation — home of Tadej Pogačar and Primož Roglič — and the Goriška region shares that passion: the Vipava Valley's ascents have featured in the Giro d'Italia twice.

Giro d'Italia 2025 — Stage 14: Treviso → Nova Gorica/Gorizia (24 May 2025)

In the year of the European Capital of Culture, the Giro paid tribute with a 195 km stage through the Collio and Brda wine regions and a 13.8 km finishing circuit that symbolically crossed the border — the finish line was placed in Nova Gorica by Europe Square, the first time a Giro stage ever finished on the Slovenian side of the two Gorizias. The Giro has visited Gorizia seven times in total, and the region's roads — through Brda, the Vipava Valley and up to Sveta Gora — remain open for you to ride year-round, pink jersey optional. Keep an eye on the local calendar: recreational rides, hill climbs and gran fondos run through the season in the Vipava Valley and Brda.

Bike rental & services

No bike? No problem.

From a cross-border public bike-share to guided gravel adventures — here's how to get rolling.

🚲GO2GO — cross-border bike sharing

The public bike-share of Nova Gorica, Šempeter-Vrtojba and Gorizia (operated by Nomago on the nextbike platform) is unique: one rental works in both countries. Regular bikes and e-bikes with up to 80 km of range are available 24/7 at stations across the conurbation.
  • Nova Gorica stations: Erjavčeva (sports park), Kidričeva centre & south, Milojka Štrukelj school, Solkan
  • Gorizia stations: railway station, Travnik (INPS)
  • Register in the app, at a terminal, or call +386 1 431 77 60
Indicative prices (official price list): €5 starter package incl. 200 minutes, then €0.50 / 30 min regular bike, €1.00 / 30 min e-bike, €20 daily cap. Annual subscription €20 (first 30 min of each ride free).

🧭Guided & self-guided tours

Prefer everything arranged? Local and national operators run tours through the region:
  • Visit GoodPlace — official Trans Dinarica operator for Slovenia; guided/self-guided gravel tours, quality rental bikes, luggage transfers
  • Bike Slovenia Green — green gourmet cycling holidays linking the country's sustainable destinations
  • Guided e-bike day tours and themed experiences (e.g. the cross-border Smuggling Tour) are bookable via the tourist office

🚆Bikes on trains & buses

  • Slovenian trains on the Bohinj line (Jesenice–Nova Gorica) carry bikes in special carriages — handy for the Soča Valley ride
  • Trenitalia regional trains on the Trieste–Udine–Venice route take bicycles
  • In summer, the Italian BiciBus (bus + 40-bike trailer) runs Cormons–Grado via Gorizia, and a seasonal BiciBus serves the Vipava Valley and the Trnovo plateau/Nanos
  • Cyclist-friendly stays with secure bike storage and e-bike charging include Hotel Sabotin (Solkan) and Hotel Lipa (Šempeter pri Gorici)
Practical info

Plan your cycling trip

🗓️ When to come

  • Year-round: valley and city rides thanks to the sub-Mediterranean climate
  • Best overall: late May – early October (long days, warm weather)
  • June & September: ideal — mild, quieter roads, cherries in June, grape harvest in September
  • July–August can be hot (up to 40 °C in heatwaves) — ride early, plan water stops
  • Watch for the burja (bora) wind in the Vipava Valley, strongest in winter and spring

✈️ Getting here

  • Train: Nova Gorica station sits right on Europe Square, on the scenic Bohinj Railway; Gorizia station is on the Italian network (Trieste–Udine)
  • Airports: Trieste (~35 km), Ljubljana (~110 km), Venice and Treviso (~150 km)
  • By car: A34 motorway (IT) to Gorizia or the H4 expressway (SI) from the Vipava Valley

ℹ️ Tourist information

  • TIC Nova Gorica, Trg Edvarda Kardelja 1, 5000 Nova Gorica
  • Phone: +386 5 330 46 00 / +386 41 460 217
  • Web: visitnovagorica.si · vipavskadolina.si · go2025.eu
  • Ask for cycling maps, the Vipava Valley Outdoor app and guided-tour bookings

🛠️ Good to know

  • The euro is used on both sides of the border; no border checks between Slovenia and Italy (Schengen)
  • Helmets are mandatory for children under 14 in Slovenia, and recommended for everyone
  • Bike shelters with tool stations stand along the Trans Dinarica section south of the city
  • Emergency number: 112
Suggested first day: pick up a GO2GO e-bike at the station, ride the GO!2025 ring through both Gorizias in the morning, lunch in the Brda vineyards, sunset at the Solkan Bridge — and plan tomorrow's Soča Valley or Karst gravel adventure over a glass of Rebula.

Cycling Locations

Explore the cycling routes and trailheads around Nova Gorica. The city serves as an ideal base for accessing all the rides featured in this guide.

Sources & further information

Distances, elevations, prices and timetables are indicative and can change — always check the linked official sources before setting off.

Saddle up in Nova Gorica

From cross-border city loops and emerald river trails to vineyard ridges and karst gravel — Nova Gorica offers cycling experiences for every rider. Grab a bike and discover the Goriška region on two wheels.