5 von 5 Edelweiss

Von Griechenland nach Kroatien - den Balkan erkunden!

Samstag, 28. Mai 2022 | Johannes Geiger / Jan Van der Jagt | Europa | 4 Kommentare

Tag 1: Ankunft in Athen (GR)

Tour guide bike in front of our beautiful tour start hotel in Athens. KTM 1290 Super Adventure S - what a beast!

Thank god - all tour members wade a good choice for this tour From left to right: Ducati Multistrada 950 / BMW F900 XR / BMW R1250 GS / Honda NC 750 X / Ducati Multistrada 1260S

Nice first dinner at the hotel - it's good to get to know each other a little better. After all, there are already many stories to tell about past Edeweiss tours.

Tag 2: Von Athen nach Nafplio (GR)

First daily briefing - today: Athens to Nafplio

Jörg on his italian Diva - Ducati Multistrada 1260 S

Alan auf der Honda NC 750 X

Lisa on the beautiful BMW F900 XR

Frank und die schöne Rote - Ducati Multistrada 950

Mark und Charlene auf dem Klassiker: BMW R1250 GS

After leaving Athens behind us we had a coffee at the 6,5km long channel of Corinth

With the golf of Corinth at the background, a group picture of happy bickers!

We enjoyed the acoustic at the 2500 hundred years old amfitheater.

Just one of the stunning sites along our route

In Nafplio at Palamidi Castle. Build by the Venetians 300 years ago

Was für ein Hotel! Perivoli Country Hotel & Retreat

Tag 3: Von Nafplio nach Kalamata (GR)

Das tägliche Briefing vorgetragen von Johannes hat jedermanns Aufmerksamkeit da wir auf einen kurvenreichen Tag vorrausblicken!

Kaffeepause am Fuße des Argolischen Golf

Wunderschönes Mittagessen in Kyparissi

Was ein Plätzchen für Mittag <3

Off-roading zwischen den Oliven Plantagen

Langada Pass - auch bekannt als Sparta - Kalamata Pass

Angekommen am Hotel - 312km voller Kurven, Spitzkehren und auf ein wenig Offroad

Jetzt - entspannen …

Tag 4: Von Kalamata nach Olympia (GR)

This is how it looked, departing from our hotel in the morning

We drove along miles of blossoming Spanish broom

And riding along cliffs and rocks

We visited the fascinating water power museum

Where you could see how hundreds of years ago people used the the power of water.

Of course there were sheep

And dogs protecting the sheep

And to top of a perfect, relaxed riding day we visited Olympia.

Were 2700 years ago the first Olympics where held for a periode of a 1000 years.

It's about entering, not winning. Johannes knows this

The place where the Olympic flame is lit every year.

Maybe the oldest and most popular stone in Olympia …

And finally, the hard working tourguide can relax in the pool with a beer.

A perfect ending of a beautiful riding day: whilst the sun is setting, having dinner under the blossoming olive trees

Tag 5: Von Olympia nach Delphi (GR)

Theme of the day: Blown by the wind!

At the departing hotel there are 4 of the original torches of the Olympic games: rome 1960

Athens 2004

Pyeongchang 2018

Tokyo 2021

The traditional daily briefing. Today's destination is one of the most visited sites of Greece: Delphi!

On the road … again some sheeps

Already mentioned that at the daily briefing! However, what followed was unexpected for EVERYONE.

There we are - the spectacular Rio-Antirrio Bridge

Still everything fine

But why‘s the trailer at the photostop?

Due to the strong wind, we were not allowed to ride the motorcycles over the bridge. There were no ferries due to the strong waves...

The closest way to get to Delphi? A loop of 6 hours highway.

But real Edelweiss tour guides don't shy away from something like that. Without further ado, the van including the trailer turned around, we loaded the bikes onto the trailer and passed the bridge in a different way

Blown by the wind

All bikes loaded - teamwork makes the dream work

Ready to go again!

After all the excitement we deserve an ice cream im Galaxidi

Beautiful coffeestop

And after we reached Delphi - of course we visited the archeological site. Here some impressions about "the center of the world in ancient times"

Tag 6: Von Delphi nach Meteora (GR)

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Another excellent start of a beautiful day!

We hadn't seen wild pony's yet, but Alan is a specialist in finding animals in front of his bike

And there, between the mountains, lays lake Neochori.

It's good to see that the Greeks are working hard to improve the roads.

Time has stood still in the little village where we had lunch

Still snow on top of the mountains

The landscape is really rough. Waterfall scape the land.

You can see that also in Pili, well known for it's stone bridge

The 500 year old bridge that was vital for the trading routs back then

And there is our destination for today: Meteora! One of the most visited places in Greece. Known for it's monasteries on top of the wind carved mountains

The mountains are right at our doorstep. And a pool!

Tag 7: Rasttag in Meteora (GR)

Started the day with a small loop around Metsovo

Lookout to one of the 6 monasteries

Let’s visit this one - Monastery Agiou Stefanou (Saint Stephen) - one of the few female monasteries in greece

Beautiful chapel inside (it’s not allowed to make photos of the inside - sorry!)

Lookout to Kalambaka

Lets go for another loop into the region of Koziakas - still some snow on top

What’s the van doing here?

Of course - Jan prepared a lovely picknick for us Thanks!

Johannes looking foward to eat all the delicious food

One of the best spots in Greece to have Picknick. There is still snow on the mountains!

Enjoying the beautiful weather!

And of course - a nice group photo

Tag 8: Von Meteora nach Gjirokastra (GR - ALB)

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Leaving Greece, and heading for Albania. A country many haven't been yet. But first another Greek traffic jam

And a coffee stop at Metsovo amongst some locals.

We visited Vikos gorge, with 1600ft/500mtr the deepest in the world

Beautiful curved roads thrue forests heading towards the border

And there it is, Albania!

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After an adventures ride into Gjirokastra we arrived at hotel that has a gorgeous view

Tag 9: Von Gjirokastra nach Ohrid (ALB - MKD)

Breakfast Albanian style

Beautiful start into the day - breakfast with a view

Way up to Berat castle

Welcome to Berat - the city of thousand windows

View from the caste. Of course we parked our bikes at a premium position

Mark and Johannes

Coffeestop next to Lumi Shkumbin

Made a new friend - albanien sausage dog

Behind the scenes

View to lake Ohrid - biggest lake in North Macedonia. 30km (18mi) long / 288m (745ft) deep

Border to North Macedonia

Welcome to Ohrid! What a beautiful charming city

Good night guys

Tag 10: Von Ohrid nach Shkodër (MKD - ALB)

First part of the morning we rode through a river valley where it was cool, lush and sweepy

Then there was the border from North Macedonia to Albania wich took us only a few minutes

The back country of Albania is something you have to experience to know how beautiful it is. Time has stood still in this remote area

Where horses rule the roads

And one horsepower is enough to get around

The scenery is simply stunning

What a lovely dinner

Tag 11: Von Shkodër to Kolašin (ALB - MNE)

Day 11 - Lets go!

That’s what we are here for - stunning landscape, perfect roads, no traffic - thank you Albania!

Simply beautiful

Tourguides getting happy when they see this on their GPS

„Ready to race“

Lovely coffeestop in Tamare

You get to know why the Alabniens are called Europes busiest road pavers

Leaving Albania - bye bye - it was a pleasure

Welcome to Montenegro - country #4 on this tour

FIIINNNAAALLLYYY - we got some fish!

You think it was good?

Perfect spot for lunch

And after a bumpy ride for the last kilometers - a good cup of turkish coffee

Tag 12: Rasttag in Kolašin (MNE)

Started the day with a beautiful ride through the forest into the beginning of Durmitor Nationalpark

Going over the Tara bridge (150m)

Stunning view into the canyon - 82km long along the border of Bosnia

Enjoying the empty roads

One of the 50 peaks over 2000m in Durmitor Nationalpark

Nevidio Canyon

Made some new friends

Or should i say - „best friends“

Lovely dinner at this restaurant

Tag 13: Von Kolašin nach Dubrovnik (MNE - HRV)

Lets go - last riding day

Biggest flag we’ve ever seen - really impressive

Millennium bridge in Podgorica (capital of Montenegro)

Visit the local orthodox cathedral

What a view

Scouring the new XXL EXTREME Balkan adventure tour (switchback edition)

Cuising through Lovcen Nationalpark

View to Kotor - the most famous tourist attraction in Montenegro

Simply beautiful

25 switchbacks down do Kotor

Ferryride to Kamenari

Getting spoiled by the best restaurant in Kotor

Lovely atmosphere

Leaving Montenegro

There we are - the end of our tour Welcome to Dubrovnik!

Relaxing after a long and hot day on the bike

Finally farewell dinner

Thanks to Alan, Jörg, Charlene, Mark, Lisa and Frank for making these 14 days to such a eventful and relaxing trip for us Tourguides. Johannes & Jan - over and out!