Greece to Croatia - CCG1901
Our first day takes around the busy heart of Athens and out towards the Peleponnesian Peninsula. We cross the Corinthian Canal and head south, hugging the coast on beautiful, twisty roads. After a fantastic seafood lunch we head towards Epidauros, home to one of the most famous ancient Greek theatres in the world. After soaking up the atmosphere we challenge ourselves on some of the smallest roads we have seen so far, full of hidden twists and turns. This is Greece at its best!
A beautiful sunny day takes us north off the Peleponnes towards the Greek Mainland. Along the way we cross the Rion-Antirion Bridge, an architectural masterpiece spanning the entrance of the Corinthian Gulf. On the other side we spot the van, including the first of Edelweiss picnic of the tour! After feasting on local specialities we ride the gorgeus coast road to Delphi, arriving just in time for a wander through the spectacular archeological site and have our futures told (hint: there will be more motorcycling).
Mountains are the name of the game and first up, Mount Parnassus! Stunning views and great riding, topped off with the best coffee Greece has to offer. Not a bad start to the morning. After an early lunch we climb up to Lake Plastira on some of the twistiest roads so far, stop for a coffee at beautiful Pyli Bridge and arrive in Meteora, our home for the next two nights.
Meteora is one of the places in the world that should be on everyones bucket list. Stunning views, beautiful monasteries and an epic road through it all. We spend the morning using up all the available memory space on our cameras, then top it all off with an epic ride through the mountains. Today was a good day!
It is our last day in Greece, but we still have many miles before the border. It is another amazing day of riding as we head up into the Pindus mountains, riding on roads that barel deserve that description. Gorgeous views, tight twisties and not a single straight road in sight. This is what our bikes were designed for! Hidden around one of the bends we spot Holger and Julio with the van, and with them our second picnic of the tour! After lunch we visit Vikos Gorge, the deepest canyon in the world, then cross the border into Albania. We cross the mountains to the coast and arrive in Saranda on the Albanian Riviera, our home for tonight.
Today is the longest day of the trip so far. The morning is filled with one of the most beautiful coastal roads in the world as we ride along the Albanian Riviera and then cut across the central plains of Albania on the way to Lake Ohrid in North Macedona.
Another long but exciting day awaits! We say goodbye to North Macedonia and hello again to Albania. Our route takes us through the remote and wild regions of the Albanian Alps, far removed from the mainstream tourism of the coast. After an excellent lunch of grilled trout we hit the brand dew highway towards Shkoder, a beautiful small town over 2.400 years old.
Today is one of the most challenging days of our trip so far! Leaving Shkoder behind we climb into the mountains that form the border between Albania and Montenegro. The heavy rain of the last few hours has caused a muber of small rock slides, but the road is mostly clear and we arrive safe and sound at the remote border to Montenegro. Arriving in Kolasin we are greeted by Holger with the lesser known variant of the Edelweiss boot beer, the Edelweiss mulled wine, perfect for warming weary riders!
Its another fantastic day for a bike ride! The rain of the last 24 hours has cleared and the roads are just about dry as we ride up beautiful Tara Gorge, where we stop for coffee, lunch and the longest zip line in Europe. Food, caffeine and adrenaline! From the top of the gorge we head towards Dumitor National Park and onto some small, hidden roads through the mountains.
Our last day dawns with clear blus skies as we set out towards the coast. Our first coffee stop is at the beautiful Orthodox cathedral in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. As we leave the busy city traffic behind we climb high into the Black Mountains of Lovcen National Park and stop lunch hihg up above the Bay of Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 25 switchbacks take us down the sheer mountainside and after a short ferry ride we head towards the final border crossing of our two-week adventure. Welcome to Croatia!