Imagine Hollywood to build a castle for a movie: it would look like this one. Dating back to the 16th century and sitting on a sheer rock, it´s just picture perfect! The access path circles the hill and is guarded by 14 gate towers. There is also a lift leading up to the castle…

Slovenia’s only national park was established in 1981. It centers around Slovenia’s highest mountain, Mount Triglav with an altitude of 9,396 ft. The area is a paradise for all kinds of outdoor activities (including motorcycling) and especially hiking. There are also lots of waterfalls, mainly along the Soca River.

The Friuli Venezia Giulia region of Italy is one of the smallest, yet most culturally diverse areas in all the country. This semi-autonomous area is also one of the newest, gaining its modern boundaries and government in 1963. Occupying the extreme northeast corner of Italy east of the river Tagliamento with the Alps looming from the north, the region shares borders with the Veneto region, Austria and Slovenia. This is by far the most easily accessible region from outside of Italy and has traditionally acted as a gateway for Germanic and Slavic invaders over the centuries. (www.lifeinitaly.com)

For motorcycle riders like us, Friuli sets itself apart from regions like the Dolomites or the Swiss Alps by one important factor: despite its equally captivating scenery and the same endless array of twisties the roads here are far less traveled, Mountain passes like Sella, Stelvio or Gotthard are famous and therefore very busy, but jewels like Sella Nevea or Monte Zoncolan are largely unknown. Awesome roads, here we come!

Bled is one of Slovenia's most popular tourist resorts. Its most distinctive features are a lake of glacial origin famous for a little island in the middle, and an 11th century castle.

Bled became a popular tourist resort in the 19th century, when the Swiss doctor Arnold Rikli discovered the beneficial effects of its natural surroundings and founded a health resort there.

The town is best known for its lake, Lake Bled, with a little island in the middle, where you can be taken in a traditional "pletna" boat, Bled Castle, which stands on a precipitous cliff above the lake, and the famous Bled-style vanilla-and-cream cake called "kremšnita".
(www.visitljubljana.com)

The 35 km (22 mi) Nockalmstraße ranks among the most beautiful Alpine roads in Austria. Enjoying the smooth ride through the round-shaped mountains (the Nocken) you will understand the origin of the road’s name. The Nockalm toll road was opened in 1981 for the first time and has ever since been very popular among motorcyclists. No surprise, the road, featuring total 52 hairpins, offers two service stations, so called Biker Points, along the way. Please keep in mind that motorcyclists are not allowed on the Nockalm Road between 6 pm and 8 am.

The mountain known as Magdalensberg may not be very high (1,059 m or 3,474 ft), but it is an important feature in Carinthia's landscape. 2,000 years ago Celts and Romans populated a flourishing (yet short-lived) settlement there and in the 13th century, a church was built on the very top. It is still there and can be visited. There is also a guesthouse that serves traditional Austrian fare. But most importantly - and the main reason for us to come up here - is the amazing, sweeping view, a 360° panorama covering most of Carinthia. In the south, the rocky peaks of the Karawanks are beckoning. This view is a stunner!

Tiny, twisty little roads through vineyards and orchard, over hills dotted with churches, wineries and the occasional castle. Beautiful houses, surrounded by flowers. Fantastic panoramic views around every corner. In short: it is a picture-perfect paradise. There are several designated tourist routes in the area, for instance the Southern Styrian Wine Road along the Slovenian border or the Saustal Wine Road a bit further north.
2,000 years ago the Romans noticed that the climate in southern Styria was very good for growing grapes. Styrian wine was even exported back to Rome! Today there are 13 different varieties cultivated here; the specialty is the co-called “Schilcher”, a light rosé.

Not so much with its height, but rather with 51 somewhat challenging hairpin bends, the Vrsic saddle certainly knows how to impress. The southern ramp from Trenta to the top of the pass has 27 such turns, many of them narrow and difficult to negotiate. On the north ramp, the surface of many of the 24 hairpin bends is still made of cobblestones from the expansion phase of the pass during the First World War. Russian prisoners of war were assigned here, and over 400 of them died in an avalanche in March 1916. A chapel is dedicated to them. On the summit, "parking attendants" who have been charging a parking fee of 2.50 euros for some years now are a source of annoyance.