Day 1: Murska Sobota – Lendava

You probably know that our country has a shape of a chicken. This week, we'll present you a 3-day cycling route in the chicken's head: the Slovenia Green Pannonian Route. Hop on your bike, let's go! 

We suggest planning at least a couple of hours for the biggest city in the region, Murska Sobota. So, think about arriving a day before the tour and spending an afternoon in the Expano with its interactive adventure park just next to Sobota Lake, and then visiting the 16-century Murska Sobota Castle with Pomurje Museum near the city centre. If you'll decide to spend a night in one of the Pannonian thermal resorts, arriving at the destination a day ahead is a must! 

In the morning, you'll start pedalling towards the hearth of Goričko, which means the landscape won't be as flat as in the surroundings of Murska Sobota. There's a plan B - going straight to Lendava - but this way you would miss the beautiful panoramas of Goričko, the Rotunda a unique round church of St. Nikolaj, and the Bukovniško Lake. 

After arriving in Lendava, climb to the #Vinarium Tower (if your legs are tired, you can use the elevator) to enjoy the view over the east of Slovenia and to the three neighbouring countries, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia. After a long day cycling, you can reward yourself with a big portion of ‘bograč’, a local meat stew, along with a glass of local ‘laški rizling’. Cheers! 
 

Day 2: Lendava – Ljutomer & Jeruzalem

Did you have time to discover Lendava yesterday afternoon?

If not, you will still be able to see the simple, yet very beautiful Synagogue Lendava and the 12th-century Lendava Castle. You should also keep the daily weather forecast in mind when planning your sightseeing and cycling – if there’s a hot day ahead of you, hop on your bike  as soon as the sun rises!

The cycling on the second day is very relaxing; the landscape is flat for most of the day as you’ll see the Mura River most of the time. After experiencing the traditional river crossing on a special ferry with mister Jože, a ‘brod captain’, you’ll soon reach Ljutomer.

It’s up to you if Ljutomer will be just your coffee stop or if you’ll also spend the night. Anyhow, we’d recommend eating a tasty cake in FLO Cukeraj pastry shop and this is how you get enough power to push the pedals to Jeruzalem. That means you might sweat a bit, but the reward is just behind the corner. The hills of Jeruzalem are home to fantastic wines, great cuisine, and romantic sunsets. 

After taking a shower and enjoying the first glass of ‘Renski Rizling’ in Dvorec Jeruzalem (you’ll find more suggestions for accommodation and wine tasting on the SGPR website), you might decide to stay here for two nights. Nothing wrong with that! Cheers! 
 

Day 3: Ljutomer & Jeruzalem – Murska Sobota

Did the side bags on your bike get heavier after purchasing a few bottles of wine you loved the most yesterday evening?

Good news: there’s an option of the direct route, going mostly downhill from Jeruzalem back to the flatlands around the Mura River. Anyway, we’d recommend picking the long route to stay in this wonderful rolling hills area for a bit longer. If you’d like to discover the history of the area, you can visit the Brumen Museum in a more than 250-year-old thatched roof-covered wooden house, and the ethnological collection in Sveti Tomaž.

Later, the route guides you around the Gajševsko Lake and back over the Mura, where you can go rafting, see the old mill or just enjoy a peaceful time in UNESCO’s  Mura River Biosphere Reserve, the largest preserved complex of floodplains in #Slovenia. The river and its surroundings were an inspiration to one of the most known Slovenian musicians Vlado Kreslin, was born in the village of Beltinci just next to the river. We’ll post one of his songs in the comment to help you feel this part of our country. 

That’s it – you’re back in Murska Sobota! The 3-day Slovenia Green Pannonian Route is short and sweet – as sweet as the ‘prekmurska gibanica’. If you haven’t, you should try one before hopping on a train to go back home or to the start of your next adventure.