Cycling between Sava and Kupa – Wooden churches vol. 1

Duration / level / type: 12.06.21 (1 day) / moderate cycling (B2-3) / with guide

Season: Gradec Pokupski/ own transport, VMD takes care of bikes

Price: From 50 € (370,00 HRK)

Highlights

Exploring the wooden churches of Pokuplje region and Vukomerić Hills on two wheels

Villages, hills and green forests of Zagreb county

Cheese tasting in a local cheese factory

The first episode in a new VMD series of adventures under the motto ‘Bicycle guide through Croatia’ in which we will meet Croatia on two wheels, following the suggestions and descriptions of the authors of various Croatian bike guides and books. In this episode, we will follow one of the tours from the guidebook ‘Wooden churches between Sava and Kupa’ by Lara Černicki and Stašo Forenbaher. The tour leads us ‘from village to village, from the top of the hill to the bottom of the valley and from the bottom again to the top, from the Kupa river to the highest part of the Vukomerić Hills. Almost a third of the way is made up of a gravel road and the rest mostly of low traffic local roads and some bits of regional roads.’ On our journey, we will see many gems of Croatian sacral heritage, in the form of well-preserved wooden churches in the villages around Vukomerić and in the Pokuplje region, and enjoy the fresh air and collective recreation not far from Zagreb. If you are bold enough you may enjoy a refreshing bath in the Kupa river after the tour, at the starting/ending point in the village Gradec Pokupski.

Itinerary

09:00h – meetup of group and VMD bike-tourleader at the church of St. Leonard in Gradec Pokupski. Introduction, learning about the bikes and rules on the road, important notes and briefing.
09:30h-13:30h – cycling from the Kupa river to the highest part of Vukomerić Hills, with stops for visiting the churches
12:30h – end of the tour in Gradec Pokupski, a possibility for picnic and swimming in the river
end of program and return to Zagreb.

Start in the morning traveling from Zagreb to Gradec Pokupski and meet up with the VMD bike tour guide at St. Leonard church in Gradec. Learning about the guide, the bicycles, the tour and the rules for riding with a group. After the introduction we start the first episode of ‘Bike Guide Through Croatia’ and learn about the sacral heritage of the southern parts of Zagreb county, all the while moving on two wheels! On quiet roads and gravel paths, through lush forests and over numerous hills, passing old villages of Vukomerić Hills and Pokuplje region. On the tour, we will visit a few old yet preserved wooden churches in villages like Lučelnica, Gustelnica and others and hear the story about the traditional architecture and also the heritage these churches help preserve. When possible, we will visit the churches also from the inside, enjoying an informative break at these gems of Croatian traditional architecture. We will end the ride where we started, in Gradec Pokupski, after the tour we suggest a refreshing bath in the Kupa river and a picnic on the meadow, in the fresh air!

Come with us and enjoy, it’s recreational, fun, educational and tasty!

Price

370,00 kn per person*
*min 8 pax

What’s included?

cycling through Pokuplje and Vukomerić Hills with a visit to wooden churches and chapels
educated VMD tour guide with years of experience in leading bike-tours
rental of bike and helmet, with our partner Fumić bicikli
support vehicle for the duration of the tour
cheese tasting in a local cheese factory
organization expenses, transfer for tour leader, VAT and the like

if you already own a bicycle and helmet the price is 270 HRK per person, including the transfer of your bike from Zagreb to Gradec Pokupski and back to Zagreb. Helmet rental is 20 HRK per person per day.
in case you can bring your bike yourself to Gradec Pokupski the price of the program is 210 HRK. Helmet rental, if necessary, 20 HRK per person.

Discount:

if you apply 4 persons or more, the price is reduced by 10%
if you apply 10 persons or more, the price is reduced by 20%

Optional add-ons (info upon request):

rental of electric bicycle: additional 130 HRK per person

Cycling profile

Duration: 3h activity + visit to wooden churches on the tour
Difficulty: moderate bike tour (B2-3)
Length / elevation: 37km (depends on fitness of group) / + 500m
Road configuration: 1/3 gravel road, the rest mostly low traffic local roads and some bits moderately traveled regional roads; well-distributed uphills on the tour

The tour is suitable for recreational cyclists, the pace will be adapted to the group. For those who are just entering the world of tour cycling, we recommend booking an e-bike (additional cost), which will be helpful when overcoming harder uphills. The length is about 37 km, more info on the bicycles we have ready in cooperation with our partner of many years Fumić bicikli is here:

CUBE web site

YouTube presentation

Bicycle specs (PDF)

TRANSFER
FOOD AND BEVERAGES
WHAT TO TAKE WITH YOU?
WHAT TO VISIT OR TRY?
USEFUL INFORMATION

– Own vehicle or one of the following options:

– group transfer – if a larger number of request, the VMD team will offer group transfer by mini-bus
– private transfer
– the program includes cheese tasting in a local cheese factory
– cycling clothing and shoes (the everyday gear can be left in the support vehicle)
– weather jacket (rain and windproof, GoreTex or similar)
– sunglasses and hat, in case of hot and warm weather (March-September)
– min 1,5l water per person
– historic center of Karlovac
– Aquatica – freshwater aquarium in Karlovac

*for more info on optional activities and visits in the area contact our experts in the VMD Adventure Laboratory
Weather conditions

Vukomeričke gorice – Vukomerić hills, also called Vrhovlje, boasts a typical continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. Spring and autumn may be rainy, especially because of the vicinity of the Kupa river, it is, therefore, necessary to have appropriate clothing handy at the start of the tour as well as a change of clothes at the end.

Our adventure team is diligently following weather forecasts as well as other elements that may influence the implementation of the tour. In case of severe weather conditions (strong winds, rain, etc.) or any other inconvenience (road and transfer conditions) the team will inform you in time and advise about equipment and the like. Furthermore, our experienced tour leaders will be free to suggest alternative activities nearby in case of such adverse conditions which would make the original tour significantly less enjoyable. With the broad experience and drive for exploration of our team of tour leaders, there will be no shortage of ideas for alternative adventures – hopefully, there will be no shortage of your enthusiasm for them! The famous saying proved to be true time and again ‘THERE IS NO BAD WEATHER, ONLY BAD EQUIPMENT’.

Our adventure experts in the Zagreb office will give you advice and answer questions you might have in connection with appropriate outdoor gear, literature and similar. Give us a call, we are here for you!

Who is guiding the tour?

29 years of experience in the organization of hiking programs in Croatia and around the world, combined with a team of well-versed tour guides who are passionate about nature and cultural and historical heritage, this is the recipe that results in every tour concocted in the VMD adventure lab being a successful ‘experiment’. Let us introduce you to the secrets of adventurous Croatia in a safe and interesting way! More about our tour leaders and the office crew here: VMD GUIDES

Contact

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