Northern Kanal Circle

Logo Northern Kanal Circle
Logo Northern Kanal Circle
Tour data
45.81km
129 - 925m
Distance
1,244hm
1,286hm
Ascent
05:00h
 
Duration
Brief description

Demanding cycling tour with excellent views all the way to the Adriatic Sea, Julian Alps and the Dolomites Mountain range. This tour is routed along gravel roads and cart tracks and occasionally along paved side roads. 

Difficulty
difficult
Rating
Technique
Fitness
Landscape
Experience
Starting point

Avče

Route
Avče
0.2 km
Verco di Canale (589 m)
8.4 km
Banschitz
13.9 km
Lohke
15.1 km
Breg
18.5 km
Hodinšče
23.1 km
Murovci
23.4 km
Testeni
33.5 km
Levpa
35.5 km
Zavrh
35.5 km
Auscie
39.9 km
Seniški Breg
40.5 km
Markiči
40.6 km
Gorenja Levpa
42.0 km
Dolenja Levpa
42.4 km
Avče
45.6 km


Best season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Description

This thoughtfully selected trail is ideal for well-prepared mountain bike aficionados. The unbusy gravel roads and grassy trails are perfect to recharge your batteries or to disconnect yourself from your everyday life. The beautiful artificial lake in the vicinity of the village of Kanalski Vrh is only one of the numerous interesting sites where you can simply stop and enjoy in nature. The next one is the crossing of the Banjška planota Plateau, followed by the excellent sightseeing point in the hamlet of Vrhavče. You will also be able to enjoy in excellent views later when the trail will take you above the village of Kal nad Kanalom all the way to the villages of Testeni and Široka Njiva from where you will finally descend past the site of the falling of a meteorite Avče and visit the hamlet of Močila decorated by the Mediterranean fern called the Venus hair fern (Adiantum capillus veneris).

Directions

Start the tour in the village of Avče and continue along the local road towards the town of Kanal and after 3 km (next to the mill) turn sharply uphill along the gravel road. Cycle along the main gravel road and keep to the left at all junctions. After approximately 5 km of cycling you will reach the paved road where you have to turn left and ascend to the lake. Continue past the house next to the lake, cross the meadow, turn right just next to the fence, and when you reach the other side, turn left onto the gravel road. Descend to the left and then turn right along the gravel forest road until you reach the paved road in the village of Mrcinje. Turn downhill to the right at the beginning of the village and then ascend to the tourist farm in the village of Banjšice. Descend to the left along the main road until you reach the second turn leading onto a grassy cart track which turns uphill to the right after approximately 50 m.  Follow the cart track until you reach the hamlet on the other side of the grassy plateau. When you reach the paved road, turn left and then right just in front of the last house (after 50 m). At the first intersection turn uphill to the left onto a forest trail past the weekend house and then again to the left at the next junction. Cycle along the demanding ascent until you reach the gravel road where you have to turn right. Continue to the first intersection and turn uphill to the left. Cycle along the road and, when you reach the next junction, straight downhill (left) all the way to the paved road. Turn left and descend to the intersection. Keep to the right in the direction of the village of Kal nad Kanalom, cross the Vrhavč Viewpoint and ascend to the bend and the viewpoint (there is a bench on the meadow on the left). Behind the bend the trail will take you to the junction on the right and will turn into a gravel road after 200 m. After a short ascent turn right at the junction and continue straight ahead while keeping to the left at the bend. Keep cycling along the main gravel road until you join perpendicularly the second forest road towards the Lašček Viewpoint. Turn left and continue for another kilometre until you reach the paved road where you have to turn right. Ascend to the intersection and follow the second road on the left which will soon turn into a gravel road. Keep to the left at the intersection and, after 100 m, turn right onto a grassy cart track leading downhill past the weekend houses to a gravel road where you have to turn left. Continue cycling until you reach the paved road in the hamlet of Hoje, descend along this road to the right until you reach the village of Testeni and then turn right towards the village of Mešnjak. Turn left in the village towards the hamlet of Košenija and continue to the hamlet of Zavrh. Continue cycling along the paved road for 1.5 km until you reach the turn for the village of Široka Njiva. Descend to the village and then continue along the cart track to the first junction where you have to keep to the left. After 100 m, at the first junction, turn slightly to the right beneath the trail which soon starts to ascend. The trail will take you to a meadow where you have to continue along the cart track to the village of Seniški Breg. Keep to the left when you reach the end of the village and ascend to the cart track above the village which will take you to the next settlement which you have to cross and continue uphill to the left above the village until you reach the paved road. Cross this road and continue along the cart track to the village of Levpa. When you reach the church, turn downhill to the main road, cross the road at the intersection and descend along the concrete descent to the cart track. Pass the hay barn, turn left and, at the junction after approximately 100 m, turn downhill to the right onto a forest cart track. This descent is quite steep and occasionally demanding, however, after approximately 100 m you will already reach a steep ascent to the right where you will probably have to step down from your bicycle and continue cycling after 30 m when you reach the top of this ascent. Cycle along the forest trail  gently uphill and then gently downhill past the site of the falling of a meteorite. Continue along this trail straight ahead and you will soon see the trail turn into a cart track descending into the valley of the Avšček Stream. When you reach the tarmac, turn right and continue past the location where the Venus hair fern grows all the way back to your starting point.    

Highest point
925 m
Endpoint

Banjšice

Height profile
© outdooractive.com

Equipment

Appropriate for mountain bikes, gravel bikes and e-bicycles.

Safety instructions

This tour is technically undemanding.

Tips

The tour is technically undemanding and appropriate for well-prepared cyclists on mountain bikes or gravel bikes. Less prepared cyclists can make this tour on e-bicycles. Besides the interesting lake of the hydropower plant Avče you will be able to enjoy in splendid views and green meadows, and, in the last part of the circle, cycle past the site of the falling of a meteorite Avče and the location where the Venus hair fern grows in the hamlet of Močila.

Additional information
If you get tired you can shorten the tour at several locations and descend back to your starting point.

 

Sights along the tour:

- St. Martin's Church in Avče

- Memorial to the falling of a meteorite in Avče

- Accumulation lake of the hydropower plant Avče

- Church of St. Anthony of Padova in Kanalski Vrh

- Vrhavč Viewpoint (views of the Soča Valley, Julian Alps and the Dolomites Mountain Range)

- Church of St. Stephen in Levpa

- Collection “Pri Jugovih” in Avšje

- Church of Our Lady of the Snows in Nadavče


Public transportation

Information on transportation of bicycles by train: here >>

Timetable and purchase of tickets. You can find the railway station in the village of Avče.


Author
The tour Northern Kanal Circle is used by outdooractive.com provided.

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General info

Refreshment stop
Cultural/Historical
Flora
A lot of view
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