Last few of 49 hairpin turns of Stelvio pass.
Europe is fairly densely populated and there is an extensive network of well-maintained roads. Additionally, there is very little crime, virtually no dangerous wild animals, hardly any wilderness, so riding around Europe does not qualify as "adventure riding" in my opinion.
The history of Europe is basically about wars, plundering, brutal killings, often times in the name of God. One side benefit of that terrible past are twisty roads going up unbelievably steep slopes to nearly all mountain passes (originally built for war purposes). While I can't change the past, I can enjoy the preset. Here are photos of some of my favorite roads in Europe.
This page focuses on motorcycle travel. For a more culture-oriented travel, public transportation is better suited for Europe.
Europe rides - Adriatic, Balkans, Carpathians, Pyrenees and Morocco.
Italian Dolomites are undisputed crown jewel of the Alps. Motorcyclists from all over the world go there to ride the famous passes. But it's not just the great roads that attract people. Climbers and base jumpers take advantage of nearly vertical rock faces, hikers enjoy tranquil lakes and verdant pastures and photographers snap epic images.
Dolomites are so special that I believe they deserve a section of their own. Even though I did not make any trip just to ride around Dolomites, on almost all of my European trips, I passed and rode through the Dolomites. I simply never get bored of riding there.
Dolomites
Near the Austrian border. Food is cheaper in Italy but the gasoline is a better deal in Austria. Being just one scenic pass away, it is easy to eat in Italy and fuel up in Austria.
Marmolada group after a storm.
A waterfall on the Austrian side.
Lake Misurina is the jump-off point to visit Tre Cime.
Hiking around Tre Cime.
Typical Dolomites view.
Tre Cime, the famous view from the "back" side.
Atop Passo Giau.
Rosegarden section.
Another beautiful day in the Dolomites.
As usual during my rides around Europe, I visited Dolomites three times during my Balkans tour. Photos from the Dolomites while on the Balkans tour are listed below.
Back side of Tre Cime.
Climbing up towards Cortina d'Ampezzo.
On the way to Falzarego.
Near Giau pass.
Giau pass.
Civetta Peak.
Dolomites riding at its best.
A popular photo spot in the Dolomites.
Just below Sella pass.
Sella group.
Approaching Sella pass.
Langkofel from Sella pass.
Early morning near Lake Braies.
Before all the tourists hordes arrive at Lake Braies.
Early morning at a Lake Braies.
Skopje, the capital of Macedonia is only a day ride from Belgrade. It is the birthplace of Mother Teresa and there is a memorial house dedicated to her. Just like in Sarajevo, Turkish influence can be felt everywhere. Promenade next to the river gets particularly busy at night. Good food and pleasant atmosphere made time pass by quickly. Next day I rode to Ohrid, an old town at the edge of the lake that goes by the same name.
Another half day of riding got me to Thessaloniki. It's the second biggest city in Greece. Nearby Meteora was the first major objective of this trip. Even though Greece is more famous for the sea and history, this is one of the more visually striking places in the country. Unfortunately, the weather was hazy. I visited a few monasteries and then headed to Delos, the pilgrimage center of the ancient Greece.
Meteora, Greece.
I passed by Mt. Olympus, Old Corinth and crossed the Corinth canal on the way to highly recommended Monemvasia. Supposedly some biblical characters hang around this area, Apostle Paul being the most famous of them.
I passed through Sparta before heading to the Ionian sea islands of Zakintos, Kefalonia, Lefkada and Corfu. I liked Zakyntos the most but Kefalonia was interesting too. Both islands had some dazzling white sand beaches. The best part was that June is a shoulder season. Most tourists were Greeks who were trying to enjoy their sea before hordes of foreigners flood the country.
Monemvasia's upper fortress.
Enjoying the views.
Spartan monument.
The famous shipwreck beach.
Ionian sea islands with dazzling white sand beaches.
I found a good deal on a ferry to Italy. Less than 100 euros for both my bike and me. The ferry wasn't very crowded and after a good night sleep, I woke up on the other side of the Adriatic sea, in Brindisi. Apart from the few hours spent in Matera it was a full day of riding to the west coast of Italy and ferry crossing to Sicily.
Beach below Taormina.
Terra Manga Grecia - Even though Romans conquered ancient Greece, they had great respect for the Greek culture, phylosophy and science.
Campgrounds in Italy are overcrowded, noisy, lacking facilities and generally rather poor values compared to guesthouses and hotels. In many campgrounds, showers are not free. But it got really bad in one campground where they sold me a token without telling me that I had only 2 min for the shower. Who can finish a shower in 2 min? Well, it was not fun toweling off soap. Then they had a disco at night. After this experience I started avoiding campgrounds in Italy.
Amalfi coast near Napoli is famous for villages perched on steep hills descending down to the sea and narrow roads clinging onto the cliff-sides connecting the villages. Italian riders are simply amazing, maybe little on the crazy side. They pass cars on the outside of tight, blind curves on Vespas - unbelievable!
Amalfi Coast Road
Capri island is a short ferry ride from Sorrento. Seemed like a hangout for super rich and a tourist trap for everyone else.
I rode up along the west coast of Italy till Near Rome, then turned inland towards Tuscany. Tuscany was ok, but I didn't quite get why people are so excited about it. I'm just not a big fan of half-abandoned towns and rolling hills covered with dry grass. Visiting Siena and few smaller towns was enough for me.
I didn't really plan on visiting Corsica, but I could not pass a ferry deal. After disembarking, I struck conversation with an Austrian rider and we decided to ride together for a few hours.
Corsica has some beautiful beaches, historic towns, beautiful mountains and laid-back atmosphere. I rode down south along the west coast and came back through the central mountains. Visiting Napoleon's birth house was a must-do thing in Corsica.
Disembarking ferry in Corsica.
Southern coast of Corsica and Bonifacio.
Beautiful clear waters of Corsica.
I booked a ferry to Genoa because I love the Ligurian coastal and the road from Genoa to Nice is a pure pleasure to ride. After two days in Nice, I passed through Verdon Gorge, twice. Both the southern and northern edge roads are amazing.
Verdon Gorge.
Verdon Gorge.
Route des Grandes Alpes is one of quintessential routes of Europe. It starts near Nice and ends up at Lake Geneve, linking high Alpine passes, deep valleys and historic towns by small, quiet roads. I did not follow the full course of the route. I got off it in Annecy and headed to Chamonix to spent few days in this adventure capital of Europe.
One of many passes on the Route des Grandes Alpes.
Early morning on Route des Grandes Alpes.
Mt. Blanc, the top of Europe.
This is the second longest mountain range in Europe, stretching 1500 km from Serbia through Romania, Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia to Czech republic. This mountain range is also the largest continuous stretch of forest in Europe, a home to bears wolves, foxes, boars and many other wild animals. Before the trip, I was warned about the dangers of forest camping (it's not uncommon for wolves and wild board to kill people).
Of particular interest to motorcyclists are the beautiful mountain passes in Romania. Transfagarasan and Alpina, both incredibly beautiful, are famous among motorists from all over Europe.
Food and accommodation in Romania are cheap and of high quality. Drivers are curtious and riding in Romania is pure pleasure.
Peles Castle.
After two days of mountain roads, I craved some city experience. So I made a 200 km detour to Bucharest, where I explored the old town, famous parliament buliding and gorged on cheap food and fruits.
No trip to Carpathian mountains would be complete without paying a tribute to count Dracula in his castle - Bran castle, built in 13th century. The inspiration for Dacula is a real character, Vlad Tepes, who was rather ruthless in his fight with the Turks. He loved having captured Turks impaled and would walk around dying or already dead, impaled people.
Romania is dotted with medieval castles and fortified churches. Bran castle is only one of Romania's many castles.
Bucharest's imposing parliament building.
Inside Dracula's castle.
After numerous passes, countless switchback and some beautiful canyons, I arrived in Norther Romania. This place is famous for two types of churches - wooden and painted ones. While wooden churches can be found all over eastern Europe, they are supposed to be the most beautiful here.
Painted churches, on the other hand, can be found only here. They have various biblical scenes painted all around them.
Painted churches of Romania are rather unique.
There are wooden churches all over Eastern Europe, but those of Bukovina are particularly famous.
Wooden monastery.
I enjoyed cheap accommodation and great food in Ukraine. I hit some very rough roads and made it to the Slovakian border. There weren't many cars in the line but it took Slovakians forever to process each car.
Slovakia's turbulent medieval times are obvious from many impressive castles.
This tower was perched on a vertical rock.
There are no Carpathian mountains in Austria, but I wanted to visit some friends in Vienna. So I made a short detour south to this amazing city.
One of my friends is a rider and from the little-know part of Austria - the "forest quarter." This part of Austria is completely off the tourist map. Had it not been for my friend, I wouldn't have even known about it. Farms and forests on rolling hills, criss-crossed by deserted roads are a heaven for any rider. I'm surprised this place is not famous in motorcycling circles.
From Austria, we crossed into Czech Republic and rode to Cesky Krumlov. This little town is full of tourists and for a good reason. Nearby is Budovar, Czech town where Budweiser beer comes from originally comes from. The US company simply stole the name.
Another beautiful castle near Karlovy Vary.
With the first September rain, the weather got cold and the summer was over. I made my way down south to Dolomites and Cinque Terre through Germany and Austria in hope of warmer weather.
Cinque Terre.
Porto Fino
I got a glimpse of the Pyrenees when I rode to Morocco, but I wanted to ride more passes of this mountain chain. While the Pyrenees were the main objective of this ride, I wanted to visit my other favorite places too - Dolomites, Cinque Terre, French riviera, Route des Grandes Alpes and Porto.
As usual, the weather in Dolomites was finicky and I had to run south for a few hundred kilometers to avoid a storm. It's hard to get more than 3-4 consecutive days of sunny weather here in summer.
I crossed into France from Aosta valley and headed through Ecrins and Vercors national parks down to the Calanques to meet my friend.
Swimming at Calanques outside Marseilles.
Hiking in Calanques is a much better option than taking a boat tour.
A lake on the French side of the Pyrenees.
Another pass between Spain and France.
Pau Castle.
I had a good weather riding high passes of the Pyrenees and then later the norther coast of Spain - Catalonia and Basque. I loved San Sebastian, Pamplona (even without or especially without the bulls) and the infinite variety of tapas.
I was really impressed with Spanish cities (at least the ones in the north) and how well-maintained and clean they are.
San Sebastian tapas.
Tapas.
I had my first flat tire in Europe late in the afternoon when trying to cross from Spain to France. By the time I fixed the tire, it was already dark. Good thing I had my tent with me.
It was quite challenging to get close enough to this tree to lean the bike against it.
I visited Picos de Europa mountains. There is a cable car that takes people from a parking lot high up to over 2,000m. Eventually an approaching storm forced me to ride south to Leon and on to Porto.
High up above the clouds in Picos de Europa NP.
Camino de Santiago - a must do pilgrimage hike for any real catholic. The hike is done over the course of five weeks and ends up on the western coast of Spain. But the city of Santiago de Compostela is really the high point of the hike. I don't know if I earned any heaven points by riding the route, but I loved "everything stone" in Santiago.
Eventually an approaching storm forced me to ride south to Leon and on to Portugal.
Happy to be back in Porto again.
Porto tram.
Spain is littered with impressive castles and fortresses.
My poor preparation habits forced me to have chain changed in Girona and rear tire and break pads in Andorra. Andorra is actually not a bad place to get spare parts and riding gear as there is no tax.
First snow of the year also got me in Andorra.
First snow of the year.
In southern France I entered the flat tire hell - two flats in two days. For the first time ever, I got a flat front tire and it was an Ultraheavy Duty tube too. While mounting the tire, I managed to pinch the new tube. With no more spare tubes and setting sun, I was getting desperate. Then it dawned upon me that I had patches in my kit. The patches held for about 12 hours - good enough to get me to the civilization where I could buy another spare tube. Half an hour after I bought the new tube, I had to use it.
A road carved out of the rock in southern France near Carcassonne.
Impressive Carcassonne castle.
Climbing Col de la Bonette on Route des Grandes Alpes.
Even though I rode them several times before, I still enjoy visiting Code d'Azur and Ligurian coast.
Freshly restored buildings in Menton.
Imperia, just across the border in Italy.
Picturesque Camogli town between Genoa and Porto Fino.
Ligurian coast.
Sunset over Vernazza.
Places where I spent at least a night.
Bosnia - where the Roman empire split into eatern (Orthodox Christian) and western (Catholic) and then Turks added Islam to the mix making it a fertile ground for hatred and wars.
Even though I grew up in this area, this was the first time I actually toured Balkan countries on a motorcycle, some of them visiting for the first time.
I was pleasantly surprised by mountains, canyons and lakes of Bosnia, Montenegro and Bulgaria. Adriatic coast was crowded and expensive and I mostly stayed away from it. I also encountered the worst drivers in Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro and Albania. Surviving is the name of the game while riding in these countries.
Before the civil war in Bosnia, this was a busy train station. Now, much like the rest of the economy, it's in a dilapidated state.
Locally grown, rippen on trees, fruits start in June.
My favorite food - burek with yoghurt.
Smoked meats are cheap and of high quality.
For a quick meal, various home-style dishes are available.
Sampling home-destiled rakia (plum brandy).
Meeting high-school friends in Belgrade.
I was sure these were German riders, but I was wrong. Poles have just as twisted sense of humor.
After a few weeks of hassling with local bureaucracy to get all the bike papers in order, I left Bosnia through Croatia and Slovenia towards Dolomites. I visited a few towns and waterfalls of western Bosnia and enjoyed my favorite foods and cheap fruits.
Sober reminders of the civil war.
A cascade on river Una in western Bosnia.
Crystal clear waters of river Una.
Zeljava - an abandoned military base.
Airplane hangar was built into the mountain.
I camped on a damaged runway. Another one is used for car/motorcycle drifting.
From western Bosnia, I crossed into Croatia and continued northwest into Slovenia and Italy.
Adriatic sea and Dalmatian islands.
In Slovenia, I met a friendly Croatian rider on the same bike as mine.
Climbing a steep pass in Julian Alps.
Julian Alps.
Canyon of river Soca is a major tourist attraction of Slovenia.
After a few weeks of riding Dolomites and visiting friends in Austria and Germany I returned to the Balkan. I had been to the western Europe many times before and there was hardly anything new to see.
Back on the Balkan, I rode Herzegovina part, from the western border with Croatia to the SE border with Montenegro. City of Mostar, Lake Jablanica, Canyons of Neretva, Sutjeska, Drina and Tara were the highlights. I saw quite a few riders from Poland, Czech, Germany and Austria. I guess this part of Bosnia is a popular riding destination.
Waterfall in town of Jajce, Bosnia.
Beautiful colors of lake Jablanica, Bosnia.
Crystal clear water of river Neretva, outside Mostar.
Old town Mostar ("most" means bridge).
Bridge diving is a popular activity (mainly for tourists).
Crowded street of the old town Mostar.
Idyllic old houses, now restaurants and hotels.
Below the bridge.
A mosque and catholic church stood peacefully next to each other for centuries, but this area saw some of the bloodiest battles between Croats and Bosnian Muslims during the civil war.
Swimming is allowed at Kravice waterfall.
Canyon in eastern Bosnia, reminiscent of scenes from classical Chinese paintings.
Swimming in frigid waters of river Drina.
After a day or rafting on river Tara, (the deepest canyon in Europe), I crossed into Montenegro and rode the most spectacular road. It followed river Piva by a series of bridges and tunnels carved into nearly vertical canyon walls.
Spectacular road carved through cliffs of the Piva canyon.
Canyon of river Piva, Montenegro.
I climbed out of the canyon high above the lake. The scenery opened up and I could see Maglic, the highest peak of Bosnia, in the distance. I continued riding through Durmitor National Park. It brought back memories of my first multi-day hike back in college days.
Climbing out of the Piva canyon.
Nearing the top of the canyon.
Maglic, Bosnia's highest peak, can be seen in the distance.
Durmitor NP, Montenegro.
Tara canyon, Europe's deepest.
Ostrog monastery, Montenegro.
Montenegro is a tiny country and can be easily traversed in half a day. After visiting Ostrog monastery, I headed towards the Bay of Kotor. It's very popular with beach goers, but I went there for the spectacular roads climbing out of the bay.
Descending into the Bay of Kotor.
Two islands near Perast, Bay of Kotor.
Near the top of switchbacks above the Bay of Kotor.
I liked this spot so much, I decided to camp there.
Next morning, I continued along the coast and resort towns of Budva, St. Stefan and Ulcinj towards Albanian border.
Exclusive resort of St. Stefan.
Walls of the Ulcinj fortress, once hiding place of pirates.
Ulcinj is very close to the border with Albania. In less than hour I was riding in a new country, but it didn't look that different from anything else I had ridden thus far - cafes, bakeries, restaurants. People pay more attention to enjoying life on the Balkan more than anything else. After an afternoon of exploring Tirana, I was riding through the mountains of eastern Albania towards Northern Macedonia.
Early morning in the mountains of Albania.
A small road I took through Albanian mountains.
Albania is famous for bunkers. These small ones are scattered all around the country. There is a big one in Tirana, but I didn't visit it.
Korce, the last city in Albania.
After Albania, I crossed into Northern Macedonia and rode straight towards Bulgaria. I've ridden through NM before, it was hot, 44 Celsius, and I was running out of time.
Prespa lake is at the border between Albania and Northern Macedonia.
I stopped in Bitola for lunch.
After a pleasant half-day ride through SW Bulgaria, I arrived at a moto camp to meet a Bulgarian rider, an avid moto-traveler, who I had met during my ride through Central Asia.
In this moto-camp, run by an American rider, everything is motorcycle-related.
The owner converted this Harley for enduro riding and took it all around Europe and Asia.
Sharing travel stories and re-living memories. This guy has ridden from Korea to Iceland, from Nordcap to Africa and he's got stories to tell...
No rider visiting Bulgaria will miss this place.
I prefer this monument, just below the strange-looking building.
I had to stop to avoid a heavy rain on my way to Romanian border.
With only a few days left before my flight to the US, I was in a rush to meet a Romanian friend in Carpathian mountains. My cousin, who lives not too far from Romanian border decided to join us. I rode Transalpina and Transfagarasan passes during my Carpathian tour, but it is such a beautiful area and it certainly is worthy of multiple visits.
The last few switchbacks near the top of Transalpina pass.
Atop Transalpina pass.
Little off-roading between Transalpina and Transfagarasan.
Atop Transfagarasan pass
Romanians love meat. Food stall atop Transfagarasan pass
The descent from Transfagarasan pass.
Time to part ways in a typical Transylvanian village.
From the base of Transfagarasan pass to my cousin's place in Serbia, it took us almost an entire day of riding. The last day of the trip, I rode from Serbia to Bosnia to prepare for my flight to the US and a month of enduro riding in Idaho.
Even though this trip was focused on Balkan countries, I did spent a few weeks riding around Italy, Austria and Germany. Below are some photos from these places. Even though there is a section of this page devoted solely to the Dolomites, there are a few photos of this amazing region in this section as well.
Italian Alps near the border with Austria and Slovenia.
Lake Misurina with Tre Cime behind.
Lago di Landro.
Mountains near Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Dolomites weather is rather flaky. Even though the forecast called for 3-4 days of clear weather, after two days of sun, the rain was coming. So, I decided to visit friends in Vienna.
Austria is dotted with medieval castles.
An old Austrian train.
Exploring Vienna on a bike.
Votive cathedral, Vienna.
Jesus still rules in Europe.
It's hard not to be impressed by gothic architecture.
Inside St Stephen's dome in Vienna.
An alley in Vienna.
Walking around Vienna on a beautiful Sunday morning.
Another beautiful castle in Austrian countryside.
Even though I had ridden through southern Czech Republic, it was on my way to Nuremberg, where I wanted to visit a friend. So, I passed through Czesky Krumlov and Budovice.
Czesky Krumlow, a very touristy place.
Czesky Krumlow from the upper castle wall.
Czeske Budovice, where Budwiser comes from.
An old alley in Budovice.
Town of Pilsen near the border with Germany.
With my German friend and his family in Nuremberg. He is the guy who generously let me ride his motorcycle around South America.
Wurzburg was a short ride from Nuremberg. I visited friends who I had met a few years earlier in Cuba.
First I noticed on the bridge that most of the saints had swords. Then in cathedrals too. I wonder why saints need swords. In addition, this one looked in a particularly foul mood.
My friend has a 701 and he rode parts of TET on it. He leaves his bike parked on a street. I guess Germany is still relatively safe.
Next stop was Heidelberg, a very scenic university town.
The old bridge seems to be the big tourist magnet.
After years of missing organ concerts by a day or a few hours, I was at the right time at the right place in Heidelberg for a concert.
Having good time with old friends in Manheim.
Even though the weather was less than optimal, this blue lake in southern Germany still looked beautiful.
Fussen castle, the beginning of the Romantic Route.
Fussen old town.
Timmelsjoch pass between Austria and Italy. Like many other scenic passes and tunnels, Austrians charge fee. Italian side is free.
I rode to the top of the pass from the free Italian side.
Swtichbacks climbing up on the Italian side.
Beautiful view all around.
Another beautiful castle on the Italian side of Brenner pass.
Comfy stay in northern Italy. Another storm was moving in and I had run south for sunny skies.
Rimini beach - European idea of summer vacation - thousands of beach chairs next to each other, no thanks!
San Marino, the oldest country in the world, since 301 A.D.
San Marino Parliament.
Perugia is an old city, perched on a hill with numerous narrow and steep alleys.
One of the city gates in Perugia.
Old town Perugia is a maze of narrow alleys.
A detail from a museum in Perugia.
Perugia extends over several ridges from the city nucleus.
Perugia's alleys.
Art in an alley in Perugia.
Central plaza in Assisi.
Assisi cathedral.
In Bassano del Grappa on my way back to the Dolomites.
Bassano del Grappa.
Other pages are more focused on my adventure rides: