South-East-Europe

Discussion in 'Ride Reports' started by martn130289, Dec 27, 2017.

  1. martn130289

    martn130289 Member

    Messages:
    40
    Day 1 250km

    Finally the best time of the year starts. Vacation knocks on the door. But this year it doesn´t start like usual. Ok, get up early and make the bike ready is normal stuff. But this time, I have to do an extra english test for shool before I can start. After 2 hours the test is done and I can change to my lovely traveling-dress and start my holiday.
    0002 (1280x960).jpg
    This year I leave my Tiger at home and start with my CRF250L. Not typical for germans…
    The weather is very nice so far and my route follows some roads through the Erzgebirge I already know. I cross the Czech border and the street is already wet. But the sun is shining and so it drys already.
    0006 (1280x960).jpg
    In my direction I see still the rainclouds and I decide to take a campsite 50km earlier than planned. Good how long I follow my plans :D
    It is a very nice and small campsite at a sea. I use my first evening to start enjoying holiday.


    Day 2 483km

    Like every vacation I start early in the morning. I use some big roads to cross the Czech Republik and so the day is not very interesting. I cross the border to Slowakia and search for a campsite.
    After I built up my tent I walk to the supermarket. It should be not far away… It takes almost 1 hour until I reach it. It is very hot and there is no shadow on my wy. Next time I use my bike to go shopping. Back at the campsite I eat a lot of the stuff I bought and enjoy the end of the day with a small campfire next to a small river.
    0035 (1280x961).jpg

    Day 3 423km

    Slowakia is a new country for me and so I start the new day very happy. First destination is the “High Tatra”. So I follow the street up to Poland as well. But there is a lot of traffic and I can not find a road through the mountains…at least I have a wonderful view. Maybe I should come back to hike or bike.
    0043 (1280x960).jpg
    To reach my next stop, I have to use bigger streets again. But it´s worth it. Spissky hrad. But I don´t like to pay money and visit castles from the inside, so I enjoy the view from “outside”.
    0051 (1280x961).jpg
    Good that I use my small bike, like this I can go to spots where no other people are.
    0069 (1280x961).jpg
    At the lake Vadna I´m looking for a campsite. But it is not so easy like I thougt. On my map there are a lot of campsites. But either they are closed or they don´t exist anymore… After one hour I found one. Good thing, there is just one other dutch couple and so it is very nice.
    0079 (1280x961).jpg

    Day 4 390km

    Today it is time for my number one destanie. Romania. Hungary I skip again on big roads. In Romania my first stop is Cimitirul Vesel in Sapanta.
    0091 (1280x960).jpg
    After I spent some money and time, I ride up to Viseu de Sus to do some sightseeing for boys ;P More about this tomorrow.
    Only problem, there is no campsite, so I have to use a pension. But it costs not even 15€ per night, so it is not a big problem.


    Day 5 0km

    It is time to spend some money again. There is a small old train that is riding in this valley. At the past it was used to take wood from the forrest to the city. Today it is mostly used to take tourists. I enjoy a great day…
    0158 (1280x961).jpg
     
    Evergreen Life and Singlespeed92 like this.
  2. martn130289

    martn130289 Member

    Messages:
    40
    Day 6 335km

    Directly after the start, there are many roadworks on my way. It is already very hot and waiting at trafficlights is no fun. In Borsa I decide to take a sideroad north. At the cityborder the pavement ends. Along the Ukrainian border it takes 85km until I´m back on pavement. It was a great track and the smile under my helmet is very wide.
    0176 (1280x961).jpg 0182 (1280x960).jpg
    Back on the road I stop at one of the Moldova Monastry. But it is very hot at the moment so I´m not going to visit it. A littlebit more south there is the next one, Moldovita, which I go to visit. There is a place for my bike in the shadow and the entrance is right next to it. I pay the small fee for the entrance and I spend round about 1 hour making pictures.
    0193 (1280x961).jpg
    After I have enough culture I ride up to Izvorul Muntelui were I share the small campside just with an Austrian couple.
    0227 (1280x961).jpg

    Day 7 303km

    Still going south I follow small streets through the carpathians up to Bran. Normally I just wanted to stop shortly to take a picture of Draculas castle, but I stop at the campsite and walk into the city. There are a lot of tourists and the small market in front of the castle is a little bit to much for me. But the entrancefee for the castle is not so high and I walked all the way from the campsite up to here, so I go to visit the castle… What should I say, it is not so bad as I thought. Not to many tourists and as well the story of Dracula is not like I thought. I spend money worst than this.
    0310 (1280x961).jpg

    Day 8 302km

    Today it´s time for one of the ridinghighlights on this tour. Sun is shining as well, so it is a wonderful morning. Up to Curtea de Argnes it takes time because of the traffic. But here it starts. One mor stop to fill up the bike and then the 7c starts, better known as Transfagarasan. It starts with a nice road and not to much uphill. I stop at a reservoir where I meet some guys on big motos. They are making some jokes about my 250cc but I don´t care. They start a little bit early then me, but it doesn´t take long until I have them an this twisty road. They are trying to ride away, but they can do this just on the straight road, at the curves I got them every time. Nice such a small bike…
    I pass them because they make a break and after this the uphill starts and my speed is going down, but I keep my big smile and enjoy this road. The higher I get, it´s going colder as well. It goes down to 10 degree, at the mountain pass there is still a lot of snow. But here the downhill starts and it is as nice as the uphill.
    0381 (1280x961).jpg 0384 (1280x960).jpg 0388 (1280x961).jpg 0393 (1280x961).jpg
    A littlebit south of Sibiu I take the campsite, were I will spend two nights.
     
    Singlespeed92 likes this.
  3. martn130289

    martn130289 Member

    Messages:
    40
    Day 9 385km

    Today it is time to ride without luggage and it is time for another highlight. The Transalpina. To get there I take a small sideroad, or better an amaizing dirttrack. I take the Curmatura Oltetului pass and enjoy a fantastic view.
    0433 (1280x961).jpg 0438 (1280x304).jpg
    Back on pavement it is time for the Transalpina. A wonderful ride as well. But pictures say more than my words…
    0492 (1280x960).jpg 0530 (1280x961).jpg
    Back at the campsite I relax with a nice view as well.
    531 (1280x961).jpg

    Day 10 406km

    Again I want to take some dirtroads again. It starts very nice but my GPS is not very useful, because it doesn´t show the “streets”. So everytime at a junction I have to choose the way into the blue… after the fifth wrong decition, I go back to the mainroad to continue. This means I have to ride the Transalpina again in the other direction, oh man…
    Up to Baile Herculane I enjoy a great ride again. But the campsite today is the worst I have ever been. Inside a city and it looks that it is not used so often anymore. OK, I just pay 2€…
    0570 (1280x960).jpg 0572 (1280x960).jpg
     
    Singlespeed92 likes this.
  4. martn130289

    martn130289 Member

    Messages:
    40
    Day 11 216km

    I cross the Donau to Serbia. But I don´t stay for long in Serbia, I´m riding to Bulgaria. I build up my tent at Belogradchik were I change my motorcycleboots against hikingboots. I spend a lot of time to visit the rocks and the castle and taking pictures.
    0610 (1280x302).jpg 0667 (1280x961).jpg

    Day 12 342km

    First time that the day starts with rain, so I have to pack my stuff wet. I still go south. The road is nice but nothing epic and it still rains. At least I reach a valley to come to the Rila monastery. I use a small rainingbreak to build up the tent befor I hike to the monastery.
    0709 (1280x960).jpg
    Very nice that it doesn´t cost anything to visit. I go to a restaurant to end the day because I don´t wanna cook in the rain.
    0718 (1280x961).jpg

    Day 13 476km

    After a stormy night it starts wet again. After I left the valley the weather is changing again and I can take of the raining cloth. I cross the border to Macedonia and follow a big road. In Veles I take a little bit smaller road (looks like this at the map) to Prilep. It changes to a dirtroad, normally not bad, but I want to ride up to Albania today and this takes time.
    0745 (1280x960).jpg
    It is a nice track, but after I´m back on the normal road, I change my plan to take much smaller roads and choose a road I already know. I take a road up to the Lake Orid befor I turn north at Struga. This road through a valley I took two years ago as well and it is a nice refresh of old memories.
    0762 (1280x960).jpg
    I go all the way up to Peshkopi in Albania were I take a small campsite in the backyard of a family. I´m the only one on the campsite and befor I can build up my tent, the owner brings me coffee and some fresh cherrys. Great, like in paradies.
    0767 (1280x960).jpg

    Day 14 207km

    I get up early and I get a coffee again, brought directly to my tent. After I packed everything I pay 4€ for everything (in some countries you don´t get a single coffee for that) and start to ride. I love Albania.
    I go west and after the bad pavement changes to a real dirttrack I enjoy it very much. It is very hot again, but I take time to make pictures and enjoyi riding in this fantastic landscape.
    0793 (1280x961).jpg
    A little bit north of Shkodar I take a campsite at a lake. I want to stay 3 nights, so I pay the double fee (10€) to get a place under a roof in the shadow.
    0823a (640x480).jpg
     
    Singlespeed92 likes this.
  5. martn130289

    martn130289 Member

    Messages:
    40
    Day 15 160km

    It is time to go for a ride without luggage again. Befor 6 o´clock I start to take the north route up to Theth. It starts with a brand new paved road.
    0859 (1280x960).jpg
    I thought this will be one of the last eurapean offroad paradies´… But it changes at a pass to dirt. Up to Theath it is not very difficult. From there it is time for the south route and the fun begind…
    0874 (1280x960).jpg 0901 (1280x961).jpg 0941 (1280x961).jpg 0975 (1280x304).jpg

    Day 16 0km

    There is another offroad track up to Vermosh, but it is so hot and I´m wearing my GoreTex. It was yesterday already a battle with the temperature, so I use the day as totally relaxing day, go swimming, reading and eating…
    976 (1280x961).jpg 977 (1280x961).jpg

    Day 17 345km

    After a day doing nothing, I realize that I´m not a guy for a two week beach holiday or something like that. So it is time to ride and go to Montenegro. I follow a bigger road along a river and it is wonderful. But at Bioce there is a small road that goes up to the mountains… I dicide to take this road and it was a great choice. No traffic and a wonderful landscape again.
    0992 (1280x961).jpg 0997 (1280x961).jpg
    Later I ride along the Tara river inside the Durmitor Nationalpark. Up to the Pivacanyon I ride today.
    1027 (1280x961).jpg
    I build up my tent at Camp Grab that lies directly between Montenegro and Bosnia at the Tara river.
     
    Singlespeed92 likes this.
  6. martn130289

    martn130289 Member

    Messages:
    40
    Day 18 363km

    The bordercrossing to Bosnia takes time. There is a bus with tourists in front of me and there is just one guy to “check in”. On my way north I take small dirttracks through the mountains again.
    1049 (1280x960).jpg
    But somewhere I missed a turn and I´m riding south again. It doesn´t matter, I´m here to ride my bike and so I choose another route to Jajce. Here I´m going to stay for the night and visit the waterfall inside the city.
    1063 (1280x961).jpg 1080 (1280x961).jpg 1082 (1280x960).jpg

    Day 19 522km

    Today I cross the border to Croatia and use some small roads through the mountains again. It is so hot again, that I take anyplace with shadow for a break, like an old mechanic-station.
    1087 (1280x960).jpg
    I take a campsite at the Plitvice lakes which I´m going to visit tomorrow. This is as well the end with campsites for less than 5€…


    Day 20 15km

    Today I spend a lot of time to walk through the National Park…
    1092 (1280x961).jpg 1125 (1280x961).jpg 1166 (1280x961).jpg 1205 (1280x961).jpg

    Day 21-23

    The last 3 days I spent going home through Slovenia and Austria. Nothing special, just the last day it is raining the whole day like hell. It seems that all the rain I didn´t have during my trip comes down at once…
     
    Singlespeed92 likes this.
  7. martn130289

    martn130289 Member

    Messages:
    40
    The map looks a little bit strange, but google will not let me ride the Transfagarasan.
    Unbenannt.jpg

    Thats it, hope you´ll enjoy
    2000 (1280x961).jpg
     
    JPD, Evergreen Life and Singlespeed92 like this.
  8. Singlespeed92

    Singlespeed92 New Member

    Messages:
    23
    Wow,awesome!!! :D
     
    martn130289 likes this.
  9. Merritt64

    Merritt64 New Member

    Messages:
    24
    That was awesome! Thanks for sharing.
     
    martn130289 likes this.
  10. Lee6R

    Lee6R Member

    Messages:
    47
    That's some stunning scenery!

    A fully loaded CRF too!!!!!
     
    martn130289 likes this.
  11. Evergreen Life

    Evergreen Life Member

    Messages:
    57
    KICKASS trip amigo! Thanks so much for sharing with everyone. Your pictures are beautiful and your trip as a whole is inspiring. I am going to have to go moto camping!!!

    I loved how the guys on bigger bikes were making jokes about your 250. Then you pass them on the twisties. Gotta love our "Go Anywhere, Do Anything" bikes. Great stuff.
     
    martn130289 likes this.
  12. Tigger

    Tigger Active Member

    Messages:
    147
    Terrific photos, looks like a great trip. So very interesting places amongst stunning scenery, thanks for sharing
     
    martn130289 likes this.
  13. Alex

    Alex crf250l.org dude

    Messages:
    655
    Unbelievable pictures! Thanks for sharing!
     
    martn130289 likes this.
  14. superfunkomatic

    superfunkomatic Member

    Messages:
    103
    Super photos. Looks like incredible scenery and riding. Thanks for sharing!
     
    martn130289 likes this.
  15. freak

    freak New Member

    Messages:
    1
    excellent pictures!
     
    martn130289 likes this.