The Slovenia Green Wellness Route — which will launch June 22, 2022, to coincide with the date of World Bathing Day — is a 16-stage cycling itinerary connecting some of Slovenia’s best spa and wellness resorts. The route, known as the SGWR, stops in Slovenia Green-certified destinations and is the newest all-Green travel experience in what National Geographic Traveler calls “the world’s most sustainable country.”
The route was developed as a collaboration between the Slovenia Tourist Board, the Slovenian Spas Association, the Slovenia Green Association, participating destinations, and GoodPlace Sustainable Tourism Factory, which designed the route. It combines Slovenia’s natural spas fueled by thermal waters, fantastic cycling with cross-border vistas, local food and wine, and sustainably minded hospitality. The result: a spa-to-spa itinerary any independent traveler can pedal (self-guided or with local experts), and a new way to understand one of the planet’s most exciting countries.
The SGWR starts in Ljubljana. The route, which forms a loop, then heads north toward Austria, east to Hungary, and south along the Croatian border, before turning back northwest to complete the circle. Over 16 days, the trail visits: Kamnik, Ljubno ob Savinji, Rečica ob Savinji, Velenje, Zreče, Maribor, Lenart, Sveta Ana, Moravske Toplice, Ljutomer, Jeruzalem, Ptuj, Čatež in Brežice, Kostanjevica na Krki, Novo Mesto, Laško, Celje, Šentjur, Žalec.
“Slovenia is known as a green country, but it also overflows with health and wellness resorts,” says Iztok Altbauer, the Managing Director of the Slovenian Spas Association with 15 natural spas and resorts that intertwine culture, beautiful landscapes, and rejuvenation. “Our resorts make a priority of achieving the Slovenia Green standard and working toward zero-emission travel. We believe cycling and wellness is a winning solution for couples, families, and travelers of every sort.”
The itinerary pedals around 40 kilometers per day across a combination of flat and rolling landscape, and on quiet roads and packed-gravel trails. During each stage, travelers are welcomed by destinations and service providers that have earned Slovenia Green certification, a national program that brings together the country’s sustainable tourism efforts under one brand.
“‘Certification isn’t something a tourist can hold,” says Tina H. Zakonjšek, Director of the Slovenia Green Association. “What Slovenia Green routes provide are coherent stories so discerning travelers can make responsible decisions about what they want to support. Though the SGWR is geared toward relaxation and families, like all Slovenia Green experiences, this itinerary allows visitors to form a deeper connection with our beautiful country.”
For more information about the Slovenia Green Wellness Route, please contact: Jan Klavora at jan@goodplace.si