RIDE
Guide
HOTEL BITORAJ
2014.
ADRIA BIKE HOTELS
You just ride, the rest is in our care!
Thank you for choosing our hotels for your cycling holiday. Hotels
with the Adria Bike Hotels license recognise the needs of cyclists and
tourists. They provide a range of facilities that cyclists like you need to
have a totally carefree biking holiday.
Hotels licensed as Adria Bike Hotels
offer their guests the following
information and services:
professionally traced and classified
mountain biking trails
trained hotel staff ready to answer all
of your cycling and other questions
professionally traced and classified trails
for road cycling
safe storage for your bike, a basic
tools and bike pump
trails suitable for family and recreation
energy drinks and bars purchased at
a hotel
GPX track file
to download
GPS device to rent
services of biking tour guides (with
previous booking)
We wish you a pleasant holiday and many happy miles.
a one-stop shop – solves all problems
you might have related to cycling
DESTINATION
Fužine
Hotel Bitoraj
Gorski Kotar remains an unexplored pearl of Croatian tourism to this
day and perhaps the best way to get to know this “Green heart of
Croatia” is by bike.
Located at over 700 meters above sea level, in the very center of
Fužine, right next to the lake and only 10 kilometers from the Adriatic
Sea, Bitoraj Hotel offers unprecedented variety within its surroundings.
Fužine is located at the very edge
of Gorski Kotar, facing the sea, and
the nearness of the coast and deep
centennial forests adds a special charm
to this breathtaking place.
Fužine offers mountain and road cycling
routes. Mountain cycling mostly uses
gravel forest, field roads and hiking trails
in the vicinity of the town, and one
of the routes bypasses the wonderful
observation points offering the view of
islands Krk and Cres as well as Učka and
the city of Rijeka.
Fužine itself is located at a lake rimmed
with pedestrian and bike path ideal for
family cycling and for those people who
cycle only occasionally.
Road cyclists have a rare opportunity to
enjoy sea and mountain air daily, as well
as amazing combination of bike routes
leading to the river Kupa and around
surrounding villages.
Cycling seasons begins in April and
lasts until November. During July and
August, this is the best cycle destination
in Croatia.
6
310
Number
of tracks
6
Total
km
205
MTB trails
5370
Total
ascent
3590
Road Bike trails
The Hotel was completely renovated
in 2007, and it follows in the footsteps
of the Pension Nada, the first pension
in Fužine since 1933. The Hotel
offers its guests, cyclists, a wonderful
accommodation in 20 rooms in the
ideal location for exploring one of the 12
Adria Bike Hotel bike routes.
Bitoraj Hotel is a gastronomic center
of this part of Croatia and has had a
place among the 100 top restaurants of
Croatia for a long number of years. This
gastronomic mecca should be a must
for those who travel from Zagreb-Rijeka.
INFO
How to use this booklet
This booklet is your starting point for cycling where you can find
all the necessary information to help you choose the trail that fully
meets your requirements.
Each of the trails that we offer in the following pages is detailed
including the description of each trail, with basic information about
the trail difficulty and locations it goes through.
Classification of
MTB trails
Physical difficulty
of MTB trails
Technical difficulty
of MTB trails
Classification of
road biking trails
Classification of
trekking trails
Mountain bike trails are intended for
riding off the concrete roads. They are
characterized by off-road surfaces such
as gravel and soil, interesting uphill
and downhill routes and a tour of the
hidden parts of the destination. Mountain
bike trails are classified by physical and
technical difficulty. Physical difficulty
refers to the trail length and altitude
difference, whereas technical difficulty
refers to the complexity of the trail
surface.
EASY - trail length is up to 25 kilometers
with 500 meters of altitude difference.
Suitable for those who do not ride
regularly, who like cycling but cycle only
occasionally.
EASY - mostly wide gravel roads with
no technically demanding parts, mostly
adapted to all ages, and good for trekking
bikes. If there are technically difficult parts,
they are short and can be walked.
These are bike trails on local and regional
paved roads, avoiding main roads where
possible. Road biking trails are classified
only by physical and female factors and
are divided into three categories:
MEDIUM - trail length is up to 25-40
kilometers with 1000 meters of altitude
difference. For people who ride their
mountain bike regularly (at least once a
week) and who ride a bike at least half
of the year.
MEDIUM – gravel and soil trails and
paths of lower quality, single trails.
Technically quite difficult downhill trails
with “obstacles” such as roots, trees and
loose rocks. These trails require experience
in mountain biking (e.g. braking on loose
terrain and finding the ideal trajectory).
EASY - up to 50 kilometers. For cyclists
who ride mainly seasonally, once a week
at a very relaxed pace.
Trekking trails combine the existing
mountain bike and road bike trails. All
trails of technical difficulty 1 in MTB and
physical difficulty 1 in road cycling are
suitable for trekking and classified as
trekking trails. They are marked with an
TREKKING symbol.
HARD - trail length is over 40 kilometers
with over 1.000 meters of altitude
difference. For people in good shape
who ride a mountain bike regularly
throughout the year (at least 1 once a
week) or combine their training with
other activities during bad weather.
HARD - highly technically difficult terrain,
rocks or soil single trails (sometimes very
steep) that require extremely high level of
experience and skill. They are intended
solely for experienced and technically
advanced cyclists and require quality full
suspension or hard tail bikes.
MEDIUM - up to 80 kilometers, for those
cyclists who ride a road bike all year, at
least once a week.
HARD - routes over 80 km. For cyclists
in good shape used to riding routes of
over 80 km.
NAVIGATION
Trail navigation uses modern
technology and GPS navigation
systems. You can also navigate using a
GPS device or with the help of a smart
phone and an adequate application.
If you have your GPS device, you can
download GPS routes directly from the
Internet or from a memory stick you
can get at the reception.
If you do not have a GPS device, you
can rent one at the reception with
all the trails in this booklet already
downloaded on to a rented device.
If you use a smart phone, our staff
will instruct you on how to use it for
navigation.
Note: We do not recommend the use
of smart phones on the mountain bike
trails of the technical difficulty 2 and 3.
Points of interest on
Hotel Bitoraj destination
cycle routes.
POI 9. / FROG MUSEUM
POI 3.
POI 4.
POI 5.
POI 6.
POI 7.
POI 8.
POI 9.
POI 10.
POI 11.
POI 12.
POI 13.
POI 14.
established in 2006 it is the most innovative
museum situated in Gorski kotar and it
atracts visitors throughout the year. The
museum is open every day and offers many
exhibits as well as information on the history
of Lokva.
POI 10. / BUNKER ON BUKOVEC
POI 1. / LOKVARKA CAVE
POI 5. / BAJER LAKE
the deepest cave in Croatia opened for
visitors is the must-see atracton of Gorski
kotar. It contains 6 floors (galleries) and 4
of them are suitable for tourist tours. The
average temperature is around 8 degrees
Celsius, the cave is around 20.000 years old.
built in 1850’s, situated in what used to be
a valley of river Ličanka, just aside Fužine
area. The average depth is 25 m with around
1.000.000 cubic meter of water. Due to
windy conditions it is suitable for boating,
canoeing and surfing.
POI 2. / ČOGRLJEVO LAKE
5 small wells flow into the lake. Vede
waterfall used to be used for operatng a
small sawmill and mill, nowadays it is in a
rusty shape.
POI 3. / LOKVARSKO LAKE
an artificial lake, 40 m deep and 2,5 km2 big.
The construction of the water gate on river
Lokvarska created the lake between 1952
and 1954. 69 houses, 3 sawmills, pastry
shop, tavern and chapel in valley were
soaked when the water gate was built.
POI 6. / ZRINSKI CASTLE
this citadel is located in the center of Brod
na Kupi built in 1651 by Petar Zrinski and it
replaced an even older citadel from the 15th
century. The building is a mixture of a fort
and a residence and is defined as a palace.
POI 7. / ETNOGRAPHIC
COLLECTION LIČ
is located in the center of Lič in the primary
school building. It is a unique ethnographic
museum in Fužine county and one of few in
Gorski kotar. In 1995 it became a monument
with 63 recorded exhibits.
although the Italians built quite a few of
them in order to disable an army, weapons
and supply transportation only bunker on
Bukovec remains preserved.
POI 11. / RAČKI HOUSE
it’s a protected ethnic and architectural
monument open for visitors. It reflects
old architectural heritage of Delnice area,
approximately 300 years old.
POI 12. / CRIKVENICA
Crikvenica, town in the area of Vinodol on
the Croatian coast, 37 km southeast from
Rijeka with 100 long tourist tradition and is
currently one of the biggest tourist centers
on Kvarner. The first hotel was opened in
1891 and in 1906 it was formally declared as
a health resort.
POI 13. / KRIŽIŠĆE
It’s a transportation hub to Krčki bridge,
Crikvenica (Šmrika) and Tribulj –name Križišće
derives from its geographical position.
POI 4. / VRELO CAVE
POI 8. / GOLUBINJAK PARK FOREST
POI 14. / OČI VINODOLA
discovered in Fužine by accident during
1850’s when the artificial lake Bajer was
created. It is 3.5 - 4 million years old.
Although it’s only 300 m long it is extremely
beautiful – what gives it special value are
the well, the lake and the chasm situated
at 50 m.
a place of extreme natural beauty with all
characteristics of mountain landscape.
Caves and rocks are surrounded with spruce
and pine wood creating natural harmony
that takes a breath away. Walking through it
visitors will surely admire its giant trees.
6 observation points above Novi Vinodolski
and Crikvenica with fantastic views of island
Krk, Crikvenica Riviera, the city of Rijeka, Cres
and Učka. During construction the special
attention was given to attractiveness of
panoramic view around.
POI 1.
POI 2.
ROAD FUŽINE no.1.
40 KM
560 M
ROAD FUŽINE no.2.
1/3
75 KM
TREKKING
This route is ideal for hot summer days
as it mostly runs through forests but
it also passes by two mountain lakes,
Lokvar and Fužine (i.e. Bajer) Lakes. The
route starts in Fužine along the lake coast
and mostly follows local low-traffic roads
over Mrzla Vodica to Lokve. It crosses
the highway Rijeka-Zagreb at the Sopač
Tunnel and uses the old Karolina road to
return back to Fužine.
OVERVIEW:
1600 M
2/3
A challenging route, of relatively modest
75 km, but the physically demanding
ascent of 1600 meters reveals the charms
of this mountain destination, which is only
15 kilometers from the Adriatic Sea. The
route stars in Fužine and after a warm-up
through Ličko polje, it ascends through a
thick mountain forest. After a while, the
road starts descending towards the sea
and half-way down we come to the coast
town Selce. The route continues towards
Crikvenica and ascends over Tribalj,
Križišće and Hreljin to Zlobin and ends
with a fast descent back to Fužine.
OVERVIEW:
ROAD FUŽINE no.3.
75 KM
1200 M
ROAD FUŽINE no.4.
40 KM
2/3
The route goes through the biggest towns
in central Gorski kotar. After the start in
Fužine, after a while it reaches Delnice, the
biggest town in this area. After Delnice, it
descends to the valley of river Kupa and
goes as far as the border village Brod na
Kupi. We suggest a short break as the route
steeply ascends from Brod na Kupi to Skrad,
passing through hard-to-reach villages
over the Kupa valley. After Skrad, the route
leads to Ravna Gora where it joins the old
Karolina road which, in two steep ascents
and descents, leads to Mrkoplje and back
to Fužine.
OVERVIEW:
860 M
1/3
This route will show you the nest of
both “worlds” of this location: it begins
and ends in the mountain climate and
vegetation with a touch of Mediterranean
in the middle of the route, with
breathtaking views of the Kvarner islands.
The route starts at Fužine and follows the
old state road Zagreb-Rijeka to Gornje
Jelenje and it descends to Hreljin over
Oštrovica. In Hreljin it ascends over the
villages Plase and Zlobin and ends with
a wonderful long and steep descent to
Fužine.
OVERVIEW:
ROAD FUŽINE no.5.
50 KM
740 M
ROAD FUŽINE no.6.
1/3
TREKKING
The route starts in Fužine and after the
village of Vrata continues along the old
Karolina road towards Mrkoplje. There
is steeply ascends to Stari Laz where it
turns towards Zalesina and old state road
Zagreb-Rijeka which leads it to Delnice.
At the Sopač Tunnel it crosses over the
highway and returns to Fužine.
OVERVIEW:
30 KM
410 M
1/3
Short and fairly easy route which passes
by two mountain lakes and a number
of observation points. It starts at Bitoraj
Hotel next to the Lake Bajer and moves
towards Lake Lokve and the village of
the same name, famous for its museum
of frogs. After Lokve, we recommend
you to visit the Park Forest Golubinjak
which is not far from the route and easy
to find with clearly marked signs. The
route continues over the Zagreb-Rijeka
highway and after a few ascents and
descents reaches Fužine.
OVERVIEW:
MTB FUŽINE no.1.
18 KM
270 M
MTB FUŽINE no.2.
2/3
1/3
15 KM
Easy route for exploring the location. It
combines forest and field trails with low
traffic local roads. The route ascends to
the forest from the Hotel and along the
east side of the lake, using an asphalt
forest road, and descends along the
gravel road offering a spectacular view of
the Ličko polje. The return to the Hotel
goes through the village of Lič.
OVERVIEW:
180 M
2/3
1/3
Although it is only 15 kilometers long and
at only 180 meters above sea level, this
route reveals the charm of this area but
also of mountain cycling as a sport and
hobby. Riding along the lake, over a dam,
ascending to an observation point and
descending along the single trail before
reaching Fužine is an ideal bike route
for introducing someone to the magical
world of mountain cycling.
OVERVIEW:
MTB FUŽINE no.3.
40 KM
670 M
MTB FUŽINE no.4.
2/3
30 KM
2/3
After leaving the hotel and taking the
asphalt road to Lič and ascending up the
forest gravel road to 900 meters above sea
level, you will find yourself in the beautiful
pastures combining Mediterranean and
mountain vegetation with the view of the
islands Krk and Cres. The ride continues
over several observation points with
breathtaking views, and the return leads
across another notch and the border of
1000 meters above sea level. The final part
leads down a steep asphalt road and ends at
the Bitoraj Hotel for the well-earned rest.
OVERVIEW:
540 M
2/3
2/3
Only one mountain, Tuhobić, separates
Fužine from the sea and this route will
take you over the slopes of Tuhobić. We
leave Fužine and ascend along the gravel
and dirt road enjoying the wonderful
view of Fužine and Lake Bajer until we
reach the notch at 920 meters above
sea level where we turn into the forest.
The route follows the slopes of Tuhobić
and over the highway and descends
along the Lepenica creek until it reaches
the old state road Zagreb-Rijeka. We
return to back roads, cross the dam and
descent back to Fužine.
OVERVIEW:
MTB FUŽINE no.5.
40 KM
670 M
MTB FUŽINE no.6.
2/3
30 KM
2/3
This route takes us to two lakes, as it
passes by Lake Bajer but also Lokvar
Lake which is next to a picturesque
mountain village of the same name.
As is the case with all routes in Fužine
area, this route also combines gravel
and low-traffic asphalt roads, forests and
mountain clearings, mountain villages
such as Lokve, Vrata and Brestova Draga.
This route is ideal for all-day cycling
enjoyment in forests and lakes of Gorski
kotar.
OVERVIEW:
540 M
2/3
2/3
This route will satisfy even the most
demanding cyclists and will fill them with
positive energy as it will exhaust them
physically. They will conquest the Velika Kapela
notch at 1285 meters above sea level, descend
around the peak Viševica and ride down a
panoramic road with the view of the coast
and Kvarner islands which will leave everyone
breathless. The return to Fužine starts with an
ascent over mountain pastures, where halfwild horses graze. The entry into Gorski kotar
is visible where mountain vegetation meets
Mediterranean. After you return to Bitoraj
Hotel, see for yourself why this hotel has been
a gastronomic mecca for years.
OVERVIEW: