From Tarvisio to Mojstrana and Jesenice
On the roadbed of the former Lubiana-Tarvisio railroad, of which the Tarvisio-Jesenice section was decommissioned in 1965-66, a spectacular new bike path was created that takes one close to the Laghi Fusine [Fusine Lakes], along the Sava River and crosses through the Slovenian villages of Kranjska Gora and Mojstrana; after Mojstrana it is possible to continue to Jesenice, but the path is unpaved and in some places difficult due to rough ground and many climbs and descents.
Point of departure is the FS train station at Tarvisio Boscoverde which is served by local trains from Udine, infrequent but all of which provide transport for bicycles; in fact I found that on Sundays, most of the travelers are cyclists with their bikes and therefore it may be difficult to find space for your bike.
Leave the station by going through the sottopassaggio [underpass] and exiting on the north side directly into a small piazza; immediately to the right you will come to a small local road which after a bit runs under the train tracks and then begins a slow climb; you cross a spectacular viaduct of the former railroad and you head towards Slovenia; just before the border it is worth the effort to take a side trip to the Laghi Fusine [Fusine Lakes]; after a brief section of bike path, you join the provincial road which climbs to the lakes; the grades aren’t prohibitive, but can be problematic because vehicular traffic forces the cyclist to keep tight to the right side of the road.
After admiring the beauty of these typical mountain lakes, go back the same way descending as far as a turnoff to the right which gets you back on the bike path; immediately after you will come to the border between Italy and Slovenia, indicated only with two stone markers on both sides of the bike path, and then begins the descent to Kranjska Gora.
After going through Kranjska Gora you continue in a constant slight descent; the bike path is entirely paved and in good condition; you will cross two old metal bridges of the former railroad, almost totally reddened from rust, but still in good structural condition.
The bike path ends just before Mojstrana; the intended bike route continues as far as Jesenice, but with no more sections of dedicated bike path; for the first few kilometers after Mojstrana you follow a local paved road which is open to vehicular traffic; then after coming to a bridge over the Sava, you are directed to an unpaved road, still bikable at first; but then you come to an arrow that directs the cyclist towards the right and here starts an uphill section, that is most difficult due to rough ground conditions, up to elevation 665 m/2,180 feet; the road requires experience biking on dirt roads [yours truly had to negotiate several sections on foot] and also a good sense of direction so as not to get lost among the various small roads. Finally you descend, entirely on dirt road, until, on the left, you come upon a section of paved bike path heading backwards, useless for now, but which offers hope that even this final section will be completed as a true bike path.
As an option, one could cross the Sava to get back on state road 201, which is paved but with intense vehicular traffic. After 4 km/2.5 miles you will find a side road on the right and be able to continue on a more peaceful road up to the sign that announces entry into the city and a viaduct over the train tracks that come from Austria. After a couple of kilometers you reach the train station and the center of the city. Jesenice is an industrial center, home to steel mills, and is of no particular interest other than a small museum of technology with a railroad pavilion.
At Jesenice there is a train station of the Slovene railroad; there are trains, infrequent but that carry bikes, to Nova Gorica, from where you can reach the Italian train station at Gorizia. Alternatively you could go back to Tarvisio and retrace the route by which you came.
