Croatia countryside

2539 kilometres in 6 days on 2 wheels

Deyan Yanakiev
Sep 1, 2018 · 16 min read

An ordinary Tuesday and I decide to pull the trigger on a solo motorcycle adventure. A friend of mine is going to Montenegro for a long two week vacation — ain’t nobody got time for that but at least maybe we could meet up one night. So be it, I will not be finding an excuse to not go this time.

Wednesday — had to report my intentions at work. Will be gone four or five days next week.

Thursday — need to find all my riding equipment. Buy some zip-ties, duck tape and chain lube.

Friday — get the top box and mount it on the bike. Find the luggage bag and straps that I used last time to secure it to the bike. Ask some friends for a tent and load the camping gear onto the bike — tent, mat, sleeping bag. Just the necessary.

Saturday — change some money for the local currency of Macedonia, Croatia and Serbia also some euro for Montenegro and that I could change at any time for local currency. Pack 5 t-shirts, 5 boxers, 5 socks and 2 riding shirts.

We are set. Let’s do some riding.

Day 1 (Sofia — Skopje)

Approximately 4PM I finally strapped the luggage to the bike and set to a leisurely ride from Sofia to Skopje. Its a bit more than 230km and I expected to ride for round 4 hours. The road to Skopje does not shine with spectacular scenery nor an endless flow of turns, but it was pleasant. Traffic was scarce and I was cruising languorously admiring the simple countryside.

I got to the border and did a couple of calls before crossing because the cellular roaming in Macedonia is a bit expensive for my taste. Couple of cars and I crossed the Bulgarian booth. Trunks are to be opened but being on a motorbike you skip that part. The guys at the Macedonian booth had the same requirement but then something happened. The two cars in front were with UK plates. A guy was driving the first one and a woman the second one. I missed what exactly happened but the guy started shouting not to touch his car and told the woman not to come out of her car. He was frantically pulling stuff out of the trunk and throwing it at the nearby table. Obviously he was angry, as he said — ‘This is racist. This is because I am Albanian, right?’. Ah, those guys, they fire up quickly — this reminded me of another confrontation with a guy from Albania last year while in Greece. ‘Oh, riding through Albania tomorrow’ — I gasped and took off.

In Kriva Palanka a cop pulled me over. ‘What now…’ — the police does not pull me over frequently. ‘How is it going. Where from, where to.’ — this sounds better in Macedonian, something like a broken Bulgarian. ‘Documents?’ — not knowing what the guy wants. I pass him my driving license, watch him trying to find something. ‘Do you have A category’ — he asks. Well yes sir, as you can obviously see I just passed the border and the bike is pretty loaded, its not like I am going to the corner shop. He finally finds the letter he was looking for and says that everything looks goods.

With no other unplanned stops I arrive at 7PM sharp in Skopje (there is an hour difference between Sofia and Skopje), parking the bike on the doorsteps of where I am about to crash for the night. Took the luggage off the bike and started a tradition of lubing the chain before doing anything else. After the chain was done a shower and a walk were the things in my evening routine. I got back around 10:30PM and by 12AM I was already sleeping.

Day 2 (Skopje — Virpazar)

Woke up at 3:30AM. I tried to get some more sleep but by 5:30AM I knew it was hopeless so I started packing my stuff. Obviously, I was in no rush so I took my time and reordered some of the camping gear. With the help of a sluggish wi-fi connection, the directions out of Skopje were loaded and I headed to Mavrovo National Park at 8AM.

Mavrovo National Park

Skopje to Gostivar is a pretty boring ride as you all can see, but the park was worth it. Almost no cars, nice road, nice turns. What is else to want? I stopped at St. Nicola church in Mavrovo for a rest. There is a seemingly nice place to eat there as well — Mavrovski Merak. I was not hungry so cannot give a verdict.

Going trough the park and nearing Debar a whole new universe emerged. It was the first time from the start of the trip that I was riding near a water basin that big. It was really cool and at the same time really hot — just wanted to throw them boots off. The water was this nice turquoise colour and I should have done a photo or two but will leave it for the next time.

At the border I was surrounded by five or six Mercedes and thank god they were not black. ‘Why are those guys looking at me?’ — a little voice in the back of my mind. I was most anxious about riding in Albania because of the way people supposedly drive there and the unpleasant feeling I was left with from my previous engagements with people from Albania.

Actually it went much better than I expected. In the first kilometers after the border there was a bit of population running around the road and one particular group was the children. Waving and giving you a high five — I was driving really slow and managed to give more of hand slap to a couple of youngsters which was really a joyful way to diminish some of the anxiety.

Then, all of a sudden, after what looked like a flea market, the road went missing and was replaced by gravel. Got no problem with gravel, the tires are stable and so it was time to have some fun. I was already getting the feel of it and all of a sudden my tires hit the road again.

Riding through Albania had two sides — great moments and awful moments. They came in sequence starting with a great piece of road along the rivers Black Drin and Zalli. Riding in this region was very enjoyable experience. The SH6 road first went up in the mountain and then started following the river. Road conditions were great but I was not pushing it, I was just admiring the view and trying not to look down the slope too much so that I do not steer the bike in the wrong direction.

Somewhere on the SH6

Next in the Albanian adventure was an awful part between Klos and Burrel. ‘Why, why, why…’ — was on my mind all the time. The road was like a moon scenery — craters all over the place. The Tiger was overcoming all obstacles easily but I still felt for it. What was fun about Klos is that just when I was entering the city there was a group with mopeds. The guide was cheerfully waving at me when I passed by. ‘It should be good here' — were my thoughts. Oh, how wrong can I be. Nothing but curses came out of my mouth until I reached Burrel. The only good thing along this road were the guys selling grilled corn, but sadly I had no local currency nor some euro change. Next time I will be prepared.

After Burrel the road became significantly better. Ups and downs, turns and rounds. And then I hit the black tarmac along the Mat river. Blacker than the tyres and I let the Tiger loose. Eating all the turns with hunger and roaring like a thunder. The smile on my face was inevitable.

The last part of Albania, after the intersection for Milot, was boring, hot and full of traffic. I was waiting for the scenic route in Montenegro that some friends had suggested.

At the border there was presence only from Montenegro side and I was quickly in and out. Some kilometers in I took the exit to P16, a scenic road along lake Skadar.

Lake Skadar

The P16 road is quite nice but after a day of riding I just really wanted to reach the camping and take a shower. The narrow and winding road did not want to end. The speed at which one can ride on this road is rather limited due to the fact that you never know if there will be a car around the corner and passing was never easy even on a bike. Around 5PM I reached the camping after 9 hours of riding. Lube the chain, take a shower, quick dinner and meet up with my friends in Virpazar.

Day 3 (Virpazar — Split)

Woke up at 6AM but had to wait for the sunrise so that I could dry most of my stuff that was damp from the dew, even the shirt that I had washed yesterday was still wet. I had no hanging rope so some improvisation took place and I turned the Tiger into a hanger. I managed to dry most of the stuff and pack the camping gear just before 9AM.

Over the Adriatic

It was already hot, getting into my riding gear was unpleasant but once I hit the road the morning chill started flowing through my jacket. Straight off the camping I steered the bike on the M2. Such a morning blast. No cars, perfect road and perfect turns. I rode it hard, I rode it fast. The view from above the sea level was stunning. The dilemma was either to stop and amire or rip through the turns.

Going down to reality I was hit by crowds and traffic jams in Budva and Kotor. Managed to pass rather quickly and continued cruising along the Adriatic in much more lazy manner. The road is wide and the turns relaxed. Got to the Croatian border with ease. Just a few cars on the Montenegro side but then…holy moly so many cars. At first I decided that there was an accident or something and that is why the cars were stopped. Started passing them slowly — my jacket and helmet hanging on the top box — soon I realised that everybody was just waiting to cross the Croatian border. If I was to wait there, it would have been the death of me. My ruff estimations were that it would take two hours to cross the border — my friends later confirmed that. Anyway, I rode up to the booth directly and thankfully no one started honking or shouting — I was quickly out of there so one suffered more than two minutes from me jumping the line.

Riding the Croatian costal road was captivating to cruise but a tad monotonous if you are expecting a thrill ride. I was totally satisfied with the speed and turns because after 5–6 hours in the saddle I did not have the desire to push it. Passing Dubrovnik the traffic got lighter and the cruise became even more enjoyable. That was altered by the fact that on the left side many islands formed a stunning scenery.

Adriatic islands

Getting in and out of Bosnia was a breeze. Did not even bothered to check my documents — when the guy at the border saw me removing my gear he waved me on. I like that. Continued riding unbothered along the winding costal road. So much time to spend alone in your head but mine felt empty at the time. Just the wind whistling in the helmet — yes, yes, it is about time to buy a new one but still can not get over 500 euros for the one I want.

Bacina lakes

Nearing 4:30PM I was rather tired already so a needed stop was in place. It came in the form of this great view over the Bacina lakes. Took off my boots and sat there for some twenty minutes enjoying a nice cool breeze.

Nearing Split the traffic got worse and worse. In Omis there was a huge traffic jam in the opposite direction. ‘Great, at least its not in my direction’ — heard some murmuring inside the helmet. Not long after that the cars were in my way too. Entering Split there were five or six kilometers of not moving cars. ‘Maybe that is why it is called Split, you have to split the lane to get in.’ — put my fun pants on and tried to think of a joke about the situation. Anyway, I got to the camping at 7PM after nearly ten hours on the road. Lube the chain, take a shower, go out for a walk. Split is lively and vibrant city in August. I would definitely go back and spend more time there.

Day 4 (Split — Zagreb)

Woke up at 2:30AM. ‘What now’ — was the my first thought. I had my earplugs in but maybe it was just too hot. Roaming the internet (since I have actual roaming in Croatia), changing positions and finally around 5:30AM I got some shut eye till 7AM. I was pretty quick this morning as everything was dry. Pushed the bike out of the camping and fired it up at 8:30AM.

My initial plan was to ride towards Šibenik and then up to Drniš as this was suggested from a couple of local guys at the camping. I asked for a good road, maybe they got me wrong because I ended on some kind of speedway when I got out of Split. I did a quick check on the map in front of me and saw a nice small road that goes to Drniš passing through Prgomet. No second thoughts, I took it. ‘Wise choice’ — was in my head while ripping trough the turns. Traffic was absent apart the occasional truck or bus. ‘What are you doing on this road’ — was I thinking. I passed a couple of them and stopped for a quick photo — the one on the cover page but will post it here as well. Of course all the work I put to overake the traffic were just blown away for this photo as everyone just passed me again.

Just before being passed by a couple of trucks

Arrived in Drniš and decided to have a breakfast so I stopped by the local supermarket and bought some yogurt and pastry. The ride between Drniš and Knin was not that interesting. After Knin the road went uphill and some stunning views opened on the right side of the road.

Traffic on the road got a bit heavier and I was out of my usual careless riding that I had been doing most of the morning. Somehow after you ride for a couple of hours without cars around its hard to go back to the traffic. So I decided to change my initial plan which was to ride the main road to Plitvička Jezera trough Gračac. Again the map that I bought before the trip proved invaluable and a quick glance over it steered me in the direction of Donji Lapac. Oh, such a nonchalant ride along this part of the road. It was just the Tiger, some goats and me on this road. I was really amazed how much I enjoyed this road even if it did not have anything in particular going for it besides vast emptiness. Well, actually it had two great sections as well. Few kilometers in, there were a couple of nice u-turns but the real fun started right after Donji Lapac. The road started ascending and some really, and I mean really nice turns were just sitting there, waiting to be ridden. Ride them I did. Laughter filled my helmet, joy filled my eyes and concentration settled in my brain. The flow of the turns was perfect. No time to ride the bike straight up, just lean from side to side. I was not pushing it, I was enjoying it. Trying to be as smooth as possible, flowing like a river in its gorge.

After this bliss I knew that the rest of the day would be just a long ride towards my destination. I was not wrong. Humdrum ride with some traffic. Most of the bikes that day I saw on this part of the road. At a gas station I stopped next to four guys from the UK. ‘You are from the UK, right? Why are you riding BMWs not Triumphs’ — they were not having it. Filled up and was out of there.

I had decided once again to ride the small country roads and enter Zagreb through Pisarovina. The worst decision for the day — the road was closed just before Zagreb. I had to take a detour just at the moment that I was picturing myself in the shower. Finally, reached the room that I have booked after nearly 8 hours — a much needed rest after the previous night. Interestingly, in the neighbourhood there were two or three motorcycle clubs. Truth be told, I did not visit any of them. Lube the chain, take a shower, go out for a walk. Zagreb has some nice outdoor bars where people were having great time but I was beat. Another one in the list for further exploration.

Day 5 (Zagreb — Timișoara)

Nothing interesting to write about this part of the trip. All day riding, it became boring quite fast. I really regretted not having a throttle lock. I could have easily slept on the bike for some time if I had one. Most of the time I was riding with my head and upper body over the tank bag. I could stretch out my left hand but my right was on the gas so I had to figure a way to keep going but stretch the gas hand as well. What I came up with was trying to control the gas with my forearm. What I could achieve is cruise at a moderate speed almost laying on the bike. Let us be clear, that is not safe riding, but I did get away with it because there were few cars on the roads.

Nearly eleven hours later I reached the place I had booked in the morning. Pushed the bike on the sidewalk, it was not obstructing any pedestrian traffic or whatsoever but just as I was taking my bags a guy started talking to me. ‘Sorry, mate, I do not understand a word you are saying’ — was my reaction. The guy switched to english and was obviously not happy with the bike being parked at the sidewalk. ‘Fair enough, just let me take my bags to where I am staying and will move the bike’ — I was not in any way mad. Actually, I was admiring the guy and how he keeps the sidewalk free for the people. He went up the building where I was staying also and a thought went through my head — ‘Probably this is the guy whose room I had booked’. I went up the building and there he was — ‘Oh, is that you’. Nice ice-breaker. Clearly, I went down to move the bike and lube the chain. After, he offered a beer which I could not refuse. Drank it, took a shower and took off on the usual city walk.

Timișoara cathedral

Timișoara is a really tranquil city from what I could explore. The center is closed for cars and people are getting around with a myriad of other gadgets. There are city bikes as well which is my preferred way to explore a new city. Two wheels as always. The buildings around Piața Victoriei are amazing. What struck me was that just off the square the Huniade castle was not in great shape.

Besides the architectural overdose, I found a great place for kebabs on the alley with the fountain. In most places that I have visited there is always a kebab shop and sooner or later I end up having one but this was up there at the top. Maybe even it was the best kebab I have had. It was not just the normal wrap that you get almost everywhere but some form of lavaş which is a Turkish kind of bread. I have to recommend this place if you are ever in Timișoara.

Day 6 (Timișoara — Sofia)

Have been waiting this ride for the whole previous day. Actually riding the Carpathians was the main reason for travelling from Zagreb to Timișoara. The ride to Bocșa was like a lazy wake up routine. Having my eyes wide open and admiring the scenery the first tight turn came in my sight, then another one and another one. Two phases, repeating time after time — pushing hard through some turns, taking in the landscape. Photos cannot convey the joy of riding along this winding road. It is the feeling when you are out there, no other noise than the wind in the helmet, no traffic to care for — a dream.

Lost in the Carpathians

Interestingly only one other biker passed me on this part of the road. I would say that riding here was equally enjoyable as riding Trasfagarasan or Transalpina. It is definitely different but not less gratifying.

Riding for nearly three hours mostly by myself on the road I was presented the harsh reality when I got to the main road at Plugova. My only thought at that moment was to get as fast as possible to Drobeta-Turnu Severin so that I can head my way trough the small countryside roads.

I was hoping to have the Danube in my sight during the last 100 kilometers in Romania but unfortunately that was not the case. Without this prospect the ride became a bit mundane.

Crossed the Danube and headed home. There was one last treat — the Balkan mountains and they are not one bit worse than any other mountainous road that I rode during the last five days. Okay, maybe just a bit worse due to the fact that road condition may not always be great but the Petrohan pass is being renovated currently.

The Balkan range

And that was it, an hour more and I will be home. Probably I wont lube the chain this evening nor will I go on a walk but at least a shower will still remind me of the routine that was strictly executed for the passed five days.

Deyan Yanakiev

Written by

Learner. Tutor. Sports enthusiast.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade