Setting off on an adventure: Albania/Bulgaria/Kosovo/Bosnia-Herzegovina/Montenegro/Croatia/Slovenia
Rosa, Steff and I are once again bitten by the wanderlust bug, so we set off for Ancona and board a ferry there. Arrival in Durres/Albania and a bit of chaos at the exit from the port area. Off we go to the countryside and onto the road towards Berat.



Through the heart of Albania: Berat, Osumi Gorge and unexpected challenges
Berat is nicknamed the “City of a Thousand Windows”, is a museum city and UNESCO World Heritage Site and is accordingly a hive of tourist activity. Regardless of this, it is really beautiful to look at.
On to Corovade and for the first time we feel something of the wildness and ruggedness of this country. A fantastic series of bends, hairpin bends, uphill, downhill, but there are few straights. Along the course of the Osumi, great to ride.
Waking up well rested and having a good breakfast promises a great day, especially as we are entering the fantastic Osumi Gorge today. We set off on a well-maintained SH72 along the gorge. On the way, we take a turn-off to the Osumi Bridge, which has an inviting gravel path and offers great views from the bridge into the gorge.



The climb is permanently steep and it looks as if the “quality” of the slope is decreasing in relation to the increasing altitude. The hairpin bends are a real challenge in that the road surface consists in some cases of wobbles the size of a child’s head and two washed-out gullies filled with sand. On another attempt to get the bike up the hill, Steff’s machine would rather lie down than continue. So first we put the bike back on its tires. Steff pushes a flat stone plate under the side stand and we inspect the bike, which obviously hasn’t suffered any damage. When Steff tries to push the stone slab back into place, but is standing on the other side of the BMW, it breaks and the bike falls onto its side again, but with Steff’s foot underneath it. Now it’s time for a really good mood. A loud scream of pain, a buddy sitting in the dirt, a GS lying on its side and an S……piste. It doesn’t help, we have to leave this hospitable place somehow, after all we want to park in Sarande in the evening.
A merciless thunderstorm washes all the dirt down again, but that doesn’t stop us and our wet clothes dry quickly in the breeze. In the meantime, the road is dry again and we are tempted by a coffee in Gijokastra, a picturesque little summit town.


A really nice winding road then leads us over the pass to the coast, to Sarande.
On we go, with the sea on the right, an arm of the lagoon on the left and the road in between leading to the tip of the peninsula, where a simple, small wooden ferry with a cable awaits us.


Behind the landing stage on the other side of the river, a fabulous coastal landscape opens up with canals, overgrown former marshland and wild flocks of birds. We turn on the gas tap, cross the pass a second time and turn onto the main road towards the Greek border. We make our way through the Ottoman-influenced alleyways of the old town of Ioannina to a café on the lakeside promenade and enjoy a coffee as a refreshment before the Katara Pass.
All the trucks, camper vans and caravans use the new highway, the old pass road is ours. But the Katara Pass just doesn’t like me. Despite crossing it several times, I have never managed to pass it in the sunshine. This time too, the pass is shrouded in fog and rain clouds, the road is wet and the cow shit is slippery. Too bad about this beautiful pass road. But I’ll get there in the sunshine!


From Greece’s mountains to Bulgaria’s landscapes: a journey full of beautiful discoveries
Wake up in Kalambaka and the day begins with low clouds and drizzle. “Dream weather” for the start of a tour. And what a pity, because the road from Kalambaka up to Vlachava in the direction of the Meteora monasteries is simply great, but, as I said, wet!
We take a few kilometers of fast route to approach Grevena on the A15 and what comes next is almost indescribable.
Between Grevena and Konitsa (be sure to take the road via Smixi) there are around 100 km where you will have a hard time finding a straight line. The road winds unbelievably up to the “Hellenic Ski Center”, then back down into the next valley, back up to the Vasilitsa Pass and back down again. Hardly anyone comes towards us. A dream to drive dizzily. In Konitsa, turn off onto the main road 20 and a very fast stretch along the Sarantaporos riverbed. Shortly before Arrenes, we leave the main road and drive over the Passo Kotili and the mountains for around 50 km to Kastoria. Great road, bend after bend, no traffic, pure adrenaline. Arrive at the hotel and have a Happy Landing Beer.


The next day begins with a wild dance. We want to go to Lake Prespa, which is located in the interesting border triangle of Greece/Albania/North Macedonia. We take a shuttle via Aposkepos. Breakfast swirls through our stomachs. Bend after bend, the road winds uphill until it leads through a large wooded area in our direction.
The region around the “Little Prespa Lake” is well worth seeing. From the small harbor café in Psarades, you can casually spit left to Albania and north, into the lake, to North Macedonia.


Back to Kastoria and on towards Aria Paraskevi. Then we wind our way up bend after bend to Aetos. This is one of the absolutely fantastic stretches that will stay in your memory for a long time. Then keep right towards Ptolemaida. Continue past Thessaloniki and onto road no. 2, which leads south of Lake Volvi towards Kavala.
Steff’s rear tire is leaking air. So we look for a gas station with an air service and top up. In Kavala we take the highway to Komotini and then we can drive up an absolutely high-speed super ramp to the border crossing to Bulgaria.
At some point we turn off the Bulgarian main road to cross the mountains to Slatograd. The scenery is first class, but the road quality on this section is subterranean.
And again the “air problem” and it is not easy to find “air service” at Bulgarian petrol stations. But wherever we ask, friendly, nice people and help.


The route changes dramatically after Laki, then it really becomes spectacular. Initially on a mountain flank, the road follows a long valley. Bend after bend, it winds downhill and then follows the little river towards Asenovgrad and from there to Plovid. There seems to be a traffic law in Bulgaria which states that you must use your cell phone when driving.
Now the first 4,300km are down and so about 60% of the tour. We also find the annoying part that lets the air out of the tire. In Velingrad we look for an “Obsluzhvane na gumi”. We find him and he happily gets to work. Drill out, take out the pin, put in the vulcanizing rubber, inflate, done. However, it’s expensive. He charges us a hefty 3 leva (around €1.50) and we are rid of the problem for thousands of kilometers.


From Plovdiv, we head for one of the best routes we’ve driven so far. After leaving Plovdiv, we take the 375 to Stambollijski in the direction of Kricim. First class. The road winds its way up the valley to the first reservoir and then onwards, always following the dammed river, bend after bend, kilometer after kilometer. The mountains rise up to the left and right and it’s a great ride.
The crowning glory of the day’s tour is the ascent to Velingrad on route 84.
After we thought we had already ridden the really best routes, today we can add another one to this category. The 84 continues from Velingrad in the direction of Razlog. We get the impression that this road was built just for us. Zero traffic and much faster than yesterday. The bends are sweeping and fast, the surface is great, the scenery is fantastic. But you can’t take your eyes off the road for too long, because there are very few straights. But that’s what we want! Shortly before Razlog, we turn left into a wide river valley and follow the route towards Goce Delcev. Road no. 19 runs alongside the river Mesta and is a real treat. It’s a real pleasure to swing through the bends here. Although there is considerably more traffic on the 19 than on the 84, overtaking is fun and the GS are allowed to put their horsepower on the road. We reach Dupnitsa via Kulata, turn off onto the 62 and later enter Sofia via a small road that runs parallel to the 82.
Through Kosovo and Montenegro: passes, valleys and historic towns
The villages along the way are simple, some of the mud houses have fallen into disrepair. Around 25 km before Kumanovo, however, things got really good. Serbs and Kosovars don’t get along and we have to “enjoy” a stretch of highway all the way to Pristina, which is rare enough. From the North Macedonian border to Pristina, the highway really is a pleasure. Built into the valley, fast and wide bends make the machines rejoice.
And after Pec, the Kuga Pass (R108) up into the mountains to the crossing to Montenegro awaits. A little pass to fall in love with, little traffic, tight bends and the wide views of the Kosovar plain. A steep descent on the P8 to Rozaje, where we have to fight our way through the hustle and bustle of the Friday market.


This is followed by a fast stage on the E65 to Berane, where we turn off to the Kolasin Ski Center at an altitude of 1,700m. Wow, a super route with brand new tarmac, we climbed up bend after bend until a gravel road slowed us down and then brought us to a complete stop in front of a gigantic tunnel construction site. Turn around and head back down.
The ride from Kolasin to Svanik and from there the descent to Pluzine compensates us for all the hardships of the day. Zero traffic and another one of those new routes where you can really let it rip. Fast bends and still fabulous views make the approaching evening appear in a pleasant light. On the last few kilometers, we hardly take our eyes off the lake, which completely fills the spaces between the mountains. We can’t find a hotel in Pluzine, but the region and the motorcycle routes were and are well worth it. An innkeeper welcomes us warmly and we park our bikes just a few meters from the huts directly on the lake.


From the Bosnian highlands to the splendor of the Slovenian Alps: the end of a great tour
In the morning it rains again, not as heavily but continuously.
So we get everything as rainproof as possible and plan a tour change with kurviger.de, put it on the satnav and off we go. A great road (M3) nestles between the mountain and the reservoir and winds along the bends of the Riva towards Bosnia-Herzegovina. The river is crossed several times, affording impressive views down into the gorge.


Later, the main road improves considerably and we have a fast ride down the Drina valley to Goradze. We stop for a coffee there and continue on the 448 back into the mountains. According to the new road map, this road is only passable for 4-wheel drives. Poppycock, the road is paved all the way, although in poor condition, but it offers great views and a very special kind of winding road. Back in the valley, we turn onto the M5 towards Podgrab and from then on it’s smooth sailing again to Sarajevo. We enter the city, find a hotel in the middle of the real old town, take a shower and head out into the hustle and bustle of Saturday evening. We can’t resist the tempting aroma of freshly grilled cevapcici wafting from one of the street cafés. We enjoy them, freshly grilled with flatbread, onion and ajvar and a beer, amidst the babble of foreign voices. We see tables in the pubs where young women are sitting next to each other chatting. One of them is short-skirted and I (an old geezer) would almost describe her footwear as high heels, the other is wearing a headscarf. They seem to be getting along wonderfully and a sight like this (and we have seen this situation several times, if not often) always gives me hope that people have it in their own hands to treat each other peacefully and respectfully and should and must not let anyone dictate their behavior. Sarajevo is great!
The next day we escape Sarajevo again, drive towards Jablanica and turn onto the M115/M17 at the end of the highway. From there it’s perfect. At first, the road descends very quickly on a wide ramp from around 1,000m to around 200m. A pleasure with wide, long bends and no traffic. In Jablanica, we turn off onto the R410, which takes us back up to the plateau at an altitude of 1,200m in breathtaking hairpin bends. The clear road layout tempts us to drive fast, although the wind sometimes wants to play badminton with us.


At Tomislavgrad, we head back down onto the R415 and enjoy a hellishly fast ride to the villages around the Ramskojezero (lake). The M16-2 takes us up and under its spell. Man, what a road! First a wild chase up the bends towards Bugoino. Then the road name changes to E661, but the fascination remains.
Wow, what a ride. First very wide and empty, then narrower after Jaice, following the course of the Vrabs, but still fast, playing hide and seek with the river for the best places, so to speak, the road winds its way towards Banja Luka on the best surface. The whole day is pure riding pleasure and the Happy Landing Beer is a delight.
In the morning it rains again and there is a lot of traffic. Overtaking in constant rain is no real pleasure either. But we arrive in Bihac after a boring and wet drive and have 3 cappuccinos.
There must be a pedestrian advocate up there somewhere, because the rain stops, the road dries out and by the time we turn left onto the M52 after Bihac, the road is flowing smoothly again. A great road has been built over the mountains. Long bends, fast driving. After Otocac, the road is called 23 and the morning rain frustration is completely forgotten. The road winds through the plateau until the descent towards the coast. And there it is: The sun is smiling over the Croatian coast and the sky itself has probably had enough of its dreary gray and shows itself in blue. The section between Melnice and Senjska Draga spoils us with 14 hairpin bends before we take a more leisurely approach to the coast. We spend the night in Opatija.


The last day of touring is like a single homage to Slovenia.
From Opatija to Postojna. This is where the 409 starts in the direction of Idrija, a well-developed road which, just a few kilometers after Postojna, offers a crazy landscape of hairpin bends and curves down into the valley, later becoming narrower and winding along the Idrijca. A beautiful, narrow valley that borders the road on the left with trees. The river is wild, the road no less “wild”, but the little traffic allows you to take the bends quickly. Slow down at Zaga and head towards Bovec, then continue on the 206 towards Kranjska Gora. The valley then opens up and the adrenaline level shoots up. Imagine a wide valley with a well-maintained road at the edge that allows you to ride fast and keep swinging. Left-right combinations in long bends, the valley bordered by the mountains of the Julian Alps, which you drive straight towards. Field flower meadows to the left and right, interspersed with a few dark green patches of deciduous and fir trees.

The scent of freshly mown grass wafts through the helmet and the silence laughs above me! The valley narrows and the mountains draw closer, up to the tree line in lush fir green, with the bare rock above. The certainty that these mountains are waiting for me, the wide sweep will give way to the 43 narrow hairpin bends of the Vrsic Pass, these impressions, these sensations will keep me pedaling until they lift me from the saddle and put me in the box.
The complete, more detailed tour description and author details as well as the kurviger GMX files at www.BMW-Touren.bike.