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Cycling

Tour to the village of Kanalski Vrh and beneath the ridge of Mt. Jelenk

A circular moderately demanding tour which allows you to refresh yourself in the Soča River during the summer and visit the Kontrada Square in the town of Kanal and the accumulation lake of the pumped-storage hydropower plant Avče above the village of Kanalski Vrh.

Start cycling in the village of Plave and follow the local road along the right bank of the Soča River to the town of Kanal. Pass the Plave II hydropower plant which was built by the Italians in 1940 when they routed a pipe from the accumulation lake in the village of Avče. At the end of the village of Ložice, next to the Plave hydropower plant, you have a chance to check the circumference of this pipe. Continue your tour past the village of Deskle where you can turn under the bridge and visit the popular sandy beach with a beach volleyball court. You can refresh yourself in Kanal and visit the beach between the bridge and Kamp Korada or the old borough centre, gallery, museum and the Church of the Assumption. Continue the tour from Kanal along the left bank of the Soča River towards the village of Avče. Just behind the settlement, you will be able to notice a cave on the right where the locals erected a statue of the Lourdes Mother of God because of the resemblance of this cave to the cave in Lurdes. Behind the village of Bodrež, you will notice a preserved old mill on the right where you have to turn to the old military road towards the village of Kanalski Vrh. After overcoming the gradual ascent along the gravel road you reach a mountain pass with wonderful views of Kanalski Vrh. Turn left on this mountain pass and, after approximately 100 metres, you will arrive to the accumulation lake of the first pumped-storage hydropower plant in Slovenia where you can enjoy in splendid views of the Julian Alps. Descend past Kanalski Vrh to the village of Morsko until you reach the hairpin bend where you can notice a small chapel and markings of the connecting Path of the Three Temples which will take you to the hamlet of Baske. Just before you reach this hamlet, descend down the gravel road, which occasional offers wonderful views of the valley and the mountains, to the village of Paljevo. If you turn to the right behind the first house in Paljevo, you can visit the Church of St. Quirinus where a section of the Walk of Peace leads to Mt. Prižnica.

During the summer months, you can make this tour almost entirely in the shade of the forest. You can refresh yourself in the Soča River (in Plave, Deskle and Kanal). You can find restaurants in Plave, Ložice, Deskle and Kanal. There are no restaurants from Kanal via Kanalski Vrh and Paljevo to Plave, which is why you should bring some food and a sufficient amount of water (especially during the summer months). This tour is also appropriate for e-cyclists.

Sights along the trail: bridge in Kanal, Gallery Keramost, The mask of Lig, Park Pečno, Museum Collection 1914 – 1917, visit Kanal׳ sold town centre featuring the Church of St.Mary of the Assumption, Neptune׳s Fountain and the Kontrada Square with Riko Debenjak׳s Gallery and memorial room as well as the Gothic House, cave with a statue from Lourdes, the reservoir in Kanalski Vrh,  Church of St. Anton Padovanski on Kanalski vrh, Church of St. Quirina in Paljevo, Prižnica memorial Park

(Foto: Damijan Simčič, Srečko Križnič)

distance
31,6 km
elevation
819m
time
4h 30min
difficulty
2/3