No, it’s not about our version of Charlie’s angels, or whatever you might have in mind, but about the Croatian historic roads that run over Gorski Kotar to the sea.
Lujzijana, also known as the Rijeka Highway, joins Karlovac and Rijeka. It is 136 km long and was built in the period from 1803 to 1811. Thus it became the shortest route between Karlovac and Rijeka, and also one of the most modern roads at that time. It was named after Napoleon’s wife Mary Luisa or by the third wife of Emperor Franjo I. Mary Ludovik – they haven’t managed to reach an agreement about it yet. We sincerely do not mind which of these two royal ladies is responsible for the road, but the 136 km of bends and shorter areas that weave around the mountains and the forests of Gorski Kotar attract more attention to us! In addition, it offers a handful of smaller roads that always stir up the little adventurer who dances in us.
Rudolfina as the last historical road link of the Croatian coast and the continental part was built by the end of the 19th century, by joining the former military town of Ogulin, in the continental part, and Novi Vinodolski, on the seaside. It was named after prince Rudolf (though the name sounds more suitable for the princess), the son of Austro-Hungarian emperor Franjo Josip I. The road leads us to the end of Klek, the mysterious mountain of witches, the forested and uninhabited areas of Velika Kapela, reveals the natural reservate of Bijele and Samarske Stijene and after the valley of Vinodol, goes down to the Adriatic Sea. Unlike Karolina, Jozefina, and Lujzijana, who played an important role in their own time, the Rudolfina road was forgotten soon after it was released into traffic. Only a few, 67km of forgotten mountain road that passes through incredible nature and after 67km ends in “the sea” ?! Yes please!!!
The total length of the tour is about 600 km and we enjoy our one-day, two-day or three-day tours with our old ladies, depending on your wishes.
You can go on a tour through all the roads, including junctions, and thus almost complete the Gorski Kotar and Hrvatsko Primorje (northern part of the Adriatic). For such a scenario, you need at least two days, and if you have a hedonistic approach and want to enjoy its mountain-sea benefits, three days are even better. Depending on your wishes you can stay in the mountain huts, enjoy the fresh mountain air or wake up with the sound and the scent of the sea. Our recommendation is: Have your cake and eat it too!
The second option is to let the ladies get together in couples so you can enjoy yourself in Lujzijana and Karolina in one tour, while Rudolfina and Jozefina work their magic and keep you company in another (all insinuations you might have are a product of your own imagination)!
Each of our motorcycles will complete this tour with complete ease, with our recommendation of BMW R1250 GS and Yamaha MT-09 Tracer. If you want to feel more authentic, the Ducati Scrambler 1100 Special is your choice – a classic for the classic.
TOUR FACTS
Kilometers (km) | 600 |
Hours of driving | 11,5 |
Type of roads | hystoric tarmac roads, local |
Nr of recommended days | 2-3 |
Recommended motorcycle | BMW R1250 GS, |