Drava circle

Like a huge magnet, the river Drava attracts all nature lovers, scientists, holiday makers, anglers, tripgoers and adventurers. For all the cyclists looking to enjoy the beauties of this quiet and mighty river and its surroundings, there is no better route than the “Drava Tour”. This route passes through the territories of the Regional Park Mura-Drava and Transboundary Biosphere Reserve Mura-Drava-Danube, protected by the UNESCO since 2012. At the same time, the route connects to the internationally recognized cycling routes “Drava Route” and “EuroVelo 13 – the Iron Curtain Route”.

The “Drava circle” is a 96km long circular route. For the most part you’ll be riding on asphalt, with a short off-road section on an embankment along the river Drava. More good news is that the route has no significant climbs. In short, you have more than enough reasons to set out to this “river” adventure.

But before that, some information about the “beauty” – the river Drava. The Drava originates in the Tyrolean Alps on the Austrian-Italian border, in the area of the inhabited Tolback settlement at 1228 meters above sea level. Then, after running for 725 kilometres, near the settlement of Aljmaš at 83 meters above sea level it flows into the Danube. Through Austria’s Kärnten and Slovenia, it enters Croatia, where it partly forms the Croatian-Hungarian border. It is this common Croatian-Hungarian section of the Drava that is considered one of the best preserved and therefore the most beautiful parts of that river. Now that you know that, we believe you can’t wait to begin your ride

The route starts off in front of the Pejačević Castle in Virovitica and continues through the settlements of Lukač, Gradina and Brezovica, all the way to Budakovac. Budakovac is dominated by a large marsh, which is actually the remainder of the old Drava riverbed. Namely, the Drava often changed its course throughout its history, leaving such water bodies behind. At just about 400 m from the last houses in the village, the route merges with the Drava riverbank, that is to say its embankment, on which you will ride for the next 12 km to the village of Kapinci, where the track briefly strays to an asphalt road. At the entrance to the settlement of Sopje, take a turn again to a dirt road which will take you back to the embankment. Ride along the path here to the riverbank and you’ll encounter a neat resting spot, where you can take a break and enjoy the view of the Drava. The path keeps going along the embankment to the village of Noskovačka Dubrava, where an asphalt road awaits you once again. Here you can take a tour of the Information and Education Centre and ride on the 2 km long educational trail called “Into Drava’s Embrace”. On its return to Virovitica, the route goes through the settlements of Sopje, Kapinci, Orešac, Suhopolje and Borova. Should you decide to stop in any of those old Slavonian villages, you may notice that their simple life hasn’t changed much since ancient times. There you can meet people who will always warmly welcome you and surprise you with their hospitality