The Pungart saddle in the Karawanks was originally planned to connect Slovenij Gradec with the village of Ribnica in the Pohorje Mountains. However, the road construction project was halted halfway for unclear reasons. The road from Slovenij Gradec leads to the summit at 1371 meters and is asphalted throughout.
From the Kope ski resort, however, an adventurous forest and meadow path of about 5 kilometers begins, lined with bumpy roots and stones, leading to a mountain hut.
From the managed mountain hut Koča pesnik, the route becomes much better and there are 8 kilometers on a well-paved gravel road that leads down to Ribnica na Pohorju.
Conditions, closures and tips — from members who drove here recently.
A huge tourist area is being built here, complete with parking lots, restaurants, a bouncy castle, and more. At the trailhead (we almost ended up on the ski slope next to it 😬), excavators were hard at work, and there are brand-new bike path signs there. We turned around.
As soon as you enter the tour in Kope at the parking lot, a closed barrier blocks the access road. We drove past the house on the left, first up a steep hill and then after about 100m took a sharp right and went straight back down (also steeply). The actual route is challenging (but not extreme) and quite easy to ride.
We drove the route in both directions - including uphill. (No problems in dry conditions.) However, I don't think it's advisable for vehicles without a reduction gear.
German
Slovenia
