Stage 6: Reifnitz - Lavamünd (Maribor)

The last route of our bike tour first led along Lake Wörthersee to Klagenfurt, from there in an eastern direction back to the Drau, where we joined the Drauradweg again for the last stretch until just before the Slovenian border. From there, we were supposed to continue to Maribor by public transport or however else. All in all, a good 80 km by bike and according to the route profile, especially in the second half, still somewhat challenging. So far, so good. In reality, the last stage was mainly one thing: annoying!

Everything started wonderfully: perfect weather forecast, so that we were more concerned about the heat and following a clear route according to the map. An early start and a wonderful ride in the morning freshness along Lake Wörthersee and further on a very pleasant bike route to the center of Klagenfurt. However, there the perfect signage was over and it took the help of a very friendly passerby to get back on track. But not for long, because eventually the bike path came to an abrupt end in a suburb of Klagenfurt and we had to search again. The path indicated on the map may have fallen victim to a new railway line, was relocated or has not yet been signposted. In short, it was a tedious navigation with some surprises. Additionally, increasingly threatening clouds formed in front of and beside us on this oh-so-perfect summer day, and soon lightning and thunder could be seen. The front seemed to be chasing us and occasionally showered us with a few raindrops.

At least we managed to reach the Drauradweg more or less within the calculated timeframe. So we had enough time for a short lunch break at the Völkermarkter Stausee. Or so we thought. The nice lady in the simple restaurant was friendly, but it took her almost 45 minutes to prepare a cold cut platter (Jauseplattrl) and a salad for us. Just as we could finally get back on the bikes, it started to rain as if on cue. Luckily, only briefly.

Then came the most physically demanding part of the route with many shorter but also long and steep ascents. Precisely for this phase, the weather promptly switched to summer heat. Finally, we crossed the Jauntalbrücke (highest railway bridge in Europe) and were able to watch a few bungee jumpers before passing a spectacular suspension bridge over a tributary of the Drau River (already behind schedule). Ahead of us was the last 10 km stretch, which should only go straight ahead and mostly downhill. And just so we could really look forward to that, it started to rain heavily, and we found ourselves somewhere in the middle of the forest without any real protection. As soon as it let up a bit, we immediately continued, only to be fully rained on again not 5 minutes later. We repeated this whole ordeal about three times, lost almost another hour, and started to seriously wonder if we would somehow make it to Maribor or not.

Eventually, the relieving sign of Lavamünd appeared, where we realized that the drop-off point for the bikes was located in an inn slightly further uphill. So, soaked and slightly annoyed, we made it after all. The drop-off went smoothly as always with Austrian calmness. So, the only remaining problem was the transportation to Dravograd in Slovenia, about 6 km away. And especially in this area, bus connections are not very frequent. Of course, we were saved by the helpfulness of the locals. The landlady said she would quickly ask the "boss" who immediately offered to drive us there in his car. Absolutely fantastic.

Now, the last section to Maribor: a combination of three different sources of information (timetable in the station building, SBB app, Google) gave us three different options for a possible train connection. By the way, the train station looked as if it had been shut down for 10 years and would have provided a perfect setting for a High Noon 2 movie. Eventually, the SBB app won, and indeed, a rickety retro train composition arrived punctually. Despite the poor frequency of the timetable, the train was almost empty, and so we peacefully chugged along the Drau for the next 1.5 hours, enjoying the beautiful scenery and sleepy villages, under the finest weather again.

As soon as the train finally arrived at the station in Maribor, it started raining again, so that we got another shower on the way to the hotel. We ended the day with a delicious dinner in the beautiful but almost deserted old town of Maribor, as it is every evening. Since the rain had stopped long before, we were even able to eat outside under a large umbrella. And as soon as we paid, it started pouring again, so that we got another shower on the way back to the hotel.

We are slowly getting tired of the unpredictability and think it's time to adjust our travel direction to the south. We are looking forward to that and to an exciting program on the following day.