In a milestone year when the American Motorcyclist Association is celebrating its 100th anniversary and our sibling publication, Rider, is celebrating its 50th, our friends at Adriatic Moto Tours are celebrating 20 years of providing unique motorcycle tours in Europe.
“It all began 20 years ago in a home garage in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, with two motorcycles and three enthusiastic individuals: Matej and Martina Malovrh, along with their good friend, Blaz Zganjar, all of whom are still deeply involved in running the company,” according to a retrospective blog on Adriatic Moto Tours’ website. “Matej had a vision of attracting foreign riders to our neck of the woods, and Blaz and Martina joined him in pursuit of that vision. At that time, very few foreigners knew where Slovenia was, yet we succeeded in attracting a few enthusiastic riders from overseas within the first year. Our primary marketing tool was a $50 webpage.” (You can read the full story on AMT’s website.)
The company was founded in 2004 as SMTours (for Slovenia Moto Tours), and started with two BMWs, an F 650 GS and an R 1200 GS. The first tour explored Slovenia and Croatia and had three guests from Florida. In 2005, the same year Matej and Martina got married, the company did five guided tours. Tour offerings expanded into other countries, and in 2007 the company’s name became Adriatic Moto Tours.
Through hard work, dedication, and passion, Adriatic Moto Tours grew steadily over the years, adding more bikes to its fleet, more tours to its catalog, and more tour guides, van drivers, and support personnel to its team.
Adriatic Moto Tours now offers 22 unique guided tours in various regions of Europe, including the Adriatic Coast and the Balkans, the Alps, Central Europe, the Mediterranean, and – starting in 2024 – Scandinavia, with a new tour of Norway. AMT also offers self-guided tours, custom tours, and motorcycle rentals from its base in Ljubljana.
Adriatic Moto Tours: Reviews
Rider staffers and contributors have reviewed seven of Adriatic Moto Tours’ guided tours, and you can read their reports below.
- Beautiful Balkans Adventure, reviewed by Greg Drevenstedt. This 15-day tour explorers the mountains and coast in Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Hercegovina, and includes rest days in Sarajevo and Dubrovnik.
- Czech Hungary Tour, reviewed by Bill Stermer. This 15-day tour explores Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, and Austria and includes rest days in Budapest, Krakow, and Prague.
- Adriatic Riviera Tour, reviewed by Jenny Smith. This 9-day tour explores the mountains and coast in Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Hercegovina, and includes a rest day in Dubrovnik.
- Intriguing Southeast Europe, reviewed by Jenny Smith. This unique 15-day tour explores countries that aren’t on most travelers’ radar, including Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania, and North Macedonia.
- Romania to Istanbul Adventure, reviewed by Jim Horton. This 16-day tour explores Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania, including the world-famous Transfagarasan Road and Transalpina in the Carpathian Mountains.
- Sardinia & Corsica – Riders’ Heaven, reviewed by Scott A. Williams. This 9-day tour explores two Mediterranean islands – one that’s part of France, the other that’s part of Italy – that offer world-class curves and scenery.
- Western Alps Adventure, reviewed by Greg Drevenstedt. This 9-day tour explores high alpine passes and charming villages in Italy, Switzerland, and France.
Adriatic Moto Tours: Other Notable Tours
- Alps Adriatic Adventure, a 15-day tour that explores the Adriatic coast and the Alps in Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, and Italy.
- Tuscany Sardinia Corsica Tour, a 16-day tour that explores the vibrant Tuscany region of Italy as well as the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Corsica.
- South of Rome and Sicily, a 15-day tour that explores southern Italy and the island of Sicily.
Everyone at Rider congratulates Matej, Martina, and the entire Adriatic Moto Tours on a successful first 20 years. We can’t wait to see what you have in store for the next 20!
To find out more about Adriatic Moto Tours, visit their website.
