Pokljuka Plateau (from Bled)

Pokljuka is the hidden gem of the Julian Alps cycling scene — a vast forested plateau at 1,300m sitting directly above Lake Bled, used by the Slovenian national biathlon team for altitude training and by Pogačar and Roglič in their development years. The climb from Bled begins immediately above the lake on the Ribčev Laz road before heading north through the Triglav National Park forest. The gradient is never catastrophic — averaging under 5% — but the total elevation gain of 850m across 18km accumulates steadily through the spruce forest. The plateau itself offers a network of quiet roads above the tree line with views across to the Karawanken Alps on the Austrian border. This is the climb where Slovenian cycling's next generation learns to suffer.