The EPIC café terrace at Nova Gorica station at dusk, full of people under the big canopy.

Mad Station, Nora postaja

Stay mad.

Where culture gets active.

Café · bike & train hub · culture venue · events
At EPIC, Nova Gorica railway station

Opening week, 4–7 November

  1. Wed418:00Opening

    The EPIC café reopens as Mad Station with a cultural program.

  2. Thu517:00and 19:00Cycling and culture

    Open workshop, then a cross-border community run with the No Border running club.

  3. Fri617:00Re-opening of the café to the general public

    An introduction to St. Martin’s Weekend.

  4. Sat717:00St. Martin’s wine evening

    DJ, food, winemaker.

  5. Apr’27monthlyRun & Ride & Party

    A monthly Run & Ride & Party from April 2027.

Opening hours

  1. Monclosed
  2. Tue10:00–18:00
  3. Wed10:00–18:00
  4. Thu10:00–18:00
  5. Fri10:00–18:00
  6. Sat10:00–18:00
  7. Sun10:00–18:00

Closed on Mondays and on Friday 13 November.

Opening week, 4–7 November

  1. Wed4Opening
    • The old goods shed at Nova Gorica station lit with a projection on the opening night, the steam locomotive beside it.
    • Dancers with lit wings in front of the projected shed on the opening night.
    • The crowd on the platform at the opening, the lit shed behind them.
    • A brass band in blue coats playing under the projection on the opening night.
    • Guests standing in rows at the opening ceremony.
    • The Mad Station and EPIC sign on the counter at the opening.
  2. Thu5Cycling and culture
    • Peter Dakskobler with a microphone at the Cycling and culture talk, Mad Alps banners behind him.
    • The audience at the Cycling and culture talk in the EPIC hall.
    • Mad Alps flyers on a table in the hall.
  3. Sat7St. Martin’s wine evening
    • The barman pouring an orange spritz at the bar on St. Martin’s evening.
    • The lit goods shed and its canopy at night from the car park, St. Martin’s evening.
    • Guests at a table with glasses of wine, a bottle being poured.

The last stop before the Alps.

Where culture in Gorica region gets active.

On the Slovenia–Italy border at Europe Square, where the 2025 Giro stage finished and many long-distance cycling routes meet, every ride crosses our doorstep.

Everyone knows cyclists love coffee. Now the cycling region between the Alps and the Adriatic has a coffee stop built for them.

  • Guests talking at the bar of the café.

    Café

    Specialty coffee, snacks and local wine in the evening.

  • Two riders on a bench at the station, a map between them, a gravel bike beside them.

    Bike station

    A repair stand, pump, e-bike charging, route tips, and bike racks right outside.

  • An evening event under blue light in the EPIC hall.

    Events

    Group rides & runs, talks, film nights and other cultural events.

  • A rider crossing Europe Square, the border marker in the paving.

    Guided tours

    Road, gravel and e-bike tours in Brda, the Karst, the Vipava valley and the Soča valley.

  • Runners’ and cyclists’ meeting point

    A monthly Run & Ride & Party from April 2027, and a perfect place to meet before a run or ride.

  • Transfers

    Bikes and riders to the start of your route, or home after a long day.

  • Merch

    T-shirts, cups and more.

Peter Dakskobler speaking at a panel in a Mad Mountain shirt.

Peter Dakskobler

Founder

Peter is mad about the outdoors, and it all started with cycling. He founded the Soča Outdoor Festival in Tolmin, which began as a cycling festival, and is now building Mad Alps, a cross-border cycling festival.

Mad Station Nova Gorica is the first of its kind, and probably not the last.

Inside the EPIC café: the bar under the old timber roof, tables in the sun.

Best rides from Mad Station

Pick a ride to see it on the map.

GoriziaKanalMost na SočiAjdovščinaŠempeterDobrovoŠtanjelSolkanPlaveTrnovoKomenVipavaITALYSLOVENIAMad Station

Start and finish: Mad Station

  1. Rolling vineyard roads on both sides of the border, Slovenia’s answer to Tuscany.

    Via Solkan, Kojsko, Šmartno, Dobrovo, Medana, Cormòns, Gorizia

    Download GPX

  2. The local climb, straight from town to the basilica, with a view across to the Adriatic.

    Via Solkan, Skalnica road

    Download GPX

  3. A short, steep climb with views over the Soča river and the two Goricas.

    Via Solkan, the old military road

    Download GPX

  4. A wine valley lined with climbs, under the Nanos and Čaven ridges.

    Via Šempeter, Dornberk, Branik, Ajdovščina, Vipava, Črniče

    Download GPX

  5. Quiet roads, stone villages and red Teran wine.

    Via Šempeter, Miren, Kostanjevica, Komen, Štanjel, Branik

    Download GPX

  6. Follow the river north towards the Julian Alps, and come back by train on the Bohinj railway.

    Via Solkan, Plave, Kanal, Ajba

    Download GPX

  7. A long climb into the woods above town.

    Via Solkan, Skalnica road, Ravnica, Trnovo, Lokve

    Download GPX

Lines drawn along the roads, not GPS tracks; figures are approximate. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, elevation from Mapzen Terrain Tiles.

Find us

EPIC, Transalpina Square
Kolodvorska pot 10
5000 Nova Gorica, Slovenia

EPIC stands next to the railway station: the café, an event hall and a museum of both towns’ history.

Hours
November: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00. Closed on Mondays and on Friday 13 November.
On foot and by bike
Through the railway underpass.
By car
From Solkan.
By train
Nova Gorica railway station, on the Bohinj line.
From Italy
Across Piazza Transalpina, on foot.
Open in Google Maps
GoriziaNova GoricaSolkanITALYSLOVENIAEPICRailway stationTransalpina SquareKolodvorska pot

Tap the yellow dot to zoom in on the station.

News from the station

News from the station