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Cycle the Wine roads of Istria

Guided cycling

Duration: 8 days / 7 nights

Cycling, sightseeing, tasting wines and olive oil tour Come along for a leisure cycling trip from Buje to Pula through charming Istrian peninsula. Within its blue coastal strip and green inland your gastronomic personality will enjoy tasty food, worldwide famous truffles and olive oil and excellent Istrian wines, such as Malvasia and Teran. Don’t miss the two days of cycling along the Parenzana, exciting old railway track with numerous viaducts and tunnels known as Croatian Tuscany. Ending up in the coastal gems of Rovinj, Poreč and Pula you will learn a little about the rich history of this part of Croatia HIGHLIGHTS: Cycling through the breathtaking Istrian landscape, Visit wine cellars, Tasting the wines and culinary specialties of Istria, Learn how to produce olive oil, Ride through beautiful landscapes of Lim Bay and Rovinj Visiting the medieval towns of Motovun, Grožnjan, Poreč, Rovinj

There is something magical about Istria

Immersed in the blue of the Adriatic Sea, there is something magical about Istria, the largest (3600 square kilometres) and most northerly of the Croatian peninsulas. The coastal strip, known locally as Blue Istria, is popular with sun-seekers during the summer months, while the interior, or Green Istria, is another story entirely. Here, we will find a world of shading forest, historic hilltop towns, vineyards, olive groves and picturesque rivers. It’s the perfect place for a leisurely cycling holiday.

Rolling hills of the ‘Croatian Tuscany’.

We start our exploration at Buje, close to Croatia’s northern border with Slovenia, then head south slowly, picking out all of the highlights of this delightful corner of Europe. From the lighthouse at Savudrija to medieval settlements such as Groznjan, we will ride on country roads and then for 2 days on the delightful dismantled railway track of the Parenzana through the rolling hills of the ‘Croatian Tuscany’.

Rich histories

We will visit wine cellars to sample some of the local favourites, such as Malvasia and Teran. We will also take every opportunity to chill out in pavement cafes overlooking the rolling Istrian countryside and to enjoy local Istrian culinary specialities. Spending time in the coastal towns of Porec and Rovinj and Pula, we will be able to appreciate their beauty, whilst learning a little of their rich histories.

Availability

Number of people

Guided cycling Istrian wine roads 4-5 pax

Guided cycling Istrian wine roads 6-7 pax

Guided cycling Istrian wine roads 8-11 pax

Guided cycling Istrian wine roads 12- 15 pax

Itinerary

Duration: 8 days / 7 nights

Difficulty:

Transport: bus

Meet the group at the hotel in Buje. Depending on your arrival time, you may have some time to explore. The town of Buje is 3 -4 kilometers away along the old rail track of Parenzana. In the afternoon you will pick up your bikes and meet the guide and the rest of the group. Info meeting and welcome dinner at the hotel.

Accommodation: Guesthaus Parenzana or B&B Lovac 3*, Buje area or similar

Meals: welcome dinner

Transfer: group transfer from Pula airport to hotel in Buje (fixed timing)

Biking: set up of bikes

Casa La Parenzana 3*

Location: Croatia, Istria, Buje

We start our first ride on a quiet backroad which takes us down to the coast through olive groves and vineyards. Arriving to the sea at Lovrecica, we head north, passing a couple of small bays en route to the colourful harbour and town of Umag, which we’ll reach after 23 kilometers of cycling. Umag provides us with great introduction to Croatia’s Mediterranean way of living, so we’ll explore amongst renaissance and baroque buildings and churches and take the opportunity to stop for a cafe on a promenade. Heading north again, we pass a number of low-key resorts and after further 8 kilometers we reach the north-eastern tip of the Istrian Peninsula. Here is the oldest lighthouse in the Adriatic, the 36-metre tall Savudrija, still in use and still manned. Protecting the southern approaches to the Gulf of Trieste, the lighthouse was Italian-financed, its construction beginning in 1817. From here, we cycle back inland and alongside Croatia’s northern border with Slovenia. This part of our ride is very gradually uphill – during the final 20 kilometres of cycling we gain around 200 metres of elevation. We end our ride at a vineyard and wine cellar close to Momjan. Muscat, Malvasia and Teran are just 3 of the local wines worth sampling. After our wine tasting, we have a short transfer back to our hotel outside Buje.

Accommodation: Gusthaus Parenzana or B&B Lovac 3*, Buje area or similar

Meals: breakfast, picnic lunch and refreshment during biking, wine tasting

Transfer: support van during biking

Distance: 52 km / 32 miles, total ascent 490, descent -400m

For the next 2 days we will cycle the old railway track of Parenzana and use mountain bikes that provide us a more comfortable ride. We head inland on this easy gravel cycle path, through tunnels and over old bridges, into the heart of rural Istria (known as the Croatian Tuscany). Parenzana, known as the wine railway, was built to link Porec with Trieste and was operational between 1905 and 1935. The first stop on our route is the pretty, medieval hill-top settlement of Groznjan which overlooks the valley of the Mirna River. Dating from around the year 1100., Groznjan is today a centre of artists and artisans. We will explore its timeless streets on foot, where it look like that every doorway leads to an artist’s studio. Once again, we are in no hurry and it will be hard to resist the attraction of one of the town’s pavement cafes. This part of the peninsula is known as Istria County and we continue our ride eastwards through rolling countryside above the Mirna River, to the truffle centre Livade, where we visit a truffle shop and have the chance to taste this much sought-after fungal growth. Our overnight hotel is now just a couple of kilometres away, in the beautiful hill-top village of Motovun on the opposite (south) bank of the river.

Accommodation: Hotel Villa Borgo or Kaštel 3*, Motovun or similar

Meals: breakfast, picnic lunch and refreshment during biking

Transfer: support van during biking

Distance: 30 km / 19 miles, total ascent 460, descent -600m

From Motovun, we cycle back towards the coast, again following the old track Parenzana. We drop down out of the village and follow the track through a 200 metre tunnel, emerging to find views across the Mirna Valley as we leave Motovun behind us. We stop for a coffee in Vizinada after an hour or so and then continue towards the coast. At times, although we are still following the route of the Parenzana, we find ourselves cycling on the bare, red Istrian soil, as we pass on farm tracks amongst pretty vineyards and olive groves. We stop for lunch in Visnjan, a hilltop village notable for its architecture and for its astronomical observatory. From the village square, at an elevation of around 250 metres, we can actually see the sea. After lunch we have an enjoyable 15 kilometre ride out to the coast, passing the last of the old Parenzana railway stations just before we reach Porec, a town famous for its UNESCO listed Basilica and charming old quarter. We will finish our day cycling around the wall that surrounds the old town of Porec to reach our hotel.

Accommodation: Hotel Poreč 3*, Poreč or similar

Meals: breakfast, picnic lunch and refreshment during biking

Transfer: support van during biking

Distance: 39 km / 25 miles, total ascent 400, descent -570m

No need to pack our bags this morning as we will be staying another night at our Porec hotel. So, after breakfast, we start our scenic ride with a visit to the 6th century cathedral of the Euphrasiana, the most important monument in Porec. The interior of the cathedral is very impressive and well worth the admission charge. Leaving Porec, we head inland on quiet roads to the village of Bacva, the highest point of today’s ride and a good place for a cafe stop. After our break at Bacva, we head southwards and back down to the coastal village of Vrsar. Strategically located, with a commanding view of the coast, Vrsar was fortified in the 12th century as a part of the Istrian Peninsula’s coastal defence system. We will take the opportunity to visit the remains of the castle and enjoy the sea views, before cycling northwards to the fishing village of Funtana. Now heading back to our hotel in Porec, we cycle through the resort areas of Zelena and Plava Laguna.

Accommodation: Hotel Poreč 3*, Poreč or similar

Meals: breakfast, picnic lunch and refreshment during biking

Transfer: support van during biking

Distance: 48 km / 30 miles, total ascent 470, descent -470m

This morning’s leisurely ride starts from Kanfanar, after a short transfer. However, anyone feeling energetic can choose to make an early start and cycle an additional 20 kilometres, accompanied by the cycling guide. Kanfanar is a small inland town above the Lim Valley and our ride today is the flattest of the tour. Our route will take us back through the Bale region. At Svetvincenat, we will be able to explore the imposing Morosini-Grimani fortress and relax in its renaissance town square surrounded by cypress trees. This is another very attractive Istrian settlement, although one with a chequered history – including a 17th century witchcraft trial. At the pretty village of Bale we can make a stop to visit the Soardo-Bembo Palace, a very distinctive 15th century Venetian Gothic building. Here, too, we can visit a famous olive oil producer, where we can learn about the trees, the harvest and the processing of the oil. Arriving at our hotel in Rovinj, we have time to look around this ‘Pearl of Adriatic’, with its colourful houses, distinctive church and bell-tower. Fresh fish (combined with a glass of Malvasia) is a popular choice at dinner this evening. Everybody can enjoy Rovinj, its charm and magic.

Accommodation: B&B Baron Gautsch 3* or Hotel Villa Lili 3*, Rovinj or similar

Meals: breakfast, picnic lunch and refreshment during biking, olive oil tasting tasting

Transfer: support van during biking

Distance: 35 km / 22 miles, total ascent 160, descent -420m

After breakfast, we have a 20-minute transfer to the medieval town of Žminj, before setting off on the last ride of the trip, southwards to Pula. Cycling through a distinctly rural region, we will see lots of traditional drystone toolsheds, known locally as ‘kazuni’. These are similar to the ‘trulli’ found in Puglia and the ‘bories’ in Provence. We pass through pretty countryside with several small villages and an obvious lunch stop is in the colourful town of Vodnjan. Finally, we cycle into Pula, the largest town on the peninsula with a population of almost 60,000. Located in a superb natural harbour, Pula has been occupied, destroyed and rebuilt on numerous occasions since Roman times. We will finish the day with a sightseeing tour of the old part of the city, where the triumphal Arch of the Sergil and the great amphitheatre Pula Arena are the standout attractions. Overnight at our Pula hotel and a final farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Accommodation: Hotel Amfiteatar 3*, Pula or similar

Meals: breakfast, picnic lunch and refreshment during biking, farewell dinner

Transfer: support van during biking

Distance: 47 km / 30 miles, total ascent 210, descent -560m