Cycling Tour in Istria

Croatia has become one of the most visited destinations in the world. Jutting out into to sparkling Adriatic, the northern peninsular county of Istria is home to about 200,000 people. Only 6% are Italian, and yet the markings of Italian culture are quite evident here, particularly along the western coast. Our journey is mostly featuring the Croatian section of the peninsula (89% of Istria) in addition to the first day and a half spent in the Slovenian part of the region.

On this tour, we’ll get to know Istria intimately through visits to local producers and tastings of the local wines Teran and Malvàsia. Istrian cuisine reflects the gifts of its geography: fish and veggies typical of the Mediterranean Diet are emphasized here, as are cured meats, olive oil and pasta, an indicator of the enduring Italian influence. And we’ll learn about Istrian truffles on a hunting demonstration and around the table at a dinner highlighting this prized underground mushroom. (As in Piedmont, here white truffles are found from the end of September into late fall/early winter)

About the Istrian Peninsula

The Italian influence in Istria may be attributed to the more than four centuries of Roman presence, followed by five centuries of Venetian influence. Later Austrian-Hungarian domination left its traces, notable in the architecture, food, language and traditions. Here you find a distinctive mix of Slavic, Austrian and Italian cultures.

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Towns here often use both their Italian and Slovenian or Croatian names. On our tour, we’ll visit the picturesque coastal towns of Portorož (Portorose), Piran (Pirano) and Izola (Isola) in Slovenia. In the Croatian section we will explore Rovinj (Rovigno), Pola (Pula) and Poreč (Parenzo) as well as the quiet inland villages of Grožnjan (Grisignano), Motovun (Montona) and Buzet (Pinguente), with a grand finale of the exotic islands of Brijuni National Park.

Istria gets its name from the Histri tribe that populated the peninsula until 177 BC when the Romans arrived and incorporated it into the region of Venetia and Histria. After the demise of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD, the peninsula fell to barbarians such as the Goths and Lombards. Carolingian domination followed, until the region became part of the Venetian Republic in 1267.

By the Treaty of Campo Formio in 1797, the Venetian Republic was dismantled and divided between France under Napoleon and Austria under the Hapsburgs. Austria won control of Istria and the Austrian Empire ruled the area, including the towns of Trieste and Gorizia (now both part of the Italian region of Venezia-Giulia), for over a century until their defeat in World War I. In 1918, the peninsula became Italian territory.

Italian irredentism, the political movement spanning the latter half of the nineteenth century into the early twentieth, sought to reclaim “lost” lands that it saw to be peopled by Italians. Italy clashed with Croatian and Slovenian nationalist movements, the result of which were ethnic conflicts lasting through World War II. After the war, Istria was incorporated into Yugoslavia and many Italians fled the peninsula into Italy or sometimes beyond, to America. (Of the former region, only the towns of Muggia and Trieste remained Italian.) With the collapse of Yugoslavia in 1991, Istria became part of Croatia, bordered by Slovenia and Italy. In 2013, Croatia, and its four million people, joined the European Union.

This tour has been co-designed with our friend and tour leader Andrea Marchesini who has been leading several groups in the Istrian peninsula. Come with us to explore the enchanting peninsula and meet the local Istriani for a full immersion into this unique slice of the Mediterranean while savoring the local flavors, enjoying the mild climate and gazing out over the pristine sea: dobrodošl!i (welcome!)

Cycling Tour in Istria

Dates & Pricing

Minimum of 6 participants, maximum of 16, with a maximum guide-to-guest ratio of 1 to 8

DATES (8 days)

May 30-June 6, 2023 | September 10-17, 2023

For more info and availability please contact us.

TOUR PRICE
Per person in double occupancy: from $4,690

Single Supplement: $790

For travel in 2021 and beyond, your tour is carbon neutral! In addition, we donate more than 1% of your trip price to food-literacy and environmental non-profits that share our values. (Details here)

Tour Highlights

Discover wine, cured meats, olive oil and truffles over delectable meals, visits and tastings that demonstrate the best of Istrian culinary heritage
Exposure to local culture and history with knowledgeable and experienced Tour Leaders
Elegant and traditional accommodation mostly in 4- and 5-star hotels
Unforgettable meals featuring the local cuisine
Discover the must-see coastal towns of Rovinj (Rovigno), Pola (Pula) and Poreč (Parenzo), the quiet inland villages of Grožnjan (Grisignano), Motovun (Montona) and Buzet (Pinguente), and the exotic islands of Brijuni National Park
Exhilarating rides and opportunities to improve your cycling skills with your Tour Leaders
Traditional, local recipes to bring home with you!

Cycling Level 3 – Antipasto, Primo (Pasta) and Secondo (Entrée)

What's Included

7 nights of accommodation in mostly 4-and 5-star hotels
7 breakfasts and 2 lunches
5 dinners with either a 3- or 4-course menu (one including truffles)
Guided walking tour in Poreč and Pula
Explore Rovinj, Portorož, Buzet and other small villages
1 visit and tasting to a local winery and 1 visit and tasting to an olive oil producer
1 visit and tasting to a cured meat producer
1 truffle hunting demo
Ferry rides to/from Brijuni Islands
Bike rental (see more info here) and Garmin Touring Edge unit (if you have one, bring yours and we’ll upload the routes onto your unit)
Comfortable transportation and assistance by 9-seat van for all travel on tour as cited in the itinerary
Refreshments, snacks, fruits and other local delicacies during our rides
Two bilingual, professional Tour Leaders
One group transfer from/to Trieste centrale train station at the beginning and at the end of tour
Local taxes and gratuities for luggage porters and restaurant servers during tour

What's Not Included

5 lunches and 2 dinners on your own
Alcoholic beverages at group meals (including wine, beer and spirits)
Round-trip airfare and expenses to/from the tour
E-bike, upon request and availability, with $150-250 surcharge depending on the type (see more info here)
Trip cancellation, baggage loss or travel delay insurance (this optional coverage is highly recommended. See more info here)
Gratuities for your Tour Leaders
Personal expenses, such as, but not limited to, phone calls, laundry, emails, snacks, gifts

Itinerary

Optional Pre-Tour Night in Portorož/Portorose

If you prefer to arrive the day before please let us know and we will help you organize your pre night at the same hotel used on tour in Portorož, and an early transfer from Trieste centrale train station at additional price.

This is recommended just to allow you more time to settle in and get ready for the tour. You can reach Trieste from Ronchi dei Legionari airport via taxi or from Venice Marco Polo airport via taxi and train from Venice Mestre train station
Day 1 & 2 – Around Portorož and Buzet via Grožnjan

Cycling Route Info on Day 1: Main Route: 17mi/1400ft of elevation gain | Extra loop adds: 11mi/1100ft

Cycling Route Info on Day 2: Main Route 45mi/4020ft | Extra loop adds: 10mi1330/ft

Catch our private group transfer in the morning from Trieste train station to the border resort town of Portorož. After a light lunch and introductory meeting, let’s stretch our legs with a first warm-up spin by the sea. We are able to ride some portions of the Porečanka (Parenzana), a now defunct narrow-gauge railway that connected Trieste to Poreč (then Parenzo) from 1902 to 1935. In the late afternoon, enjoy the pool or a walk by the sea before our dinner tonight in town.

On our second day, we cross into Croatia. Pedaling away from the coast, we feel the air and the scenery change around us as we enter the interior. After enjoying a late morning wine tasting, we wend the country roads that carry us to the charming village of Grožnjan (Grisignana). Interesting (to an Italian at least!), Grožnjan is the only present-day Croatian municipality with an ethnic Italian majority. Lunch here is on your own, allowing time to explore the village before we ride on to our destination for the night: the hilltop hamlet of Buzet (the dispersed total population of the area is hardly more than 6,000). Here we savor a dinner featuring truffles.
Day 3 & 4 – Buzet to Poreč via Motovun

Cycling Route Info on Day 3: Main Route 36mi/3090ft | Extra loop adds: 7mi/400ft
Cycling Route Info on Day 4: Main Route 33mi/2100ft | Extra loop adds: 11mi/660ft
This morning we turn back toward the coast. From Buzet, we ride into the village of Livade for a truffle-hunting demonstration. As in Piedmont, the area is famous for white truffles in the fall and black truffles year-round. We stop in nearby Motovun, another perched village that boasts Celtic origins. In fact, its name comes from the Celtic Montona, meaning “a town in the hills”. Enjoy lunch here on your own and a stroll around the town.

Rolling on, we reach the coast again and the nearly 2,000-year-old town of Poreč. The area surrounding it has been populated since prehistoric times. Poreč is set around a protected harbor, which made it a recognized and coveted stronghold. Along with its neighbor Rovinj, Poreč is one of the most visited places in all of Croatia and a beautiful example of enduring Venetian architecture and influence. On one of the two days spent here, we enjoy a guided visit of Poreč and its UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Euphrasian Basilica, dating to the sixth century. The current structure conceals elements of the two churches that previously stood here, dating to the fourth and fifth centuries. We enjoy the sea and some time to unwind before our dinner in town.

Our fourth day takes us on an inland loop from Poreč. Our lunch stop is the Venetian town of Novigrad, notable for its curvaceous harbor and characteristic fortifications. Enjoy lunch on you own and a stroll here. Should time and interest allow, take in the Lapidarium Museum, which houses one of the most important collections of stone monuments anywhere in Croatia, dating from the first to the eighteenth centuries. We pedal on through the countryside punctuated by towns and villages, eventually returning to Poreč for some downtime and dinner on your own.
Day 5 – Poreč to Rovinj

Cycling Route Info on Day 5: Main Route 40mi/2500ft | Extra loop adds: 9mi/470ft

Today we ride inland, passing through sleepy and remote villages such as Kanfanar and Bale, before reaching the fabled fishing port of Rovinj. Picturesque Bale is famous for its Venetian architecture. We stop here for a lunch on your own and an olive-oil tasting and a visit to a local producer. Upon reaching Rovinj, we check in at our elegant hotel near the sea. Enjoy the nearby beach before we reconvene for a walk in town and our dinner together.
Day 6 & 7 – Rovinj to Pula and Brijuni Islands

Cycling Route Info on Day 6: Main Route 34mi/1600ft | Extra loop adds: 16mi/840ft

Cycling Route Info on Day 7: Main Route 31mi/1470ft | Extra loop adds: 9mi/440ft

In the last two days we’ll overnight near the southernmost of the peninsula that we reach on another exhilarating ride from Rovinj to Pula. A microcosm of Istria as a whole, this town is known for its protected harbor, which made it valuable as a strategic location. Pula has been destroyed and rebuilt many times, and the Romans, Ostrogoths and Venetians, as well as the Allied Forces in World War II, have all ruled the city. Our journey culminates in a late afternoon guided tour of the town and its sites before dinner on your own with plenty of options available.

Our last ride features more of the southern Istrian peninsula inland and a stop in the little sea village of Fažana. From here we board a quick ferry for a nice ride on a more exotic atmosphere in Brijuni National Park, fourteen small islands separated from the Istrian peninsula by the Fažana Strait. This visit introduces us to relics of cultural, historical, geological and paleontological significance not to mention a host of flora and fauna, and the presence of the former residence of Marshal Tito, nowadays a museum that we discover together.

Take a ferry back to Fažana, and a private transfer back to the hotel. Enjoy the beach or some well-deserved relaxation. Meet your guides for dinner for a final toast to celebrate our tour over dinner: živjeli! (cheers!)
Day 8 – Transfer to Trieste Train Station

To request the itinerary as a PDF or to ask us any questions please contact us today!