Istria Wine Roads Cycling Tour

Day 1: Buje — Arrival
You will arrive in Istria and settle into your accommodation in the Buje–Brtonigla area, in the green hills of the peninsula's north-west. At 7 pm a member of the local team will meet you at the hotel reception for a welcome briefing, handing over your hotel vouchers, maps and route notes, together with your bikes if you have booked rental. Overnight in the Buje area.

Day 2: Buje — Umag — Buje (48 km; +443 m / −442 m)
Your first ride will begin with an easy descent to the coast at the northernmost point of the Istrian peninsula. You will pass Savudrija, built in 1818 and one of the oldest lighthouses on the Adriatic, whose 36-metre tower is still home to a keeper. The route will then follow the shore south to Umag, where Venetian houses, sections of the old walls and Renaissance and Baroque churches recall its long history. Vineyards and olive groves will frame the way back, and you can stop at a wine cellar to taste local Muscat or Malvasia. Overnight in the Buje area.

Day 3: Buje — Novigrad — Buje (50 km; +422 m / −421 m)
You will ride through the picturesque village of Kršete to Brtonigla, with churches and monasteries dating from the 15th century, then continue across the vineyards that produce the popular Teran. In Novigrad you can visit an olive oil producer and taste some of its oils. The route will follow the coast through Dajla and Karigador to Lovrečica, a former Venetian bishops' village, before winding back past the traditional Istrian houses of Škrinjari, Babići and Buroli. Overnight in the Buje area.

Day 4: Buje — Motovun (37 km; +693 m / −585 m)
Today you will ride to Grožnjan, the "town of artists": a medieval hilltop town above the Mirna river, with a Renaissance loggia from 1585, the Baroque church of Saints Vitus and Modestus, and streets lined with studios and galleries where music drifts from the windows. Quiet village roads will lead you on to Oprtalj, whose loggia opens onto a sweeping view of the peninsula. A descent overlooking the Mirna valley will bring you to Livade, the truffle centre of Istria, where you can taste truffles at a local shop. The day will end on the hilltop of Motovun, above the truffle-rich Motovun forest. Overnight in Motovun.

Day 5: Motovun — Poreč (40 km; +367 m / −614 m)
You will leave the inland hills for the coast, passing the Višnjan observatory before reaching the town of Višnjan at 246 m, with views over the west Istrian coast and Poreč. The surroundings are dotted with wine cellars where you can taste Malvasia from the Poreč area. The route will continue to Tar, a small hill town above the sea, and to Nova Vas with its cave, which you can visit, before reaching Poreč. Overnight in Poreč.

Day 6: Poreč Loop (45 km; +515 m / −515 m)
The day will begin at the Euphrasian Basilica, the 6th-century church that is Poreč's most valuable monument. You will then ride to the village of Bačva, the highest point of the stage, where a local restaurant serves traditional dishes. The route will drop to the coast at Vrsar, a former fortress town whose castle, once the summer residence of the Poreč bishops, is well worth a look. You will return along the coast past the fishing village of Funtana and the resort villages of Zelena and Plava Laguna. Overnight in Poreč.

Day 7: Poreč — Kanfanar — Rovinj (32 or 66 km; +180 m / −455 m or +860 m / −854 m)
After breakfast you can choose between a car transfer to Kanfanar, a small town above the Lim valley, or cycling there yourself (34 km; +680 m / −399 m). From Kanfanar the flattest ride of the tour will take you through inland villages with traditional stone kažun huts to Bale, where you can visit the Bembo palace, the town square and the museum. On the way to Rovinj you can ride around the Palud ornithological reserve and detour to Monkodonja, a Bronze Age hill settlement inhabited around 1800–1200 BC. You will then reach Rovinj, the "Pearl of the Adriatic", its old town once an island, crowned by a church and bell tower by the sea. Fresh fish and a glass of Malvasia will round off the week. Overnight in Rovinj.

Day 8: Rovinj — Departure
Breakfast and end of services.