Rovinj Road Cycling Loop of Istria

Day 1: Rovinj — Arrival
You will arrive in Rovinj, whose old town rises from the sea around the church of St Euphemia, and check in to your hotel. A welcome briefing at your hotel will prepare you for the week ahead, and you will have time for a first stroll through the old town and along the harbour. Overnight in Rovinj.

Day 2: Rovinj — Poreč (71 or 116 km; +739 m / −757 m)
Your first riding day will take you from Rovinj across Kanfanar to the small town of Žminj, then turn towards Tinjan and Kringa. After Sveti Lovreč the road runs mostly downhill: you will cross the dry part of the Lim channel and reach Vrsar, a fishing village that Casanova returned to twice, before following the coastline to Poreč. The longer option covers 116 km with +1194 m. Overnight in Poreč.

Day 3: Poreč — Buje (94 or 113 km; +962 m / −844 m)
Take time in the morning for Poreč’s old centre, with the Roman Forum, palaces from different eras and the Euphrasian Basilica. You will then head into the hinterland through Mugeba, Fuškulin and Bačva, where vineyards and olive groves surround farms producing wine, brandy and honey. Next come Višnjan with its astronomical observatory, the Mirna river delta and Novigrad, before you reach Umag and Savudrija, the northernmost point of Istria. A last loop around Momjan will bring you to the Buje area. The longer option covers 113 km with +1150 m. Overnight in the Buje area.

Day 4: Buje — Buzet (91 or 102 km; +1413 m / −1427 m)
You will ride to Brtonigla and back to Buje, then on a wider loop through Momjan and its small villages. From Marušići the road climbs to Grožnjan, known as the town of artists for its galleries and studios, and continues to Šterna and Oprtalj, where the town loggia looks out across the peninsula. A 5 km descent takes you to Livade, where you can choose to take on the climb to Motovun, a genuine test for any road cyclist. You will finish in Buzet, called the city of truffles for the forests of the Mirna valley. The longer option covers 102 km with +1500 m. Overnight in Buzet.

Day 5: Buzet — Labin/Rabac (67 or 97 km; +1204 m / −1069 m)
A tough climb to Prodani opens the day and leads to Draguć, a stone village where several films and TV series have been shot. You will continue to Pazin, at the heart of Istria, whose castle sits on the edge of a 130 m deep abyss, and then to Gračišće, entered past the gothic-renaissance Salomon mansion. The climb to Šumber is the big effort of the day; from there you will ride through the villages around Labin and descend to Rabac on the Kvarner bay. The longer option covers 97 km with +1860 m. Overnight in Rabac/Labin.

Day 6: Labin/Rabac — Pula (100 km; +1227 m / −1493 m)
The day starts with a climb from Rabac up to Labin’s old town, followed by a ride across Skitača and nearby villages with views over the Kvarner islands. Another climb brings you to Barban, a good place for a break, before you continue through Glavani to Vodnjan, home to family olive oil producers. You will reach Pula, the largest city in Istria, with the Arch of the Sergii and the Roman Arena. With legs to spare, you can add an out-and-back ride to Premantura. Overnight in Pula.

Day 7: Pula — Rovinj (77 or 105 km; +668 m / −656 m)
You will leave Pula for Fažana, which looks across to the Brijuni islands national park. From Vodnjan you will head inland to Žminj and Svetvinčenat, where the Morosini-Grimani citadel, a municipal loggia and a line of 16th-century houses surround the old town cistern. You will then reach Bale, which grew from a Roman castrum on the ancient road between Trieste and Pula, with its Soardo-Bembo castle and the church of St. Julian, before rolling into Rovinj, where your loop ends. The longer option covers 105 km with +994 m. Overnight in Rovinj.

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