Trieste to Pula Cycling Tour

Day 1: Trieste — Arrival
You will arrive independently in Trieste, once a great harbour of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and have the rest of the day at leisure to explore its streets and seafront. Overnight in a 3- or 4-star hotel in Trieste.

Day 2: Trieste–Muggia — Buje (46 or 58 km; +697 m / −558 m)
At 9 am a welcome briefing will set you on your way, and if you have rented a bike you will be fitted with it and your equipment. To avoid city traffic you can hop on the short ferry from Trieste to Muggia (about €5.80 per person with bike, paid on the spot) and ride 46 km, or set off directly from Trieste for the 58 km option. You will join the Parenzana, the former narrow-gauge railway that once linked 33 Istrian towns, and cross into Slovenia on cycle paths through Koper and Piran, both long ruled by Venice. Heading south, you will pass the Sečovlje salt pans, an important area for birdlife, before crossing into Croatia. Overnight in the Buje area.

Day 3: Buje — Umag — Buje (48 km; +443 m / −442 m)
An easy downhill ride will take you to the coast at the northernmost point of Istria, where the Savudrija lighthouse, built in 1818 and one of the oldest on the Adriatic, rises 36 metres above the sea. You will continue south to Umag, founded as a Roman summer residence, where Venetian houses, stretches of the old walls and Renaissance and Baroque churches still stand. Vineyards and olive groves frame the typical west Istrian landscape, and a wine cellar visit lets you taste the local Muscat. Overnight in the Buje area.

Day 4: Buje — Motovun (37 km; +693 m / −585 m)
You will leave behind the terraced vineyards around Buje and ride through a land of rich scents and flavours, with many viewpoints to stop at along the way. The route passes the medieval town of Grožnjan and the village of Oprtalj before climbing to Motovun, an ancient town perched on a 277-metre hill, still wrapped in its medieval walls. Overnight in Motovun.

Day 5: Motovun — Poreč (40 km; +367 m / −614 m)
After breakfast you will ride through Vižinada and Kaštelir down towards the coast, a particularly pleasant stretch of bays, green vineyards and olive groves where home-made food, wine, brandy and honey are produced. In the afternoon you will reach Poreč, where you can wander past the old Roman forum, the Euphrasian Basilica with its mosaics, noble palaces and fortifications. Overnight in the Poreč area.

Day 6: Poreč — Rovinj (66 km; +860 m / −860 m)
Quiet secondary roads will lead you through small villages and vineyards, past Sveti Lovreč and Kanfanar, to Svetvinčenat with its grand Morosini-Grimani citadel, loggia and row of 16th-century Renaissance houses. Asphalt roads continue to Bale, where you can visit the Bembo palace, the square and the museum. From Bale a mix of gravel and asphalt roads and trails will take you along the coast to Rovinj, the Pearl of the Adriatic, an old town that was once an island and is famous for its traditional batana boats. Overnight in Rovinj.

Day 7: Rovinj — Pula (40 km; +309 m / −320 m)
You will follow the coastline towards Pula, riding through the Palud ornithological reserve, where up to 215 bird species can be heard. Next comes Fažana, sheltered from the open sea by the Brijuni archipelago, now a national park, and known since Roman times. The day ends in Pula, the largest city in Istria, with time to explore the old town, the Arch of the Sergii and the magnificent Roman Arena. Overnight in the Pula area.

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