Self Guided Gravel Bike Tour from Trieste to Pula 2025

Independent arrival in Trieste. The remainder of the day is at leisure to explore Trieste. Overnight in Trieste.

At 0900HRS you will have a welcome briefing and have your rental mountain bike and other equipment fitted. Today ‘Parenzana’ takes you all along Piran Bay, through Portorož and Lucija towns, to the saltworks of Sečovlje. The Sečovlje salt flats are the northernmost salt flats in the Mediterranean. The salt is produced in the traditional way based on a 700-year-old method that harmonizes people and nature. You can visit its museum. After you cross the Slovenian-Croatian border ‘Parenzana’ will take you uphill along the trail where you can enjoy a view of the whole bay, with the saltworks and the alps in the background. After, you pass by Savudrija-Salvore Train Station. Following the ‘Parenzana’ train along the road and passing through once important villages of Buje region, you arrive at the hotel where you can enjoy Istrian specialties such as truffles and Istrian prosciutto. Overnight in Buje Region. (B)

Cycling distance: 74km
Elevation gain: +799m / -677m

After breakfast you will start biking (on macadam) on the legendary route of the ‘Parenzana’, the former narrow-gauge railway line which penetrates deeply into the Istrian peninsula connecting 33 Istrian towns between Poreč and Trieste, located today on the territory of three countries. Passing through magnificent rolling landscapes and lively Istrian vineyards, it will become obvious why it was also known as the ‘Wine Railway’. After passing through several tunnels and over old bridges, you can stop on many fascinating viewpoints between the medieval town of Buje, Grožnjan and Livade before reaching Motovun. Stop in Grožnjan, the city of artists. After you see the galleries and viewpoints you can pass through magnificent rolling landscapes and lively Istrian vineyards. Reach the village of Livade, the truffle centre of the world, where you can taste and buy some products with truffles. In front of Livade on a hill, is the town of Motovun where your hotel is located. Overnight in Motovun. (B)

Cycling distance: 57km
Elevation gain: +870m / -731m

Overlooking the Mirna River Valley, lies surely the most famous and attractive Istrian medieval town of Motovun, Montona. This captivating hilltop town is one of the characteristic symbols of the Istrian interior. The Romanesque-Gothic bell tower with a crenulated crown from the 13th century, standing next to the Parish Church of St. Stephen from the 17th century, dominates the town's historic core. In the central square is the Romanesque Municipal Palace, the largest secular building in Istria of that period, surrounded by many other historic buildings. Passing the tunnel under the city of Motovun, ‘Parenzana’ will take you towards Poreč through Vižinada Village. You will pass by Nova Vas Village where you can visit Baredine Cave. Following the trail along the vineyards you will reach Poreč. This is a town where you can find material and spiritual evidence of great cultures at every step. Ride along the old town centre where you will find the Roman Forum; magnificent palaces from different historical periods; and to top it all off, the famous Euphrasian Basilica (Euphrasiana). Overnight in hotel in Poreč. (B)

Cycling distance: 50km
Elevation gain: +396 / -640m

After riding along the coastline, we reach Vrsar, a romantic fishermen’s village where the famous Casanova came back twice. Our bike ride continues through the magical Kontija Forest with a panoramic view of the beautiful landscape of the Lim Bay, passing by the old Benedictine abbey at Kloštar and to the ruins of the medieval town Dvigrad. Just to stir your imagination, you are now in an area where many legends and mysteries based on historical events still live on. That of Dvigrad devastated by the plague because of an ancient curse; of the buried treasure of Captain Morgan's pirates near the village named after him (Mrgani); of the cave where the remains of the primitive man were found and where, as legend has it, St. Romuald used to live as a hermit in the Middle Ages. From Kanfanar you will take an old railway called ‘Štrika ferata’, converted into a traffic free gravel bike path, finishing in Rovinj. Also called ‘Little Venice’, Rovinj is a typical Mediterranean seaside resort which will amaze you with its extraordinary beauty. In the dense tissue of the old town centre there are numerous magnificent palaces from different historical periods, today most of them host a gallery or an art studio. If you follow the numerous chimneys of Rovinj and narrow meandering streets you will come in front of the baroque Church of St. Eufemia, the greatest monument in the city, from which you can admire a magnificent view of the Mediterranean almost in the palm of your hand. Overnight in Rovinj area. (B)

Cycling distance: 61km
Elevation gain: +698m / -678m

After breakfast, we start riding along the coastline towards Pula. Riding through the ornithological Palud Reserve with a rich variety of ornithon, fauna. This is a unique place where you can hear the chirping of 215 different bird species. Next, we reach Fažana. Situated on a low coast, well protected from the open sea by the enchanting Brioni Archipelago (nowadays a national park), and surrounded by vineyards and olive groves in the hinterland. Fažana was well known already in ancient Roman times. Which city is situated on seven hills, has a magnificent amphitheatre and is not Rome? The answer is, Pula. No, it is not a mistake, you are indeed, in front of Pula, the largest city in Istria. Pula is an enchantress with thousand appearances which has been casting a spell on its visitors for centuries. This day we finish visiting the Old Town with the Sergius' Triumphal Arch from the end of the 1st century BC and the beginning of the 1st century AD; and famous Arena, a Roman amphitheatre from the 1st century BC. Optional ride to Cape Kamenjak and back to Pula. Overnight in Pula area. (B)

Cycling distance: 42km
Elevation gain: +350m / -364m

Optional Loop Ride to Cape Kamenjak
Cycling distance: 24.6km paved; 13km unpaved
Elevation gain: +457m / -457m

After breakfast at the hotel, check out. (B)