Cycling Tour through Istria: Trieste - Pula

This self-guided hotel-to-hotel tour starts in Trieste, the former Habsburg seaport at the foot of the Karst, which grew rich as a busy port during the Roman Empire. After just a few kilometres riders leave Italy behind and cross into Istria, the largest peninsula in the Adriatic, shared by Slovenia and Croatia. This sunny corner of the Mediterranean is a landscape of contrasts, with picturesque fishing villages, small hilltop towns on the karst, vineyards and green valleys.

The first stage follows mostly dedicated cycle paths along the Slovenian Riviera through the seaside resorts of Koper and Izola to Piran or Portorož, with the option of a longer inland route through the Val Rosandra or a shortcut by boat to Muggia. Riders then pass the Sečovlje salt pans, where sea salt is still harvested by natural evaporation, before crossing into Croatia and gently rolling country to Umag, built on the remains of a Roman colony. From walled Novigrad at the mouth of the Mirna, the route continues to Poreč and its UNESCO-listed Euphrasian Basilica.

A flexible day in Poreč offers a local ride, a day by the sea or a boat trip to the Brijuni Islands, Tito's former summer retreat, or the fjord-like Limski Channel, where dolphins are sometimes seen. The final stages lead to Rovinj, crowned by the bell tower of St Euphemia's Church, and on to Pula, Istria's oldest town, with its remarkably preserved Roman amphitheatre. Nights are in 3-star and some 4-star hotels, with luggage transferred daily.

Highlights:

• Trieste's Habsburg waterfront and the medieval Castello di San Giusto
• The Slovenian Riviera through Koper, Izola and Piran
• The Sečovlje salt pans nature park
• Poreč's UNESCO-listed Euphrasian Basilica
• Optional boat trip to the Brijuni Islands or the Limski Channel
• Rovinj's hilltop old town and Pula's Roman amphitheatre

Surface and terrain:
Mostly cycle paths along the Slovenian coast, then quiet roads through gently rolling Istrian countryside. Daily ascent ranges from 150 to 500 m, with the hilliest stages on Days 2 and 6.

**Weather: **
Istria is sunny, with a typically mild spring and autumn and hot summers along the Mediterranean coast.

Suitable for:
Leisure riders comfortable with 45 to 65 km days on gently rolling terrain. Rated Easy by the operator; minimum age 14. Suggested as an extension to FunActive's Dolomites to Trieste or Alpe Adria (Villach to Trieste) tours.