Short break Mountain bike - Parenzana

This self-guided short break follows the Parenzana, the former narrow-gauge railway that once linked Trieste with Poreč, crossing three countries in three riding days. Trieste, capital of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and once the most important port of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, makes a convenient and characterful starting point. Arrival day allows time for its historic cafés, once frequented by writers such as Svevo, Saba and Stendhal, a stroll across the grand Piazza Unità d'Italia and a visit to Miramare Castle above the sea.

The ride begins where the trains once did, at Trieste's 1906 railway station, before crossing into Slovenia through woods and meadows and finishing with a long descent overlooking Piran, with neighbouring Portorož, the "port of roses", still graced by grand hotels from the age of monarchs. The next day heads inland past the geometric Sečovlje salt pans, now a nature park, and into Croatia's untouched Istrian hinterland, the land of red soil, to Livade or hilltop Motovun, famous for truffles and olive oil.

The final stage rides the heart of the old railway line through a string of 19th-century tunnels and viaducts, then on gravel roads past vineyards and red earth down to the Adriatic at Poreč, with its UNESCO-listed Euphrasian Basilica and pedestrian old town. The route is mostly sealed cycle path in Italy and Slovenia and partly gravel in Croatia, so a mountain bike is recommended. Nights are in selected 3 and 4-star hotels, with luggage transferred daily.

Highlights:

• Trieste's historic cafés, Piazza Unità d'Italia and Miramare Castle
• Riding the Parenzana, a former Austro-Hungarian railway line, across three countries
• Piran's Tartini Square and the Slovenian Riviera
• The Sečovlje Salina Nature Park salt pans
• Walled hilltop Motovun, known for truffles and olive oil
• Old railway tunnels and viaducts down to Poreč's UNESCO-listed Euphrasian Basilica

Surface and terrain:
Mostly sealed cycle paths on the former railway line in Italy and Slovenia, partly gravel in Croatia. Railway grades keep climbs gentle, though daily ascent reaches 550 to 650 m on the first two stages. Mountain bike recommended.

Weather:
Sub-Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and mild, wetter winters. Spring and autumn departures are typically milder for riding.

Suitable for:
Riders wanting a short, easy off-road trip on railway trails, comfortable with 35 to 65 km days. Rated Easy by the operator; minimum age 14.