Cycling through Istria, Croatia

Cycle an undiscovered corner of Europe Challenging riding amongst some of the best of Croatia's scenery Admire the picturesque red tiled roofs of the Istrian coastal towns

Group climbing ascent in Gorski Kotar mountains, Croatia

This trip was designed and is led by former Olympian and 15 time Yugoslav national cycling champion, Vlado Fumic. Having trained on the roads of Croatia during his professional career as a cyclist he dreamed of setting this trip up for others to enjoy the winding country roads of his homeland.

The peaceful peninsula of Istria was historically part of the Venetian Empire. It is a land of diverse scenery with rolling hills, pine forests, wheat fields, vineyards, olive groves and of course a sparkling azure coastline.

Our challenging route makes the most of this lush region as we cover long distances each day, winding our way between dramatic hilltop communities.

Cycling along the coast itself we hop across to the beautiful islands of Cres, with its rare bird species and magical town of Beli and then onto Krk, the closest island to Central Europe. This trip is all about the riding, with full days in saddle.

With the wind in your hair and the scenery to soak in as you go you will relish every challenging climb and admire every view that you are rewarded with at the top.

Episodes article about the leader on this tour ...

Charlotte Taylor, Exodus Cycling Product Executive writes about Vlado Fumic who switched from Olympic Athlete to Tour Leader in Croatia (April 2012).

What makes this trip responsible?

We use local leaders who are committed to responsible tourism and helping to preserve the way of life in their area. Our leaders have recently taken part in our leader training which also highlights the importance of operating our tours in a responsible way. Our local operator uses small family run hotels and restaurants which are all staffed locally and the produce used is sourced from local markets and farms. The hotel and restaurant staff are always very welcoming and provide an excellent opportunity for you to learn more about the local culture, customs and cuisine.

Itinerary

[detailed itinerary...]

Countries visited: Croatia

Day 1

Fly to Zagreb; transfer to Gorica Lipnicka village, 20km from Karlovac.

Day 2

Cycle west from Gorica Lipnicka to Delnice in the heart of the impressive Gorski Kotar area.

Day 3

We continue our ride towards magical Istria, passing through the Risnjak National Park and Ucka Nature Park to reach Motovun.

Day 4

A magical ride along the Istrian Peninsula and its beautiful interior to Rovinj on the western coast. En route we pass a number of impressive mediaeval fortified towns situated on the top of the surrounding green hills, then end the day with a refreshing

Day 5

Today continue down the Istrian coast to Pula and take a short break to visit the Roman ampitheatre. We then catch the ferry to the island of Cres and cycle to the beautiful town of Beli.

Day 6

Today we island hop (on our bikes!) from Cres to the lovely island of Krk, then back to the mainland. Our riding will culminate in a long climb up to the hill top village of Fuzine, this climb is steep (18%) in places but the satisfaction when you reach t

Day 7

Our final day of cycling takes us back to Gorica Lipnicka village where we began our ride.

Day 8

Transfer to Zagreb airport; fly to London.

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