Travellers’ tales: Getting the gist of Istria by gravel bike
Who: Andy McRae
Where: Italy, Slovenia & Croatia
When: September 2025
Two friends and I cycled in Istria in early September. We flew into Trieste in Italy, where Moovtrieste rented us gravel bikes. We rode from Trieste along EuroVelo 8 to Portoroz in Slovenia, and then Umag and Piraz in Croatia. Most of the route was on cycle lanes.
From Piraz we cycled along the Parenzana Trail back to Trieste, staying in Livade and Portoroz on the way back. The Parenzana Trail is off road along an old railway line. It’s easy to follow and has a decent surface, mainly gravel. Ascents and descents were gradual, but you need either a mountain bike or a gravel bike.
There were lots of cyclists on the route … We thoroughly enjoyed the trip and would recommend it Andy McRae, Cycling UK member
It winds its way through rural Croatia and Slovenia, through forested hills, vineyards, olive groves and amazing hilltop villages. There were lots of cyclists on the route, mainly on e-MTBs.
The weather was sunny and warm (25ºC). There weren’t many tourists and traffic was light. We stayed in hotels but there were plenty of places to camp.
We thoroughly enjoyed the trip and would recommend it. May or September would be a good time to go to avoid the summer heat. The sea is still warm in September.
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