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ISTRIAN REALITY
Experience the Istrian reality
HIGHLIGHTS
- 7 days in Istria
- 6 nights with breakfast in accommodation 3/4*
- Service of a local cycling guide (5 days)
- Pasta making workshop
- Workshop “work in the countryside”
- Wine and olive oil tasting
- Tour of “Park Kažuna”
- Organization
7 Days of Cycling in Istria
Istrian architecture, tradition, rural work, olive oil and wine, local legends, getting to know wild herbs, pasta-making workshops…
Experience the Istrian reality!
Theme: Through this e-bike tour, guests will have the opportunity to explore the tradition of the Istrian peninsula. From old crafts to field work, firsthand experience over the first two days will introduce them to the charms of rural life. On the third day, they will take part in pasta making at a family farm, followed by a day enjoying a tour with visits to family wineries and olive oil producers. The fifth day will be spent in nature accompanied by an experienced herbalist who will acquaint them with the features and types of plants in our region. The final day of the tour represents a synergy of all elements through a rural feast and the narration of local legends and stories.
Location: Smaller Istrian towns (Sopot, Gračišće, Motovun, Grožnjan, Oprtalj, Barban)
Main features: Rental of high-quality electric bicycles and additional equipment, accommodation organization, service of a local cycling guide, pasta-making workshop, “life in the countryside” workshop, wine and oil tasting with a picnic, medicinal herbs workshop, organization of costumed entertainment with music, program organization and implementation.
Program duration: 7 days
Type of transportation: MTB bike / Electric bike (optional)
Minimum number of guests: 2
Discover the secrets of a vanishing craft and explore picturesque, somewhat forgotten villages in the Istrian hinterland. If practice is the best path to knowledge, try your hand at seasonal tasks around the gems of Istrian land: vineyards and olive groves. Find respite for tired hands in the warmth of an Istrian tavern by crafting and tasting pasta, and continue your gourmet journey by getting to know the enchanting landscapes of Istria, whose hidden corners of nature will captivate you with tranquility and untouched beauty. In a unique ambiance, immerse yourself in local stories and legends with a sip of exquisite wine and the flavors of homemade cuisine.
What is included?
• 6 nights with breakfast in 3/4* accommodation (hotels, guesthouses, family farms)
• Food and beverage service according to the program: 4 x Istrian lunch during the tour, 1 x picnic on a rural estate
• Rental of quality mountain bike/trekking bike (5 days)
• Pasta-making workshop, visit to a family farm for “life in the countryside” experience, wine and oil tasting, visit to a truffle farming family farm, tour of the Park of Kažuni
• Visits and entrance tickets: Witch Mare Museum and Morosini Grimani Castle in Savičenta
• Local cycling guide service (5 days)
• Transfers according to the program
• Luggage transport
• Program organization and implementation, including VAT
Exstras
• Supplement for electric bike
Additional possibilities
- room for one
- transfers
- higher accommodation category
- e-bike
Cycling profile:
Daily distance in km:
Day 2: 40-45 km /cca 25 miles
Day 3: 30-35 km /cca 22 miles
Day 4: 40 km /cca 25 miles
Day 5: 35 km /cca 22 miles
Day 6: 40 km /cca 25 miles
Total distance: 185-195 km
Napomena: Ovaj itinerar je vlasništvo Maremonti Istra d.o.o.
Day 1: Pula
Arrival. Accommodation at a hotel/guesthouse in Pula. Free time for independent exploration of the area.
Day 2: Pula – Marčana – Vodnjan (Istrian Architecture, Rural Work, and Olive Oil), 40-45 km
Breakfast, introduction to the guide and equipment. An experienced cycling guide will lead you through the small, typical Istrian villages of the less-explored inland region: Valtura, Nezakcij, Marčana, Barban… Cycling along paths and lesser-traveled roads, you will witness Istrian architecture: old stone houses, “kažuni” (traditional stone huts), and dry stone walls. You will have the opportunity to see the manual techniques used in constructing stone walls and “kažuni” both in the past and present.
At the family farm, we will spend time getting to know the typical tasks of rural Istrian residents and participate in their work. Depending on the season, you will have the opportunity to learn from local farmers how to cultivate grapevines, prune olive trees, properly water vegetables, plant herbs, harvest fruits, feed domestic animals… We will taste olive oil straight from the olive grove we will visit. This will be followed by a picnic with homemade products prepared by our hosts.
We continue our bike ride towards Vodnjan, where we will visit the “Kažun” Park and see one of the most important symbols of Istrian architecture, a “kažun” in various stages of construction.
Arrival at the accommodation. Free afternoon for an individual stroll through the town full of surprises (the tallest church tower in Istria, old streets, colorful palace, a collection of relics and fully preserved saints’ bodies, numerous murals, and small churches). Overnight stay in the Vodnjan area.
Day 3: Vodnjan – Savičenta (local legends) – Medieval towns of Žminj 30-35 km.
After breakfast, we set off on bicycles through the Istrian countryside to the picturesque medieval town of Svetvinčenat, locally known as Savičenta. Here, we will become acquainted with one of the local legends, “The Witch Mare,” interpreted using contemporary technologies such as 3D mapping, virtual, and augmented reality.
In the medieval castle of Morosini-Grimani, we will sample local delicacies of the region along with a glass of Istrian craft beer produced right in Savičenta. After a break to refresh our bodies and souls, we are ready to continue our bike ride to Žminj, one of the significant intersections of Istrian roads in the past. It is also renowned as the first Istrian town to embrace another Istrian gastronomic tradition – coffee! We proceed to our accommodation. Overnight stay in the Žminj area.
Day 4: Žminj, getting acquainted with the local wild herbs – Fažana, 40 km.
After breakfast, we start cycling to our first daily destination – a family farm specializing in lavender cultivation. A guided tour of the lavender fields awaits us. Here, we will get to know what a typical day looks like for an Istrian farming family. We will also have the opportunity to taste various dishes enriched with a touch of lavender; pasta combined with local Istrian ingredients, all the way to homemade bread and traditional cakes.
From the Istrian interior, we set off on bicycles towards the coast. Along our route, we will witness the natural beauties of the peninsula, old and new buildings, until we catch sight of the azure blue of the stunning Adriatic Sea. We will take a break in Fažana, once a small fishing village, now a well-known tourist destination. Overnight stay.
Day 5: Kršan – Sopot – Gračišće (Pasta Making Workshop and Wine), 35 km.
After breakfast, transfer to Kršan near Labin. We continue our bike ride to the village of Sopot, where we will take part in a workshop on making traditional Istrian pasta. A stroll to a small picturesque Istrian waterfall follows. We then enjoy a homemade lunch in which we will participate in the preparation. We continue cycling towards Pićan and then to Gračišće, a medieval settlement that also marks the end of our bike ride today. We will visit a local winery, where we will taste local wines, get acquainted with local grape varieties, and sample homemade products from local agriculture. Accommodation and overnight stay in the vicinity.
Day 6: Buje – Grožnjan – Motovun (“Istrian Reality”), 40 km.
For the end of our Istrian adventure, a magical fusion of all senses awaits us. After breakfast, we’ll be transferred to the town of Buje in the northern part of the Istrian peninsula. We begin our bike ride along one of the most famous routes of the peninsula, the Parenzana. Parenzana was once a narrow-gauge railway built in the early 20th century and used until 1935, connecting Trieste through the Slovenian coast to Poreč. Today, it is a popular cycling and walking destination that links historical sites. Along the route, we will pass through unique places such as medieval towns: Grožnjan, also known as the town of artists, Oprtalj, and the truffle center of Istria, Livade. We will ride our bicycles over old railway bridges and through tunnels to our destination, Motovun.
We will have lunch at a local tavern, enjoying the company of locals who will keep us company for the last time on our adventure called “Istrian Reality”. And so, with gastronomic delights, local stories, and legends, our journey comes to an end. Overnight stay in Motovun.
Day 7.
Breakfast. End of the program.
Departure from accommodation in Pula.
Payment Methods
The standard payment term is a deposit payment of 30% through Pay Pall, bank transfer or credit card (offline payment by MasterCard or visa)
The remaining balance should be settled 30 days prior the departure date through bank transfer or credit card (offline payment by MasterCard or visa).
Payment by bank transfer:
Beneficiary: Maremonti Istra d.o.o., 52100 Pula – Croatia
Bank: Raiffeisenbank Austria, Petrinjska 59, Zagreb, Croatia
IBAN: HR2224840081102426002
SWIFT: RZBHHR2X
Conversion Statement
All payments will be effected in currency Euro. When charging your credit card, the same amount is converted into your local currency according to the exchange rate of credit card associations. As a result of this conversion there is a possibility of a slight difference from the original price stated in our web site.
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