Cycling Tours in northern-europe

Cycling on Croatia

• Croatia's Istrian Peninsula: sleepy villages, bustling harbours, blazing seaside sunsets
• Roman amphitheatres, Byzantine basilicas, frescoed churches, medieval piazze
• Delicious cuisine: zesty wines, fresh seafood, fragrant truffles, home made pasta
• Coastal bike trails beneath umbrella pines - swimming opportunities every day
• Wonderful scenery: sun dappled oak forest, Brijuni Archipelago and Lim Fjord

The Istrian Peninsula at the top of the Adriatic, (just below Trieste), was Italian until 1945 when it became part of Croatia. People still speak Italian here, and it is even taught in schools - in fact, Istria is sometimes known as 'Croatia's Tuscany'. It houses a treasure trove of antiquities, including a vast Roman amphitheatre in Pula, and exquisite Baroque and Byzantine basilicas in UNESCO Rovinj and Porec.

Inland, tiny frescoed country churches and trulli style stone beehive huts called kazuna are sprinkled over oak forested countryside. Along the routes, red-roofed villages with peeling shutters soak up the sun, producing olive oil and wines among the finest in the Mediterranean.

This holiday explores Istria's west coast. The first three nights are spent on Fazana's pretty harbour, where fresh fish is landed on the dock opposite the hotel terrace. From here you can explore Pula, loop inland to Vodnjan, (Istria's ancient capital), and visit the amazing Brijuni Islands National Park offshore. You'll then spend two nights in Rovinj, a coastal hilltop town of marbled, boutique-lined alleys, before the last two nights in Porec, where yachts line a waterfront of arty bars and restaurants serving excellent seafood.

This trip is perfect for occasional cyclists who love laid back harbour-front dining, hotels of real charm, and varied cycling trails. Along the way, swimming in crystal clear seas every day is taken for granted, and electrifying sunsets are the hallmark of every evening. Dinner with wine is included on the harbour for the first three nights in Fazana; in Rovinj and Porec you can select from a broad and enticing choice of restaurants.

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