KARST AND ISTRIA

The hinterland to the Slovenian coast is the Karst region. The landscape with extremely diverse vegetation, countless caves, potholes and other Karst phenomena, the unique architecture and the characteristic red soil took its name and glory into the world. Excellent wines are poured and sold in the stone houses' cellars, and in the attics the excellent pršut (air-dried ham) is cured in the bora wind. This gourmets' paradise is also a heaven for biking. Due to the mild climate and location not far from the sea, cycling is possible all year round, but it is most beautiful in spring and autumn. The Škocjan Caves, a 1,400 meters long and 150 meters deep underground canyon of the Reka, are on UNESCO's World Heritage List of natural and cultural sites.

 

We will ride to the mysterious Istria with magnificent landscapes and green hills, some topped with towns, villages or churches, and others with streams, crags, forests, marly dunes and ivy-covered old citadels. You will feel that the legends are still alive here.

The White or the Northern Istria is distinct for its rocky surface - it is the Čičarija Range and the Karst with Učka preventing the cold winds from entering the inner parts.

The name Grey Istria derives from the marl soil in Istria, also known as flysch. The layers of marl that have not been covered with grass or vegetation sometimes look like a desert. In places where the land is cultivated, with countless springs and moisture, dense vegetation thrives.

The Red Istria (named after the red soil - the terra rosa) was populated first, and there the continuity of human existence can be traced back to the pre-historic times.

When you travel through Istria, the country with stone walls, cultivated fields, vineyards and olive groves, you travel through an ancient land, rich with the past and its portents. Istria belongs to the Mediterranean for its history, monuments, landscapes, products of the soil and the Mediterranean lifestyle.

 

ITNERARY

Day 1: Arrival to the Karst (Lipica)

Day 2: KARST – Škocjan Caves
(biking 40–55 km)

Day 3: KARST – Čičarija
(biking 40–50 km)

Day 4: WHITE ISTRIA – Mt. Učka
(biking 30–40 km)

Day 5: GREY ISTRIA – Motovun
(biking 45–55 km)

Day 6: RED ISTRIA – Momjan
(biking 40–50 km)

Day 7: WEST COAST – Piran
(biking 45–55 km)

Day 8 day: Departure from Piran