Croatia Istrian Hill Town Route

Scenic road chapters

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Pula

   Pula's Roman amphitheatre is the sixth largest in the world, and it stands right by the harbour, its limestone arches facing the sea. The Austro-Hungarian navy made it a major port in the nineteenth century, and the cranes of the shipyards still dominate the bay.

   Read the complete Pula write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Pula is where the day begins. Next is Rovinj.

2. 2. Rovinj

   Rovinj was an island once, and it still behaves like one. The old town sits on a rounded rock, a peninsula that was joined to the mainland by filling in a channel in 1763, and every street climbs steeply toward the top, where the church of Saint Euphemia stands with its tall bell tower. The tower, about sixty metres high, was modelled on St Mark's campanile in Venice, and it is topped by a copper statue of the saint that turns with the wind. From the foot of the hill, the town looks like a pile of pastel-coloured houses, red roofs and narrow lanes tumbling into the harbour.

   Read the complete Rovinj write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Rovinj comes up about 35 km into the recorded legs. Next is Motovun.

3. 3. Motovun

   Motovun rises out of the Mirna valley like a stone crown on a green hill, a walled town at about two hundred and seventy metres with a church tower on top and a ring of ramparts around it. From the road below, as you approach through the vineyards and oak woods, it looks almost too neat to be real, and you are very likely to stop for a photograph before you even reach the gate. It is one of the best known of Istria's hill towns, and for good reason.

   Read the complete Motovun write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 90 km into the recorded legs you reach Motovun. Next is Groznjan.

4. 4. Groznjan

   Grožnjan, called Grisignana in Italian, is a hill town with fewer than a thousand people, and it has been rescued from decline by an unusual idea. After the Second World War and the departure of much of the Italian population, the village was left half empty and crumbling. In the 1960s, artists were invited to take over the abandoned houses as studios, and the town became a colony of painters, sculptors and potters. A summer music school, run by Jeunesses Musicales, brings young musicians from around the world, and in July and August the narrow streets fill with the sound of violins, pianos and singing from open windows.

   Read the complete Groznjan write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Groznjan, late in the day. Next is Porec.

5. 5. Porec

   Poreč finishes the Istrian ride on the west coast, and it does it with a small old town laid out on a peninsula by the Romans. The grid of streets is still there: the Decumanus, the main street, runs straight along the spine of the old centre, and it is paved in smooth worn stone that is slippery after rain, so walk rather than ride. With about ten thousand residents, Poreč is big enough to have everything a rider needs, and since it is a top holiday destination, in high season it is also loud, crowded and slow.

   Read the complete Porec write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Finish at Porec. That is the ride.