Cycling in Croatia – Read about the best trails in Istria

Istria. This time we packed ourselves for 7 days and headed to the northern part of Croatia. A country that loves sport. Even though people don’t go crazy about cycling, it has landscapes that seem to be made for it.

Cycling is more of a way of transport here. A way to commute or simply a symbol of status. The proof that you belong to a gang like this young crew.

Everyone is happy and thankful now. Due to the new highway, it’s much easier to attract tourists, and make a the business flow. We already knew Croatia from our previous holidays we’ve had here, but just as tourists. When you come as a rider, you start seeing it in different light.

Once you turn the engine off, you drop the main roads and start pedaling, it’s starting to reveal itself to you.

The countryside is full of what we, cyclists, love so much. Steep hills that rule the game. We had a surprise like that in a Paladini village. A painful 2km climb, gravel on the road. Those are the moments when you realize that the only way to go is up.

But the destination was clear this time. The first KOM challenge was ready for us above the Lake Butoniga - artificial lake, the source of water for locals, but source of motivation and relentless energy for us. The view from the top of the climb worth every drop of sweat.

Longer days are awesome, but longer rides are difficult after the months of winter. We needed a break, so we decide to take it in the first next town. Vrsar town was the lucky winner. Here, when we #stoppedpedaling, we could enjoy the moment, the city and got to know the cuisine. At some point, it even felt like we we could stop the time.

If you find yourself in the region, we recommend to visit Porec, one of the biggest and most important cities of the region, it was also the place where we made the first basecamp in. It’s easy to get up to the mountains, and the sea coast is right there to enjoy the chilly day off.

The best cuisine experience is also from Porec, and Artha is the name of the restaurant. They serve vegetarian meals, but carnivores can find their amazing dishes there also. It is for sure a must-thing to do, when you are in town.

This is that type of country where you don’t feel like a foreigner. Maybe you don't understand the language, but the people understand you. The nature can serve you as a sportsman, but also as an explorer.

This place is amazing. We were surprised to see that you can fully enjoy Istria as a pro cyclist but also as a hobby rider. Here you can your have hard training and also easy rides with breaks and take home some amazing photos of your trip. We’ll definitely come back soon.