Adria: 3 countries tour Venice – Istria

Crystal clear and yet so beautiful.

This bike tour will inspire you. The round trip leads from St. Mark's Basilica in Venice from one seaside resort to the other, including rewarding trip through the quiet hinterland and the famous Aquileia with its interesting excavations and to Trieste in the east of Italy. In Slovenia you cycle on a wonderful bike trail which used to be a railway line and in Croatia (Istria) you experience first hand the varied coastline. Discover the isolated bays and worth seeing towns like Umag and Porec with the Euphrasian basilica, which was included by UNESCO in the World Heritage Site. The return trip to Venice by ship is the crowning final of the bike week.

1. day Venice-Mestre arrival

Arrive early, because you can quickly reach the center of Venice from the bus stop near the hotel or by train. The "Serenissima" with all its magnificent buildings invites you to a first visit. The canals are so tempting - waterways that have remained mysterious to this day, the Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica, which formed the secular and spiritual center of Venice, as well as the Rialto Bridge and gondoliers.

2. day Venice - Jesolo/ Caorle 35 km / 80 km

Take your time for Venice, because your destination for the day can be reached quickly and easily. You cycle the first kilometers of your beauful bicycle tour into the lagoon city before you leave the city "through the back exit" and ferry. From Punta Sabbioni, make a short detour to the lighthouse at the extreme end of the narrow headland and once again enjoy a wonderful view of Venice. You cycle wonderfully flat from one seaside resort to the next, past numerous fishing boats, souvenir stands and promising cafes or through the hinterland along the Sile river (long variant) in the direction of Jesolo. Overnight in Jesolo or Caorle.

3. day Jesolo/ Caorle - Concordia Sagittaria/ Portogruaro 30 - 35 km

Today you follow the wide shallow coast, enjoy a refreshing swim in the sea, admiring the colorful fishermen's cottages and let yourself be tempted by a café in the historic center of Caorle. Now there is a change of direction and scenery. You roll flat and relaxed inland towards the Julian Alps. Look forward to Portogruaro, which was during the heyday of the Venetian Republic a major river port of Venice. Take a walk and discover the ancient splendor of the many magnificent buildings and palaces of the city.

4. day Concordia Sagittaria/ Portogruaro - Grado/ Aquileia, 65 km (+ boat); 45 km (+ boat and train); 65 km or 85 km

There is also a lot to discover beyond the beaches on the Adriatic Sea: Roman ruined cities, ancient churches and lonely landscapes on the edge of the lagoon. From Marano Lagunare you go by ship to just before Aquileia, once a great city of the Roman Empire. Excavations of the Roman city can be viewed in the open-air site and in two museums. Alternatively, you can shorten the route by taking the first stretch to Latisana by train. Or you can cycle the entire route and cover approx. 85 km.

5. day Grado/ Aquileia - Triest 40 km + train or 80 km

The varied landscape awaits you today. You cycle through barren rocky landscape crisscrossed by caves, before coming back to the sea and a coastline of outstanding beauty. There, where the Karst plateau dips into the deep blue water and the white cliffs rise vertically from the sea to the sky, you follow the coast road through small towns like Duino, Sistiana and Miramare. Take a break and visit the Miramare Castle.

Now there are only a few cycle-kilometers to the interesting town of Trieste that is easily reached on the beautiful beach promenade. Stroll through the Piazza dell'Unita, along the Grand Canal and visit the Serbian Orthodox Church San Spiridone and the historic Cafe San Marco. At the evening you can enjoy on of the fantastic italian restaurants in the old town of Trieste.

6. day Triest - Piran/ Portoroz, 35 km + boat (not included) or 65 km

You cycle only a few more kilometers in Italy, then you follow the beautiful coast in Slovenia, mainly on well-developed paved cycle paths. Discover well-known seaside resorts such as Koper, Izola, Piran and Portoroz, the charming spa town on the Slovenian Riviera. If you don't shy away from the hills, you can cycle the longer variant through the hinterland in the "Val Rosandra".

7. day Piran/ Portoroz - Porec, 70 km

Today, you can discover the salt marshes of Secovlje, where sea salt is produced on vast areas through natural evaporation. Then, you will then cycle across the border into Croatia. Enjoy the Croatian part of Istria. Varied you cycle up and down to Porec. Visit the pretty seaside town, and definitely discover the Euphrasian basilica, which was included by UNESCO in the World Heritage Site.

8. day Porec departure

The trip ends after breakfast at the hotel in Porec. If you want to go back to Venice, we recommend taking the boat back from Porec to Venice. Departure (every Wednesday and Saturday) is from Porec between 7 and 8 am and arrival in Venice around 10:45 am. A reservation for this boat trip is necessary and we will be happy to do it for you if you indicate this request when booking the trip. Depending on the date, the ferry price is 65 - 85 euros (depending on the season) plus 10 euros if you take your own bike with you (limited occupancy, max. 4 bikes).

Return transfer by boat

If you want to go back to Venice by boat, please send us the following details with your booking: 

• Offical document (passport or ID)
• Document number
• Validity date
• Date of birth
• Nationality

Worth knowing

Below you will find specific information about the bike trip Venice - Istria. If you have further questions about this trip, you simply call us: Phone: 0049 – (0)6421 – 886890.

Arrival by plane

You can arrive at airport Treviso, Ronchi dei Legionari (Trieste) or Venice Marco Polo. Here you will find shuttle buses to Venice/Mestre.

Arrival by train

You can also take the train to the main station Mestre and further on a taxi or a bus to the first hotel. Current timetable information and pricing information can be found at:

Train schedule information Deutsche Bahn

Train schedule information ÖBB

Train schedule information Trenitalia

Parking facilities at the starting hotel

In the starting hotel, there will either be parking facilities in the hotel's own outdoor parking spaces or a hotel garage. However, these are usually chargeable (approx. EUR 30 to 50 per week), cannot be reserved in advance and are payable on site. You will find more detailed information in the travel documents.

Condition of cycle paths

The route runs 27% on bike paths and 70% on beautiful, little-traveled back roads. Only about 3% is on roads with more traffic (mostly city entrances). The paths are flat until shortly before Trieste, then it continues hilly to Porec. Before Trieste there is an approx. 4 km long ascent (which can be bypassed by train) and on the last day an approx. 3 km long ascent has to be mastered.

Available rental bikes

We provide 21-speed gear shift women's and men's bikes with freewheel. Electric bikes are also available (unisex, 500 watt battery, up to 100 km sufficient). The rental bikes are equipped with a waterproof saddlebag, a handlebar bag and a speedometer.

Return transfer to the starting point

Return transfer by boat from Poreč to Venice every Wednesday and Saturday according to the timetable. Departure from Poreč around 07.00-08.00 and arrival in Venice around 10.45 (depending on departure time in Porec).

Price per person from Porec: approx. 65.00 - approx. 85.00 € (depending on the season). Price for transporting your own bike: approx. €10.00 (limited transport, max. 4 bikes).

We would like to point out that the return trip from Venice port to the start hotel with your own wheels is difficult. Transfer option from the port in Venice to the start hotel: There are several public taxis available, price approx. 45.00 - 55.00 €. The transfer can be booked at the pre-tour information session. Payable directly to the driver at the Port of Venice Terminal San Basilio. Transfer from Porec to Trieste possible by public transport.

For the return transfer from Porec to Venice, if the ship does not sail, we offer a transfer in a minibus for €89.00 (+€29.00 per own bike if you arrive with your own bike) per person (min. 4 people)

Extra costs that are not included in the tour price

The ferry from Venice to Punta Sabbioni is not included in the tour price (costs approx. EUR 15 per person). The train journeys (if they are used) are not included in the travel price. Any tourism tax that may be incurred is not part of the tour price and must therefore be paid on site at the hotel.

7 days hotline service

Just in case the bike chain breaks, flooding makes it impossible to continue your tour or any other nasty surprise: You can reach us seven days a week and we will do anything to help you as fast as possible

Passport and visa requirements, health regulations

For EU citizens, there are no special passport or visa requirements and no health formalities to be considered for this trip.

Corona travel information:
Before booking your trip, please inform yourself about the measures in place to contain the Corona pandemic.

An up-to-date overview of applicable measures and travel and safety advice regarding Covid-19 for all countries in the EU and Switzerland can be found here:
https://reopen.europa.eu/en/

You can also find more information on our website at:
Corona virus and holiday planning

Travel insurance

The tour price already includes the statutory insolvency insurance. In addition, we recommend that you take out travel cancellation insurance upon receipt of your travel confirmation in order to protect yourself against financial disadvantages in the event of travel cancellation, interruption of travel, illness or accident.

St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco)

St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco) is Venice on parade, where everyone comes to see and be seen. It is Venice's only square with the title of "piazza" - the rest are called "campo." Life has revolved around this piazza since the days of the Republic, when it was a market as well as the center of civic and religious life. Considered one of the finest squares in the world and certainly Venice's prime attraction, it is surrounded on three sides by the stately arcades of public buildings and on the fourth, by Basilica di San Marco's riot of domes and arches and the soaring St. Mark's campanile. The lines waiting to enter the basilica, which is by far the most popular attraction in Venice, may seem intimidating, but you can skip these by joining a tour. No obstruction mars the vast stone-paved expanse of St. Mark's Square, where the only traffic is Venetians, tourists, and the ever-present pigeons.

St. Mark's Square

Doge’s Palace

A masterpiece of Gothic architecture, the Doge’s Palace is an impressive structure composed of layers of building elements and ornamentation, from its 14th and 15th century original foundations to the significant Renaissance and opulent Mannerist adjunctions. The structure is made up of three large blocks, incorporating previous constructions. The wing towards the St. Mark’s Basin is the oldest, rebuilt from 1340 onwards. The wing towards St. Mark’s Square was built in its present form from 1424 onwards. The canal-side wing, housing the Doge’s apartments and many government offices, dates from the Renaissance and was built between 1483 and 1565.

Doge’s Palace

Murano

Murano is rich in history and much of it is to do with the glass industry. Find out how glassmaking came to the island, its ups and downs and some stories about the foundries over the centuries.

Murano

Aquileia

Aquileia features an extremely important archaeological area, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Colonized in 181 B.C. in "agro gallorum", Aquileia was born as a bridgehead for the Roman conquest of the Danube areas and with the aim of defending the eastern borders to enhance the already flourishing trade between the eastern Mediterranean basin and the transalpine countries.
The excavations have brought to light the remains of the Roman forum and of a basilica, of the burial ground, of mosaic floors and house foundations (Cal and ex Cossar estates), of statues of the Via Sacra (Sacred Road), of the markets, of walls, of the river port, of a large mausoleum and much more.

Aquileia

Miramare Castle

Miramare Castle is surrounded by a flourishing park full of precious botanic species, and has a charming panoramic view, given its location on a cliff high above the sea. It stands on the peak of the rocky promontory of Grignano in the Gulf of Trieste, and is about 10 km from the city itself. Commissioned in the second half of the 19th century by the Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian of Hapsburg as a residence for himself and his wife, Charlotte of Belgium, the castle offers today's visitors an example of a luxurious aristocratic residence which has preserved its original furnishings.

Miramare Castle

Trieste

Blending into the smoky stone edifice of Caffè Stella Polare, a tiny plaque, barely 3 inches across, announces that this is a caffè filosofico, a salon of sorts for philosophical debate. Next to it, another sign marks the popular lunch spot as a stop on the literary “Italo Svevo Itinerary,” for devotees of that titan of Italian modernism. Sharing the wall, a portrait of James Joyce is accompanied by a quote from the writer: “I came here habitually.”

Trieste

Trieste

Trieste

Piran

Piran

Porec

The peninsula on which the Poreč's rich old city developed and was preserved has been inhabited for thousands of years and is today often called a cultural landmark.  The historical centre, once encircled by walls and towers is today conserved in valuable remains.
By strolling through the city seek out the Northern Tower along Peškera Cove and continue southwards towards the Five-Starred Tower at the entrance to Decumanus Street and the Circular Tower with a view of the waterfront.  Inside the former city walls you can visit the cathedral complex of the Euphrasiana, the House of Two Saints and the Romanic House while you can seek out evidence of life during ancient times near the oldest square, Marafor.  You see, Poreč is proud to be home to the largest Roman shrine in Istria, the Mart Temple, to the north of which are the remains of the Temple of Neptune.

Porec

Porec Euphrasius basilica

The group of religious monuments in Porec, where Christianity was established as early as the 4th century, constitutes the most complete surviving complex of its type. The basilica, atrium, baptistery and episcopal palace are outstanding examples of religious architecture, while the basilica itself combines classical and Byzantine elements in an exceptional manner.

Porec Euphrasius basilica