Istria

Today’s walking tour leads you out of the seaport Trieste and through the Val Rosandra along the old railway tracks all the way to Socerb. This small town is well-known for Strmec castle, which offers a picturesque view onto the peninsula of Istria. Then onwards slightly downhill to Muggia, today’s Day Finish.

Only after a few kilometres you say good bye to Italy and hello to Slovenia. Koper or Capodistria, the only sea port in Slovenia awaits you. Spend the rest of the day in the car-free zone of the old part of town and enjoy the oppulent buildings.

Always at the sea the route leads you into the old little fishing town of Izola and then onwards to Piran. Piran is the birth place of Giuseppe Tartini, an Italian violinist and composer and the town center has a strong venetian influence. Take a stroll through the alleyways with its Venetian palaces and enjoy the flair on the square Piazza Tartini in the centre of Piran.

You walk past the salt gardens of Sečovlje, where sea salt is produced by laying it out on vast areas and let evaporation do its magic, and onwards across the border into Croatia. Then you continue through the Croatian part of Istria, the largest peninsual in the Adriatic Sea, on slightly hilly terrain to Buje. Enjoy stunning views across the vineyards and all the way to the sea.

Transfer to Grožnjan, a meeting point for all musicians worldwide. From Groznjan you walk along the old railway tracks, the ‚Parenzana’, all the way to Livade. The ‚Parenzana’ used to be a narrow-gauge railway, running from Trieste via Koper, Portoroz and Buje to Porec and was shut down in 1935. Transfer to Motovun.

Your final day on your quest to explore Istria leads you to Porec. The Euphrasius-basilica, which is part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, can be see from afar and is really worth a visit. Enjoy a nice glass of wine on one of the squares in the old part of town of Porec as a worthy end to this fascinating walking holiday.