Cycle The Parenzana Trail Via Italy, Slovenia & Croatia

cycling in Motovun, Croatia

Blog home / Cycle The Parenzana Trail Via Italy, Slovenia & Croatia

4

Cycle The Parenzana Trail Via Italy, Slovenia & Croatia

It's easy to think the Parenzana Trail was purpose-built for cyclists to explore the Istrian Peninsula. However, the trail is a former narrow gauge railway line that originally connected 33 Istrian towns between Porec (Croatia) and Trieste (Italy), via Slovenia. The Parenzana name is derived from Parenzo, the Italian name for Porec.

Nowadays the Parenzana Trail is a great way to explore the fascinating towns of the Istrian Peninsula by bike. You'll cycle past olive groves and vineyards on your way to the ancient Roman town of Porec on the stunning Croatian coast. Along the way there is time to appreciate the unique culture and culinary delights in each country.

You can ride the Parenzana Trail on the 5-day cycle trip or extend the itinerary with extra days in Slovenia on the 8-day itinerary.

Below are some of the highlights and attractions to be experienced while cycling the Parenzana Trail.

Highlights of the Parenzana Trail

Trieste

Once the only seaport of the Hapsburg Empire, Trieste has a lot to offer in the way of attractions such as Piazza dell'Unità d'Italia which has the widest opening to the seafront of any Italian square.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 𝐸𝓁𝑀𝓊𝓈𝓉𝒶 🦅 (@e1mus7a)

Secovlje Salt Flats

The Parenzana trail leads you along the Piran Bay through Portorož and Lucija towns to the saltworks of Secovlje. The Secovlje salt flats are the northernmost salt flats of the Mediterranean. The salt is produced in the traditional way, based on a 700 year old method that harmonizes man and nature, and you can stop to visit the museum.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Branko Furlanič (@brankofurlanicphoto)

The variety of scenery, activities and nature of the Parenzana Trail made this our best cycle tour to date. T. Whelan, New Zealand

Livade

Livade is known as the truffle centre of Istria. If you're a truffle aficionado you may want to visit in October, which is when Livade holds its month-long truffle festival. The fair offers a wide range of white and black truffles found directly in their natural habitat, the forest. Esteemed chefs turn this precious tuber into superb dishes that capture the attention of gourmets with their specific intoxicating taste.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by byrOsAliEseit2011 (@shabbyvintageantikkitzingen)

The Wine Railway

Passing through magnificent rolling landscapes and lively Istrian vineyards, it will become obvious why the Parenzana Trail was also known as the Wine Railway. After passing through several tunnels and over old bridges, you can stop and admire the fascinating viewpoints between the medieval towns of Buje, Grožnjan and Motovun. Grožnjan is an interesting artist town, where you can stop and stroll through its galleries.

Hotel used on Parenzana Cycle Trail from Italy to Slovenia and Croatia

Motovun

Motovun is one of Istria's most charming medieval hilltop towns. Its Romanesque-Gothic bell tower with a crenulated crown from the 13th century, stands next to the Parish Church of St Stephen, dating from the 17th century, and dominates the town's historic core. In the central square is the Romanesque Municipal Palace, the largest secular building in Istria of that period surrounded by many other historic buildings.

Porec

Porec is a town full of culture and history. Riding through the old city centre you will find the Roman Forum, magnificent palaces from different historical periods, and to top it all, the famous Euphrasian Basilica (Euphrasiana).

You can ride the Parenzana Trail on the 5-day cycle trip or extend the itinerary with extra days in Slovenia on the 8-day itinerary.

Do you want to cycle the Parenzana Trail? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Parenzana Trail, Parenzana Rail Trail, Parenzana Cycle Trail, Italy Cycling, Slovenia Cycling, Croatia Cycling

Comments (4)

bob m

Looks awesome. I'm a keen cyclist, visiting cousins in Trieste in Apr 2025 and this appears a perfect way to make a 1st visit to my fathers birthplace, Parenzo (1910). Look forward to planning.

5 months ago

William from UTracks

It is awesome! Happy to help if planning this wonderful trip. Enjoy!

5 months ago

Roslyn Bono

We are 4 oldies who love the BVRT, KKRT and have just returned from a weeks cycling through the vineyards of South Australia so this rail trail looks so exciting and doable. The Paranzana is on the list! Thanks for sourcing this trail!

2 years ago

William from UTracks

Hi Roslyn,
It's great to hear you are ticking off so many rail trails! We look forward to hearing about how the Parenzana Rail Trail compares to the Australian bike routes.
Cheers,
William.