Tour information
This hike takes you along the European Long Distance Trail E12. It was developed as the last within the European network of hiking trails and is designed to connect the European coast of the Mediterranean Sea from Spain to Greece. Istria – this sunny peninsula in the Mediterranean is characterised above all by picturesque little fishing villages, small towns on the karstic hills, vineyards and valleys. Let yourself be surprised by the charm of the contrasting landscapes and the many colours of Istria.
The hiking tour in Istria is slightly hilly. It is also a good follow-up tour to the hiking tour “Alpe-Adria – From Cividale to Trieste”. The hiking tour is suitable for children from 14 years of age.
Included and Not Included Services
Overnight stay in hotels of the chosen category
Breakfast buffet or extended breakfast
Videobriefing
Luggage transfer from hotel to hotel
Ferry ticket from Trieste to Muggia
Transfers according to programme
Well-prepared itinerary
Detailed travel documents (route maps, route description, sights, important telephone numbers)
Telephone service hotline for the duration of the walking tour
Navigation app
Arrival at the starting point of the tour
Return journey at the end of the tour
Short cut bus rides
Drinks, tourist tax and all extras
Lunch, dinner
Entrance fees not mentioned
Travel insurance
Everything not explicitly mentioned under the point "Included services".
Route highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Trieste
Arrival in Trieste. Individual arrival at the hotel in Trieste.
Day 2: Trieste- Muggia- Koper
(Ascent approx. 250 hm, descent approx. 220 hm / approx. 5 hrs.)
In the morning you take the ferry from Trieste to Muggia. The stage begins in Muggia, the only Istrian town in Italy. You walk inland from the sea. After crossing the border with Slovenia, you have a beautiful view of the Muggia valley and the Julian Alps. You descend gently along the Slovenian Alpine Trail. Here the landscape opens up above the Gulf of Koper amidst wooded areas and vineyards. Part of the way you walk on the Parenzana, the former Istrian narrow-gauge railway that connected Trieste and Poreč until 1935. End the day in the car-free old town of Koper with all its magnificent buildings. It is possible to shorten the route by bus (ticket not included).
Day 3: Koper - Piran/Portoroz
(Ascent approx. 200 m, descent approx. 180 m / approx. 4-5 hrs.)
You leave Koper and hike along the sea to the old fishing town of Izola and on to Piran/Portoroz, your destination for today. You will hike through the beautiful Strunjan National Park. Piran is the birthplace of Giuseppe Tartini, an Italian violinist and composer, and its centre is strongly marked by Venetian influences. Stroll through the alleys with their Venetian palaces, or enjoy the flair in the Piazza Tartini in the centre of Piran. Portorož and Piran are surrounded on both sides by salt flats. It is precisely the preciousness of the famous salt that picturesque Piran owes its medieval boom. In fashionable Portorož, salt is an important part of the wellness offer. It is possible to shorten the route from Koper to Izola by bus (ticket not included).
Day 4: Piran/ Portoroz - Buje
(Ascent approx. 150 hm, descent approx. 100 hm / approx. 4.5 hrs.)
In the morning you take a public bus to the starting point of the stage (ticket not included).You leave Portoroz and thus also the coast. You cross the border into Croatia and hike through the inland to Buje. In Buje and the surrounding area the soil is particularly fertile. 23 of Croatia's best-known winegrowers cultivate their wines in this area. Wine roads lead you through the vineyards and olive groves around the small town. In the evening, the well-known wine cellars and restaurants invite you to enjoy the delicacies of Istrian cuisine.
Day 5: Buje - Brtonigla
(Ascent approx. 280 hm, descent approx. 340 hm / approx. 4 hrs.)
Starting from Buje you hike amidst green fields, olive groves and vineyards to Brtonigla. Brtonigla combines the typical rural Istrian cuisine with Mediterranean sea cuisine. Worth seeing here are sacral buildings such as the parish church of St. Zenon. Also worth a visit is the Mramornica cave.
Day 6: Brtonigla - Kastelir - Tar
(ascent approx. 300 hm, descent approx. 200 hm / approx. 4.5 hrs.)
You hike through the Skarline Nature Park. The park is named after the stream Škarlina, which rises nearby. North of Kastelir, above the valley of the Mirna River, are the ruins of the medieval settlement of Nigrinjana, now Gradina. The Via Flavia, a military road that once went through Trst, the Mirna valley and Porec to Pula, passed through Kastelir. The village of Kastelir is surrounded by Mediterranean plants, olive trees, vineyards and fields. The surrounding forests are rich in mushrooms and wild asparagus. From Kastelir you take a transfer to Tar.
Day 7: Tar - Porec
(ascent approx. 10 hm, descent approx. 110 hm / approx. 4 hrs.)
The last day of your discovery tour in Istria takes you to Porec. Most of your hike runs along the coast. Even from a distance you will see the Euphrasius Basilica, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and should definitely be visited. End your hiking tour with a good glass of wine on one of the squares in the old town of Porec.
DAY 8: Departure
Individual departure or possibility of extension.
Prices and dates
| category A | ||
|---|---|---|
| Package | view calendar | |
| category B | ||
|---|---|---|
| Package | view calendar | |
It is recommended to purchase an optional travel cancellation policy. Prices valid subject to changes in the offer, omissions, printing errors or arithmetic.
| Kat. A: Price per night in double room with breakfast | Trieste | 89 € | |
| Kat. A: Price per night in double room with breakfast | Poreč | 89 € | |
It is recommended to purchase an optional travel cancellation policy. Prices valid subject to changes in the offer, omissions, printing errors or arithmetic.
| Return transfer per person | 45 € | |
It is recommended to purchase an optional travel cancellation policy. Prices valid subject to changes in the offer, omissions, printing errors or arithmetic.
Price schedule
General information
By car: via the Tauern motorway to Villach and via the Arnoldstein border crossing to Udine and on to Trieste.
By train: via Salzburg and Villach to Trieste (Trieste centrale). Timetables at: www.deutschebahn. de, www.oebb.at, www.trenitalia.com.
By plane: Low cost flights to Ronchi dei Legionari or Pula airport.
Good connections by bus (airport shuttle) from Ronchi dei Legionari airport to Trieste.
Category A:Selected hotels of the 4**** category.
Category B: Selected B&B and hotels of the 3*** category
Attention: Tourist tax, if due, to be paid on spot.
Depending on the start hotel, parking facilities are available (reservation not possible.
Every Saturday return transfer by shuttle bus from Porec to Trieste at a price of € 45.00 per person - pre-booking required, payment in advance when booking.
Alternative: good bus connections from Porec to Trieste.
We suggest travel insurance.
Tour information
- Duration 8 days
- Minimum age from 14 years old
- Difficulty Level Easy
- Distance 79 - 99 km