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The Romans are the ones to blame for discovering this Italian flavored paradise as a holiday spot 2,000 years ago. Once part of the Venetian Republic, Croatia's Istrian Peninsula is a hospitable heart-shaped region east of the Adriatic and simply brimming over with physical beauty, character and charm. This part of Croatia is one part bucolic hill towns that feature culinary delights as well as sweeping views of hillsides bursting with vineyards and lined with olive groves and one part lazy coastal towns dotted along the shimmering blue sea and boasting unique art treasures.
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• Breathtaking views from the islands of Cres & Losinj
• Guided visit of Pula's Roman amphitheatre
• Visit to the Brijuni National Park
• Sampling local Italian influenced cuisine, including fuzi pasta, wild mushrooms and truffles, plus excellent local teran wine
• Brilliant Byzantine mosaics in the UNESCO-site of the Basilica of Euphrasius in Porec
• Gourmet dinner at Toklarija, a refurbished olive mill
• Experienced Bike Riders' guide, Dawn Saucier
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Day 1 Kvarner Gulf & Losinj
After meeting in the port town of Trieste, we are transferred by boat to the magnificent island of Losinj. Our, cozy family-run inn is a renovated villa built during the time of the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy and sits on the pristine Suncala Bay shaded by a deep green pine forest. After we settle into our inn, we bike along Losinj's coast, touching on clear bays and delightful harbors. Our welcome dinner features island favorites including tuna carpaccio, calamari and amazingly fresh grilled sea bass.
• One night at Villa Favorita, an exclusive 4 star inn
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Day 2 & 3 Cres and Pula
Today we tour the dazzling island of Cres where we bike up the island's spine through goat and sheep trails, along roads lined with stone walls and through spectacular coastal scenery. Stop in Cres Town, the attractive Venetian-accented village and capital of the island. Explore the town's winding maze of lanes, Renaissance palaces and characteristic pastel houses or bike the rugged coastline to Porozina where we'll take the ferry to the Istrian mainland and Pula, the southeastern tip. Be indulged by a gourmet dinner at our inn's chic restaurant, one of the finest in Croatia.
• Two nights at Valsabbion, a stylish boutique hotel just outside of Pula on the Marina Veruda
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Day 4 Brijuni National Park & Rovinj
We bike north up the coast to Fasana, our departure point for the lush and exotic Brijuni National Park. Our guided tour of this island, once the residence of Yugoslavian dictator Josip Tito and past host to political heads of state and celebrities, is home to a unique safari park and Tito's previous official residence and summer retreat, the Bijela Vila (White Villa). Our day finishes in the alluring harbor town of Rovinj, lovely and positively dripping with pure Venetian-flavored charm. A free night for dinner allows you to explore this pedestrian-only port where dining choices include upscale Istrian cuisine or typical fare such as roast lamb or dried cod in a cozy konoba.
• One night at Villa Angelo d'Oro, an exquisitely restored 17 century historical inn.
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Day 5, 6 & 7 Porec, Graznjan & Montovun
From Rovinj, it's on to Porec, the seaside town that is the heart of the Istrian Riviera. Byzantine brilliance is the highlight here, home to the UNESCO site of the Basilica of Euphrasius and its glittering mosaics. After biking along the Mirna River, our next destination is the heart of inland Istria where the vine-coated landscape rolls up to picturesque hill villages of Groznjan and Motovun.
And because we are in the culinary capital of Istria, known for superb olive oil, prized black and white truffles, and wonderful local vino such as the ubiquitous white malvazija and red teran, it is mandatory, of course, that we end our adventure by indulging in homemade fuzi and gnocchi pastas, delicate dried ham, excellent veal carpaccio and tangy cheese, as well as wild porcini mushrooms.
• Two nights at San Rocco, a small elegant yet rustic inn
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Dates: Jun 1-7, Aug 31-Sep 6, Oct 12-18, May 31-Jun 5, 2009
Length: 7days / 6 nights
Level: 1 B/C
Daily Mileage: 10-36 gently rolling to rolling. Some climbs
Cost: $4180
Single Supplement: $600
Meals: All breakfasts, all dinners but 1; picnic and snacks along the way
Hotels: Luxurious family-run inns, including a chic bayside inn and a restored Venetian villa
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