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Slovenia / Italy / Croatia: Porečanka - Parenzana: Day 1

The Parenzana or Porečanka (also in Croatian: Porečka; also in Slovene: Poreška; Italian: Parenzana) is one of the nicknames of a defunct narrow gauge railway (operating between 1902 and 1935) between Trst and Poreč (at that time Parenzo, whence the name Parenzana), in present-day Italy, Slovenia and Croatia.

Since Porečanka operated only from 1. April 1902 – 31. August 1935, it has now become a popular cycling route, 123 kilometres long and Nada, Boštjan, Uroš, Tadej, Borut and me decided to do it.

We started in Kozina with a huge delay, since Nada couldn't find her documents. In the end she left without them, since we rely on a fact, that we will be crossing the borders with bicycles, so they won't check us at all. We descended to Trst over Glinščica valley to the start of the railway. In Trst we got a bit lost, but we soon found the right way to exit the city and then we just followed the marked ex-railway. 2 border crossings were behind us, but they were easy ones, since there was no control on them (Schengen area), although there could be some, due to immigrants issue in Europe.

Our track led us to Lucija, where we stopped for a drink and some food. Later we passed by the Sečovlje Salina Landscape Park to the real border crossing, but as we expected, they didn't check us. We continued to Croatian side and the nicest part began, the asphalt changed to gravel, no traffic and nice scenery. We enjoyed all the way to Motovun, where we already rented an apartment for an overnight stay and 3 more girl, Meta, Tanja and Maja joined us.

Start in Kozina: Tuši (with yellow helmet from previous millennium, Tadej, Nada, Uroš, Borut and Boštjan.

Through one of the many tunnels today

Dolina Glinščice

Trst

Back to motherland

Cockpit

GeoCaching on the way

Seaside

Sečovlje Salina Landscape Park

Sun was getting down

One of 6 viaducts

Technical data of the Porečanka:

• total length: 123 km
• track gauge: 760 mm (2 ft 5 15⁄16 in)
• total number of railway stations and stops: 35
• the lowest point: 2 m above sea level (in Trieste and Koper)
• the highest point: 293 m above sea level (near Grožnjan)
• number of curves: 604
• the shortest bend radius: 60 m
• the steepest inclination: 28‰
• number of tunnels: 8, total length 1530 m
• number of bridges: 11 (the most important rivers to cross: the Osp, the Rižana, the Dragonja and the Mirna)
• number of viaducts: 6
• average speed: 25 km/h
• the highest speed: 31 km/h

Kozina - Trst - Milje - Dekani - Koper - Izola - Strunjan - Portorož - Lucija- Sečovlje - Buje - Grožnjan - Motovun

GeoCaches found (all received a visit by trackable items "Edelweiss", TB4JGEB, "Idaho BLue Bird", TBEE41 and "Travel Pirate Geocoin", TB5D2YM:
- Porecanka I, GC2DM45
- Porecanka II, GC2DJA0
- Porecanka III, GC2DJA9
- Parenzana View, GC1EE3Y
- STATION@Triban, GC4M29K
- PARENZANA Zavrsje, GC5XGHC
- Freski Tunnel, GC3JE83