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Croatia: Istria Granfondo

Istria Granfondo is a 127 kilometers long cycling marathon, that takes place in autumn, but Nada and me decided to cycle it in spring and we both enjoyed riding in Istria.

Over the Mirna bay. Mirna is  Istria's longest and richest river, being 53 km long.

Leaving the coastal warm up section

Holy Trinity church in Labinci is rich with frescoes.

Approaching Višnjan

The city was still sleeping

Oak with a latin name Quercus pubescens

 

Bikes posing next to the magnificent tree

Standing stones near Višnjan observatory

Grožnjan for the first time today

  

From Grožnjan to Šterna

View to Livade, Mirna valley and Motovun

Nada and Tuši

 

Stopped by the local police

 

Grožnjan is today known as "City of artists".

Well deserved beer

View to Mirna valley

Short detour, where we tested the Parenzana / Porečanka trail, that runs on defunct narrow gauge railway, that operated between 1902 and 1935, between  Trieste and Poreč.

Through the train tunnel

 

St. Michael church in Šterna

 

Butori - A karst formation that starts with a waterfall and ends with a big sinkhole, where water disappears underground.

  

Last kilometers and a well deserved dinner in Umag

A little early and spiced up Istria Granfondo - Garmin Connect

GeoCaches found (all received a visit by trackable item "Sanban s1", TB42DJW):
- #2 Holiday Cache Croatia - Labinci/Istria, GC4H00H
- Staro Stablo - Old Tree - Alter Baum, Mystery, GC3RQW6
- Grožnjan, GC5TRJB
- Most Grožnjan & Tunnel Kalcini, Multi, GC5MVTE
- Ponor Butori, GC1GZ7J
- Kanegra Italy Mystery Cache, Mystery, GC7C47A