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Technical description of the trail:
Positioning: |
Buzet - Sovinjak - Istarske toplice - Buzet |
Length of the trail: |
34.6 km |
Departure: |
Buzet - bridge |
Arrival: |
Buzet - bridge |
Difficulty: |
Difficult |
Altitude: |
870 m |
Highest point: |
315 m |
Lowest point: |
25 m |
Type of the trail: |
Asphalt & Macadam |
Riding time: |
2:30 - 3:00 h |
Asphalt: |
13.5 km 39.02%  |
Macadam: |
21.1 km 60.98%  |
Highlights:
- Buzet – the city of the underground gold
- “They say the owl was a baker’s daughter” – Shakespeare in “Toklarija” (the traditional olive factory, dialect.) in the hills of Sovinjak
- The thermal centre of St. Stefano – the thermal centre with the curative water reaching 36oC
Accommodation - Bike & Bed
Accommodation - Bike hotel
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Welcome to the track that traverses the northernmost landscape of Istria. We start from the heart of Istria, at the feet of the Ćićarija massive, nearby the source of the river Mirna (Quiet), from the enchanted hill at 153 metres of altitude at which is situated the beautiful medieval town Buzet. Known as long as in the Roman times as Pinquentium, today is named as ’’the City of truffles’’, considering that the surrounding forests along the valley of the river Mirna cover some of the best areas of the entire Istria for the hunting of this divine tuberous. If you find yourself around during the months of September or October, do not miss to visit ’’the Days of truffles’’, when the divine fragrance of this underground gold spreads across all the surrounding villages. From the fortified town under the reins of the patriarch of Aquileia during the middle age, and later dominated by several feudal families, the today’s Buzet draws its appearance prevalently from the period of its history under the Venetian dominion, from the year 1421 until 1797. And right from that period date back the walls and the two city gates, and if you ride through it, do not miss to visit the church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, engraved in a stone in the main town’s square, as well as the baroque fountain, one of the most beautiful amongst all the preserved fountains in Istria, already restored in the far 1789. If you are a lover of antiquity, you just have to visit the Municipal museum of Buzet, with a rich archaeological, ethnographical and historical collection which includes several copies of medieval frescoes and of Glagolithic inscriptions. Riding downhill along the track, from Buzet we continue further over the bridge right before Podrebri, through Čele until Sovinjsko Polje, a picturesque village surrounded by centenary olive grows and saturated vineyards, by fig-trees and the buzzing of the bees, in which we discover Toklarija, a unique tavern (konoba) with unusual ambience and divine food. We proceed over the hills of Sovinjak and Krtov breg, riding across Senica, Senj, Valari and Majeri, to reach the thermal centre of St. Stefano, situated at the feet of the homonymous rock, 81 meters high, from which rises the hot sulphuric and radioactive water. Already in times of the antiquity, known as a medicinal thermo mineral source, especially for problems with rheumatism, along for endocrine, gynaecological, skin and diseases at the respiratory organs, the thermal centre of St. Stefano, founded in the XIX century as a modest thermal curative centre, today has turned into a complete top class touristic curative-recreational complex. From the thermal centre of St. Stefano we ride further towards the villages of Sirotići, Golači and Majeri. After an unforgettable view, proceeding through Benčići, Kaštel, Žunti and Škuljari, followed by Mažinjci and Kajini, passing through Mala Huba we finally get back to Buzet. ...
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