144 THE PATH OF THE BELL TOWERS
The name of this path comes from the typical Istrian panorama, a town with a bell tower. Riding on this path in nearly every moment in the distance you can see a bell tower. This dynamic yet not too demanding tour takes us from Poreč to the slopes of the Mirna Valley near Kaštelir and along the coast back to Poreč. Surface is mostly country roads and single trails; it guarantees a high fun factor for all mountain bike lovers. Trail leads through the vineyards, olive groves as well as thorough the areas of natural Mediterranean vegetation, offering the most authentic experience of this part of the peninsula. As many other bike tours in the area this one also partially runs along the famous Parenzana, which is a local trademark for bike trails. Nicest part of the tour is the segment between Vrbanovica plateau (here we can find a monument to the World War II victims) and Paraglide take off slope; both spots offer fantastic views of the Mirna Valley, surrounding hills and the Adriatic coast. On return, we slowly descend to Lanterna peninsula and ride along the coastal trail towards Poreč. Before Červar Porat, we are passing by the big archeological site of roman Villa Rustica, which in antique times had produced and exported amphorae.
Villages on tour:
- Nova Vas, Kaštelir, Tar, Červar Porat
POI:
- Kaštelir, Parenzana, Vrbanovica, Paraglide take off – photo point, Tar, Villa Rustica
