Ancient Venetian Empire by Bike

Make your own way to Mestre on the mainland of Venice. From here it is easy to venture into the famous canal city on foot. The city of Venice will captivate you with its splendour and history. On arrival at your hotel you will find your luggage labels and ferry ticket/voucher. On the morning of day 2 you will collect your rental bike. Note that bikes, like cars, are not allowed on Venice island, including when pushed by hand. By bike it is only possible to reach Piazzale Roma, Tronchetto or the train station Santa Lucia.

Today you collect your bike, then after a short ride across the bridge to Tronchetto island you take the ferry to the island of Lido, passing in front of Piazza San Marco. From Lido you take the motorboat to Punta Sabbioni, the southern-most area of the Adriatic coast, which is north of Venice. From here you cycle along the stunning sea coast, with various opportunities for a refreshing swim in the sea. Stay overnight in a town along this famous coastline, eg Jesolo or Caorle. Transfer by boat: takes approx 1 hour. Note: it is up to the conductor whether bikes are accepted on board - it may happen that you have to wait for the next ferry. Elevation +85m/278ft, -80m/262ft

Leaving the sea behind you head north towards the Julian Alps. The route follows quiet country roads, traversing a land that is rich in water. You will be passing through an area with a multitude of 'Valli da pesca' (stretches of lagoon enclosed by earthen dikes where extensive fish farming is practised) and 'casoni' (constructions used by fisherman in the past during fishing season). There is a small section (1.8km) along a dirt road near the village of Torre di Mosto. Continue to the town of Portogruaro, one of the main centres during the 'Serenissima Republic of Venice' period and still impressive today with its glorious 'palazzi'. Elevation +/-225m/738ft

You will continue eastward, traversing the countryside and small villages as far as the city San Michele and the Tagliamento river: its peaceful course marks the border between the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions. Take a break in the beautiful ancient village of Precenicco then will cross the pedestrian and cycle bridge over the Stella river and continue towards the coast of the Adriatic Sea. You will find a short section of unpaved road at the Palmanova exit and need to pay attention to the traffic in crossing Cervignano del Friuli. Overnight Aquileia. Elevation +/-240m/787ft It is possible to shorten the cycling by 5km from Torviscosa to Cervignano, but the detour follows a busy road. It's also possible to shorten today's stage by 20km by taking the train.

This morning you cross the Isonzo (Soca) river, the scene of important battles during WWI, before heading towards the sea: the Gulf of Trieste awaits you with many possible stops along the way. Visit Duino with its two castles and Sistiana with its characteristic bay. Prosecco on the Karst plateau and famous for giving its name to one of the world's most famous wines, shows you the way to Trieste, the ancient port of the Habsburg Empire, which has much to offer as regards attractions and history. A variant from Sistiana along the coast is busier but passes near Miramare, with its famous white castle built according to the wishes of Maximilian of Augsburg. The route is almost entirely flat to Montefalcone before there's approx 15km of continuous ascent from Duino and Sistiana to Prosecco. Elevation +/-450m/1476ft You can shorten the stage by about 30km/18.5mi by taking the train from Monfalcone to Trieste, and avoid the quite busy 'Strada Statale 14' (and ascent) - suggested especially in the high season due to busier roads. Or a longer cycling version is available (extra 24km), to discover Grado in the Marano lagoon, an ancient fishing village with an historic centre.

Today is a more demanding stage than the preceding days. Leaving Trieste, you will face some short but demanding ascents and ride through some stretches of moderate traffic. After a few kilometres the Porec cycle path starts in Rabuiese right before the Italian-Slovene border. The remaining part of the route is often on cycling paths through resorts towns including Koper, first for a long time a Venetian and then an Austrian town, and Piran, another important centre which was ruled for a long time by Venice. The terrain is a little hilly and there's a 2km ascent to reach Piran. You will finally arrive in Portorož, renowned for its spa and bathing facilities. Elevation +/-530m/1738ft Option to avoid the initial ascents and shorten the stage by about 10km by taking a motorboat from Trieste to Muggia.

You cycle south through the salt mines of Secovlje, a large Slovenian town with a humid environment and a key area for ornithology. To reach the lagoon of Secovlje you have a steep downhill on a dirt road. Cross the Croatian border at Istria, the Adriatic Sea's largest peninsula, and the terrain becomes hilly, with continuous ups and downs through small villages and vast forests. Your destination is Porec, the tourism capital of Croatia. We recommend visiting the UNESCO World Heritage listed Euphrasian Basilica complex, dating from the 6th-century and famous for its Byzantine mosaics. Elevation +/-620m/2034ft