Individual arrival in Mestre (the mainland of Venice). The city of Venice will captivate you with its splendour, acknowledged worldwide.

After a few kilometres by bike, you take the ferry and then the vaporetto, passing in front of Piazza San Marco. Then you will reach Punta Sabbioni, the furthest south area of the Adriatic coast, which is north of Venice. From here you cycle along the stunning seacoast, with various opportunities for a refreshing bath in the sea. The overnight will be in one of the places along this famous coastline.

Leaving the sea behind you, you will head north towards the Julian Alps. 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 fishermen in the past during the fishing season). Afterwards you will go to the town of Portogruaro, one of the main centres in the times of the “Serenissima Republic of Venice”, which is impressive even today with its glorious “Palazzi” or “palaces”.

The trip can be shortened by 20 km by taking a train from Portogruaro to Latisana. You will spend the day between the region of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, passing through an area abundant in water and history, among rivers, canals and ancient Roman towns. Possible detour to Palmanova, named “the starry city” because from above the town resembles a 9-pointed star. Your destination will be Aquileia, with its Roman excavations.

You will once again head towards the sea: the gulf of Trieste awaits you, with many possible stops along the way, such as Duino with its two castles, Sistiana with its characteristic bay and Miramare with its famous white castle built according to the wishes of Maximilian of Augsburg. Just a few kilometres lie between you and Trieste, the ancient port of the Asburgic Empire, which has much to offer as regards attractions and history. A longer version of the stage (+24 km) gives you the opportunity to discover Grado in the Marano Lagoon, an ancient fishing village with a magnificent historic centre. The trip can then be shortened by 30 km by taking a train at the end of the stage from Monfalcone to Trieste.

After a few kilometres you will cross over into Slovenia, often cycling along cycle paths through famous holiday resorts such as Koper, first for a long time a Venetian and then Austrian town, and Piran, another important centre which was ruled over for a long time by Venice. You then finally arrive in Portorož, a town renowned for its spa and bathing facilities.

Cycling southwards, you will pass through the salt mines of Secovlje, a large Slovenian town with a humid environment, which is a key area as regards ornithology. Some kms later you will cross the Croatian border down along Istria, the Adriatic sea’s largest peninsula. In the end you will reach Porec, the tourism capital of Croatia, with its Eufrasian Basilica, which was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997.

Individual departure after breakfast. Possibility to return to Venice by boat.