Croatia Does Not Disappoint - Buje Umag Groznjan Oprtalj Livade and Motovun

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We certainly enjoyed our two night stay at La Parenzana.  It was a relaxing oasis in the countryside outside of Buje and we ate at the restaurant both nights and thoroughly enjoyed some fine dining.  

The second day at this location we just did a loop from the guesthouse.  We went to the nearby town of Buje which was lovely. 



We also circled around the coast before heading back inland. 


Umag was a nice spot for lunch and some sightseeing. 


The next morning we left the guesthouse to what was looking to be a warm and sunny day.  


After a bit there was a decision point where we could ride the Parenzana or stay on the official route.  Jim and I opted for the rail trail and Al and Diane stuck with the non gravel route as their bikes are not well suited for a rough road. 

The rail trail ran through some thick aromatic pine forests and we had a tunnel to boot. 


When we hit the junction with the main road Al and Diane were just arriving. 

We were just outside the town of Groznjan which was one of the most enchanting little towns I have ever been to.  It was bursting with artisan shops for food, wine and art.  



There was no shortage of charm. 

Jim even found an interesting way to make his ride more challenging by purchasing several digestivos to add to his saddle bags!  This local distillery was full of delicious and unique alcoholic beverages. We had a lot of fun deciding what to purchase 


A lot of the ride was through countryside that was different than other places we had been so far. Almost a New England feel with rock walls everywhere. 

We passed through Oprtalj which was a bit more decrepit than some of the past towns but very attractive yet. 

It appears Jim may have visited a water park while waiting for us. 


We then had a several mile steep and fast plunge to the valley floor where we rolled into the town of Livade which is apparently a truffle capital due to the largest truffle ever found coming from here.  Perhaps this monument is actual size? 


Then what goes down must go up.  We had a long climb up to our final destination, Motovun which is the birth place of Mario Andretti.  

We haven’t yet done much walking around here so more later but this is another unexpectedly dramatic town with sweeping valley vistas. 

We dropped Al and Diane off at their hotel which is at the top of the town and our room is at Villa Marija.  We were blown away by the lovely room with a balcony no less.  The hostess offered us a welcome drink and we enjoyed a local red with a view. 


A couple more views from Motovun. 

Al from his hotel window.




Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 27, 2023 at 7:34 AM

    Thank you for sharing; absolutely beautiful! Trish

    ReplyDelete

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