A route through the northern part of Istria, as an alternative to the route from Trieste to Koper and Izola which I tried many years ago.

Point of departure is the Trieste Centrale train station. Upon leaving the station turn right to reach the lungomare [seaside road] and the port; in little more than a kilometer [.6 mile] one reaches the Bersaglieri pier, from which we can catch boat service to Muggia operated by Trieste Trasporti (see here for schedule and costs).

At the stern of the boat is an unusual bike rack that suspends the bikes halfway over the water. To place and remove the bicycles there are two crew members. In half an hour one crosses the Gulf of Trieste to arrive at the small town of Muggia, today really just a suburb of Trieste; still the small historic center is noteworthy.

From Muggia take the seaside road that runs around the peninsula to the border between Italy and Slovenia; once across the border travel along the south side of the peninsula as far as Ankaran/Angarano and then an intersection onto a street to the right (Zelezniska cesta). After an initial stretch, narrow and without a bike lane, a bike path appears on the left side of the road that continues as far as Koper/Capodistria. Here I discovered an ugly surprise; mopeds and motor bikes use the bike path. The blue sign with the little man and bicycle symbols clearly should mean that it is a path reserved for pedestrians and bicycles; it is not clear to me if the motor bike intrusion is just a tolerated abuse or if in Slovenia this sign has a different connotation. In any case, it is a harsh reminder of the possible degeneration of the very concept of the bike path, which in this manner, pure and simple, is at risk of dying.

After Capodistria one takes the bike path along the sea squeezed between the very busy state highway and the rocks of the sea. Here again one is disturbed by the frequent intrusion of motor bikes. After a few kilometers one arrives at the attractive village of Izola/Isola d’Istria with a large pleasure boat marina.

After Izola one climbs to the state highway along a narrow road without bike lanes but with a beautiful view of the town.

At the end of the climb one comes back to the very busy state highway and here is where I ended my current trip; at the next opportunity I will try to continue as far as Pirano/Portorose.

To return, I followed the same route as far as Capodistria where, after a visit to the historic center, Piazza Tito and Palazzo Pretorio, one arrives at the train station, very small, where on the far side of the square in front of the station one finds the Parenzana bike route, which follows along the railbed of the former Trieste-Parenzo railroad. The bike path follows along an autostrada [superhighway] as far as Bertoki/Bertocchi, where one passes over the same autostrada leaving it behind and then climbing through the woods towards the village of Spodnje Skofije, after which one crosses the autostrada again and descends towards Rabuiese, where we come back to Italian soil; from here one can go back to Muggia or continue towards Trieste, a barely cyclable route on very busy streets without bike lanes.

On the route summary, on the Map, altimetry, time table page, I also tried a section of the Cottur bike path, very short, just before reaching once again the Trieste Centrale train station.