Upon your arrival to Zagreb, Croatia, you will have an opportunity to enjoy the atmosphere of the one of the most attractive and vibrant Central European capitals. Depending on the time of your arrival, you might have enough time to do some sightseeing or to simply rest and prepare yourself for the excitements that await you.  You will be given all the necessary information concerning your tour at the welcome dinner in the evening of the first day.

Welcome to the second day of our coastal adventure. Our starting point is Zagreb and our goal is to reach Istria – Croatia’s largest peninsula – the home of exquisite wine, cheese and truffles. We are taking the ‘old road’ – formerly the only connection between the continental and coastal part of the country. After the highway Zagreb-Rijeka was built, this road is rarely used, and luckily for us, it features good asphalt and some great curves. This road was built in early 19th century, in times of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, and was named ‘Lujzijana’ after Maria Luisa, the daughter of the Emperor Francis I of Austria. We will ride through the magnificent mountain areas of Gorski Kotar – known for its deep dark woods and cool and clear mountain streams. In the evening, we will let you pick from some of the truffle flavoured specialties perfectly paired with Malvasia Istriana. We will spend the night in Rovinj.

Taking a tour of Istria, we will visit some of its typical picturesque villages resting on hilltops surrounded by foggy valleys. In this area rich with history, every village has some interesting old stories to tell and many Roman and early Slavic remains to prove them. A pleasant ride towards the western coast of Istria takes us to a beautiful coastal town of Poreč and its 6th century Euphrasian Basilica and many other sights to be seen. Back on the road, we will reach the Lim Bay or Lim Fjord – an unusual geomorphological phenomenon and a paradise for oysters – a 11 km long inlet into the western flank of Istria and one of the most beautiful landscapes on the entire peninsula.

Further south, there will be quite a few more extraordinary places to pass through such as Bale or Vodnjan, famous for its mummies (yes, mummies) – well preserved remains of body parts of several saints, which are said to have magical powers. Continuing towards the south we will reach Pula, the biggest town in Istria, known for a Roman amphitheatre, Augustus temple and many more historical gems to visit. From there, we are taking you to Plominka – an amazing scenic road taking you back north in the direction of Rovinj.

The day starts with a ride through a tunnel connecting Istria with the Croatian mainland. We will ride through the gates of Adriatic and overlooking Croatia’s largest port – Rijeka, while riding a fast and elevated road ensuring a magnificent view of the entire area. A ride along the coast and past the charming fishing villages will take us to Senj – a city of bora wind, a 17th century pirate bay and an eyesore of the Venetian Republic. We will continue by riding the Old Road taking us across the north part of the magnificent mountain of Velebit and all the way to Lika and the amazing Plitvice Lakes. We will stay the night in the Ethno-Village of Plitvice.

This corner of Croatia is famous for its most beautiful national park – Plitvice Lakes, protected by UNESCO and world-famous for its sixteen lakes arranged in cascades. During this rest day we will visit Plitvice and also the Gacka Valley – a large karst valley with countless springs forming the river Gacka, packed with picturesque old watermills. This is one of the best places in the world to go fly fishing for trout. Here, we will try the specialties of this area – ecologically grown veal, lamb or pork baked under Croatian peka bell or spit-roasted.

From Plitvice, we are heading back to the coast by taking the Adriatic highway, the best coastal road in this part of Europe – 100 km of new asphalt, with a view of the rocks of Velebit on the left, and the vast blue sea on the right. This road is world-known for hundreds of amazing curves. Thanks to the recently build highway, it is practically left to the bikers and rare adventure travellers. There are only a couple of fishing villages to slow us down for a few minutes, inviting us to take a short break over coffee. As we leave the Adriatic highway, a new national park emerges on our left: Starigrad Paklenica – a steep canyon and a mecca for climbers. We will ride right through the belly of Dalmatia, an area called Ravni Kotari – a place of ideal climate and fertile land, an area filled with marasca orchards, olive groves and vineyards. You will get a chance to see another pirate bay - Skradin – an amazing location where the mountain river Krka meets the sea (Krka National Park). From the hilly roads of Dalmatian hinterland, we will take a look at the historical city of Šibenik and then rest for the night in the city of Split.

From Sinjska Krajina (Glavice) we are heading towards the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. On the other side of the border we will pass Buško Lake, the largest man-made reservoir in Europe and a windy location surrounded by a mountain chain of stunning beauty. We will take the curvy roads through the karst areas of western Herzegovina until we reach Mostar – the capitol of Herzegovina and a city of unique beauty and amazing history, split in two parts governed by two separate administrations – one held by the Croats and the other one held by the Bosniaks. Located on the banks of the Neretva River, famous for many beautiful Islamic structures built during the Ottoman Empire, the most famous of which was the Old Bridge connecting the Muslim communities in the East with the Christian communities in the west. The Old Bridge was destroyed during a bitter civil was in 1993 and reconstructed in 2004 by using the same limestone blocks salvaged from the river. In 2005, the bridge was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Heading southwest, we are about to reach Međugorje – one of the most famous places of pilgrimage in the throughout the Catholic world, attracted by millions every year. Our next destination is the Nature Park of Hutovo blato – a bird reserve and a marshland created by Krupa River. We will enter Croatia near Neum, and head towards Ston and see the largest defence wall after the Great Wall of China. Here we will enter Konavle and ride the last section of a 1000 km long Adriatic coast on an amazing road through a region called Croatian California due to its wonderful climate and an amazing scenery showing nothing but the mountains and the sea. We will stay the night in the beautiful town of Cavtat.

Located southeast of Dubrovnik, the region of Konavle will strike you as an amazingly relaxing place  – whether you decide to chill in a unique old town of Cavtat and enjoy its promenade fringed by pine and cypress trees or to climb up to Sokolgrad – a fairy tale fortress in the hills of Konavle. This is also a unique chance to visit Dubrovnik - an absolute best of the Croatian coastal destinations, and only a short boat ride away from Cavtat. In case there is still some free time, you could visit Molunat - the cutest fishing village in the south part of Konavle, famous for its beautiful sandy beach. The entire region is famous for a number of exclusive and high-rating restaurants where you will surely taste some of the most amazing specialties of the south Dalmatian cuisine: smoked ham and cheese, young lamb and veal baked under an iron bell, home-baked bread and grilled fish of the finest quality. Due to its unique well-preserved architecture and the lush greenery of the centuries-old trees, the entire region of Konavle seems as if the time has stopped centuries ago. What a perfect place for a rest day!

From the very south of Croatia we will enter Montenegro and ride along the Bay of Kotor – said to be the one of the most beautiful bays in the world and a biker’s paradise. The road follows the coastline, which makes it an ideal motorcycle route. The tour runs past Perast – an old little town with about twenty beautiful orthodox churches, one of which is located on the islet just off the coast of Perast – Our Lady of the Rocks. The winding roads will take us up to Durmitor National Park, where we will spend the night in a mountain village called Žabljak, in the middle of the giant mountain range. 

Leaving Durmitor, the tour heads towards Bosnia and Herzegovina riding through green forest hills and past Sutjeska National Park – another breath-taking natural resort and the home to one of the last two rainforests in Europe. Our route continues towards Sarajevo – one of the most vibrant centres of the Balkan world, known for its amazing ability to keep the spirits up even in the hardest of times. We will stay for the night in Sarajevo and feel for ourselves the essence of the word ‘Balkan’, embodied in every aspect of life in this exceptionally pleasant and lively city. The evening in Baščaršija – the heart and soul of the city and its cultural and historical centre, will offer a view into the golden age of the city once known as the largest trading hub in the Balkans.

Heading north, the Bosnian magistral roads will take us through the old towns of Zenica and Doboj, and finally across the Sava River to the Croatian region of Slavonia. Slavonia is one of Croatia's winemaking areas, with Ilok and Kutjevo recognized as the centres of wine production. Overall, the cultural heritage of Slavonia is a blend of historical influences, especially those since the end of the 17th century, when Slavonia started recovering from the Ottoman wars, and its traditional culture. We will ride towards the historical town of Đakovo, famous for its 19th century St. Peter's cathedral and then turn east towards Osijek - the cultural and administrative centre of the region. From there we will head towards Karanac - an amazing ethno village located close to the Hungarian border. Here you will be able to gain a true and authentic experience of the region and its traditional architecture, cuisine and way of life.

Karanac is located in the region of Baranya, best known for the nature park of Kopački rit - one of the last European refuges of eagles. During this rest day you can choose from many activities offered in this beautiful natural resort, such as: off-road car-rides, visiting the banks of Danube and the location that staged  the one of the most important battles of the WW2, visiting wine cellars in Kneževi Vinogradi or stay in the village and join the traditional culinary class. The easternmost Croatian regions of Slavonia, Baranya and Syrmia are well-known for their regional specialties such as kulen, fish stew, scratchings (cracklings), and a variety of pork dishes that are best paired with a good sip of the slivovitz plum brandy. 

Back on the road, we will enjoy a ride through the magnificent large plains of Slavonia, heading towards the hills of Papuk – an area known for its rich cultural and historical heritage, the beauty of its surroundings, extraordinary herbal and animal species, geomorphologic phenomena, mountain-paths and creek sources. Here you will have a chance to ride some of the most interesting roads crisscrossing this wonderful area where you might come across the giant, 500 years old oaks – the oldest living organisms in Slavonia. We will spend the night in vicinity of the town of Požega, the area which has been called the Golden Valley (Valis Aurea - another famous wine region) since the times of the ancient Romans.

On the last day of the tour, our route will mainly keep us in the woods and the hilly areas of Papuk, while we enjoy our final ride towards Zagreb. We will ride through the biggest Marian shrine in Croatia – a picturesque little town called Marija Bistrica and reach the slopes of Medvednica, overlooking the capital. The curvy road through the thick woodland will take us to the top of Medvednica, only to take us straight down to the city centre. At the end of our journey, after two weeks ‘in the saddle’, nothing will seem the same as when we took off. We invite you to take a look at Zagreb, this time with new eyes.

On your day of departure, your guides will escort you to the airport for a final farewell. We are sure you will enjoy your new perspective long after you return to your homes and your daily routines. We hope that the sensation of reaching beyond your own personal horizons will stay with you and keep reminding you that this line could always be pushed a little further. Keep your mind open for new experiences and let us know when you are ready to ride with us again. We will be happy to hear from you anytime!