From Trieste to Split by bike: 10 stages suspended between mountains and sea, adventure and culture, following Trans Dinarica route and sections of the EuroVelo 8, looking for a more authentic Croatia.
Trans Dinarica is a new cycle route connecting all eight Western Balkan countries: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia, that makes a priority of visiting national parks, UNESCO sites, often-overlooked villages, and diverse points of interest. We followed this route (which is very gravel at times), alternating it with sections of the Eurovelo 8 – Mediterranean Route, and even taking a few detours to enjoy a swim in the sea.
Among the most surprising experiences of this 565km journey with 8,000 D+ elevation gain: crossing the Velebit mountain range, a rugged and wild beauty, with long climbs and endless views. Diving into the waterfalls of the Zrmanja River, the magic of medieval Trogir, and the crystal-clear waters of Drvenik Mali. Below you’ll find our travel tips, GPX tracks, and photos, sure to be useful in planning your adventure.
HOW TO GET THERE
We traveled by train to Trieste on the outward journey, and by ferry from Split to Ancona on the return journey: the crossing lasts all night. We traveled with SNAV, which allows bikes to be carried for €10 each. The other company operating the same route is Jadrolinija, but apparently they don’t allow bikes. In any case, departures, even in August, aren’t daily, but every other day. Time table here.
DAY 1 TRIESTE/ILIRSKA BISTRICA: 58km, 1.200D+
Arriving by train from Milan, we had lunch and a brief tour of the city before leaving. From the outskirts of Trieste, we immediately cycled uphill on the Giordano Cottur cycle path, which becomes more beautiful with each kilometer as it enters the Rosandra Valley, offering fabulous views of the Karst. The cycle path, initially paved and then unpaved, follows the route of an old railway, that connected Trieste to Hrpelje, now in Slovenia. The climb becomes more challenging at the end of the cycle path, when the route enters the Slovenian forests on gravel. Overnight stay and dinner at Gostinstvo Tomex.
DAY 2 ILIRSKA BISTRICA/RIJEKA: 50km, 520D+
After 20 km on the road in in the mountains, you enter Croatia. We spent the night at the Hotel Continental and have dinner, including vegan goulash, at Pivnica CONT (next to the hotel). We wanted to stay at Hostel Fun, a little outside the city center, but since they wouldn’t let us bring our bikes inside, we canceled. It’s still worth a dip at the little beach in front of the hostel: the view isn’t the best, being right next to the harbor, but the water is gorgeous!
DAY 3 RIJEKA/CRIKVENICA: 40,5km, 470D+
Short ride, mostly along the coast, partly on a busy road, but with plenty of time to enjoy the sea in Crikvenica. Overnight stay, lunch, and dinner at Galija: the rooms are simple, but they overlook the sea (and have a large terrace where they let us carry our bikes), and the food is truly delicious!
DAY 4 CRIKVENICA/VRATNIK: 51km 1.240D+
A long and beautiful climb, all on asphalt, which gave us breathtaking views. There’s nothing along the way, so you’ll need to bring food and water. We were forced to stay overnight at Rooms Putnik, as we were traveling without a tent, and it was the only place close to the trail. It’s a simple and slightly dated place, on a big road, but it’s affordable, and the owner will cook dinner for cyclists upon request (since there are no restaurants or shops nearby).
DAY 5 VRATNIK/OTOCAC: 51km, 1.090D+
Amazing day of gravel biking through woods and mountains, with several challenging climbs: the breathtaking view, however, makes you forget the effort. In Krasno, there are several options for lunch and even sleeping. The TranS Dinarica trail would continue into the Velebit National Park, but we had to turn towards Otocac along Eurovelo 8 because we wouldn’t have found accommodations if we stayed on the trail. There are only mountain huts along the route, but they are often closed, so you need to book in advance. Bringing a tent is definitely the best option, even though these areas are inhabited by bears. In fact, the Lika region has the second largest brown bear population in Europe! In Kuterevo, you can visit the Bear Sanctuary. Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel Park Exlusive
DAY 6 OTOCAC/GOSPIC: 61km, 580D+
A lovely ride through the countryside. Otocac and Gospic are two pleasant towns, not at all touristy, but they offer bars, shops, restaurants, and accommodations. Once again, we cycled less than we would have liked because the next accommodation option was too far away (in Sveti Rock). Overnight stay and dinner at Hotel Stara Lika.
DAY 7 GOSPIC/OBROVAC: 83,5km, 910D+
The first 55 km are still through the countryside, then the climb begins again. We stop for a snack in Sveti Rock at the Sveti Rock Hostel, a really nice place where you can also sleep. The climb that follows is simply spectacular: the Majorska Cesta is a historic and panoramic road, all gravel, that crosses the Velebit mountain at the Mali Alan pass, at an altitude of 1.045 meters. One of the highlights of the trip! At the bottom of the descent, we reach Obrovac, on the Zrmanja River. Unable to find a place to sleep, we ended up staying with a girl in Slapovi Zrmenja, where there are restaurants, a campsite, and the opportunity to swim in the beautiful waterfalls. If you don’t have a tent, book in advance because these places are very popular.
DAY 8 ZLAPOVI ZMANJA/SIBENIC: 84km, 990D+
We set out along the Trans Dinarica trail, but we abandoned it for good to continue toward the coast. We cycled on secondary roads, passing through villages completely destroyed by the war. After about 62 km, we reached Skradin, an ideal place for a stop. The town is very pretty but very touristy, but it’s definitely worth relaxing for a few hours on the beach and enjoying a dip in the Krka River. The last 20 km to Sibenik, a beautiful medieval city by the sea, are unfortunately on a busy road. Don’t miss a stroll through the old town and the Cathedral of St. James, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We dined at Konoba Nostalgija and stayed in an apartment we found on Booking.com at the last minute.
DAY 9 SIBENIC/TROGIR/DRVENIK MALI: 53km, 750D+
A 53 km ride to catch the 11:30 a.m. ferry from Trogir and reach the small island of Drvenik Mali, where we enjoyed a relaxing day off at the beach. The first part of the route is along the sea, on the main road, but then a beautiful panoramic climb brought us back onto secondary roads through the countryside. In Drvenik Mali, we stayed two nights at the Moja Boutique Sleep and had lunch/dinner at their restaurant, Rina Mare, overlooking the sea. The beach is just a short walk away.
DAY 10 DRVENIK MALI/TROGIR/SPALATO: 30km, 170D+
Back on dry land, we visited Trogir, a medieval jewel declared UNESCO World Heritage Site that truly surprised us! From there, Split is just a short ride away; you cycle along the coast with excellent opportunities to stop and take a dip. Split deserves a day to be explored before taking the overnight ferry to Ancona. We stayed at Bernardi Rooms, which has a truly fantastic location, and treated ourselves to a nice dinner at PiNKU. For lunch, we found a vegan restaurant: Barakokula.
