ex - star trail

Would you like to ride along gentle hills of the green Istrian landscape full of magnificent vineyards and olive groves and taste the finest home made food and wine in a relaxing atmosphere of various pleasant agritourism spots? Choose this trail and here, under the stars, you will find everything. Indeed, this is not a metaphor.

Perhaps you didn’t know that here you can also find an astronomical observatory which is, according to its astronomical detections, ranked between the 5 most important observatories in the world? Over 1400 small planets of the solar system have been detected by a telescope in this observatory. Therefore, get your bicycle ready at the starting point in Višnjan and go for an exciting ride. You can also visit the neo-classicist Parish church of St Kvirik and St Julita from the 19th century with an imposing belfry and admire its two beautiful altarpieces, a work by the master Zorzi Ventura. At the beginning of the main street in Višnjan you will find the medieval church of St Anthony the abbot with Glagolitic inscriptions from the year 1550 and precious remains of frescoes by Dominic from Udine. When you have enjoyed enough your sightseeing of Višnjan and its beautiful sacral art continue along the trail through the breathtaking landscape via Markovac, Baškoti, Vranići and Prhati towards Montaver. You can enjoy here idyllic landscape and authentic architecture.

If you long for some genuine home made food and excellent wine, just enter in one of the numerous agritourism spots along the trail. On your way back along a plateau 3 km south of Višnjan you will pass through a small village called Bačva (a barrel). Thinking about the inspiring name of this charming village refresh yourself with a glass of excellent wine. You can visit here the church of St Jacob from the 12th century and at a distance of hundred metres from it there is also the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the 14th and 15th century surrounded by rich vegetation and picturesque Istrian houses.