Around the Adriatic Sea 2026: Trieste – Dubrovnik

The photos of the cycle route are listed in reverse chronological order. Those of the towns are listed chronologically. Information about the location is included in the title and/or description.

Eva Van Tulden

25 September: "forced" rest day in Trieste

Departure for Slovenia postponed

I was due to set off from Trieste on Thursday, but whilst I was putting together the English newsletter on Wednesday evening, I was suddenly struck by a sore throat, a headache and a dreadful dry cough. I slept very badly because of the coughing—and trying to stifle it for the sake of my flatmates. In the morning, half a pound of figs; my head felt light-headed, and I was dizzy…

I decided to wait until check-out time, but there was absolutely no improvement – quite the opposite, in fact. I was already struggling with the stairs up to the second floor. So I went to the chemist’s and booked an extra night at the hostel. I had to change rooms and didn’t have a bed between 11 am and 3 pm, but the sofa in the communal lounge did the job, and I dozed there for three hours, practically out cold.

After that, I went back to bed to sleep some more. By the evening, I was feeling a bit better. Thanks to the cough lozenges from the chemist, I had a cough-free night.

I can keep the ride short (15 km to Lokev) but with a 450-metre climb. A 15-kilometre journey from sea level up to the Ardennes ‘highlands’. To be continued.

25 Sep: Trieste – Lokev (SLO) (18.1 km – 520 m elevation gain)

Reached the top (of the mountain) after taking a sick day yesterday

The climb out of Trieste was gruelling. After a gently sloping 1 km warm-up section, I regularly encountered quite long stretches of around 10% that I couldn’t cover in one go. The key was to take regular breaks and give it a bit of a push now and then…

After 5 km, there was a brief respite. Fortunately, the second climb, over 2.5 km, was less steep. But I had to push once, to get out of the village Longera to get back on the main road, a 11% climb over cobbles. Otherwise, a gentle climb at 4-5% until I reach Lokev arrived.

Still, I’m glad I didn’t start it yesterday. I’d never have managed it.

2nd steep slope

26 Sep: Lokev – Illiska Bistrica (49 km – 410 m elevation gain)

Struggling with a sat-nav app

After a few kilometres of hard going over coarse gravel on the TransDinarica route – with wheels that skidded when the slopes got a bit steeper and a bike that slid backwards on the cobbles when I stopped – I decided not to follow that route any longer and to switch to the tarmac komoot an alternative I’d planned as a back-up. I was still feeling the effects of my cold, and the effort required on the rough gravel proved too much for me to sustain for long.

Then a battle with the navigation apps began. Activating the Komoot route was no problem, but Transdinarica uses the Ride with GPS app, and I couldn’t turn that route off. The result: a really annoying beep every minute telling me I’d strayed from the route. I asked AI for help to stop the navigation, put my phone on ‘silent’, deleted the route from the app… All of which none advance (useless).

Eventually, I got so fed up with those non-stop jingles that I deleted the whole app from my phone. Then peace and quiet returned, and I followed the Komoot route through the Vela Voda Valley to Ilirska Bistrica. A pleasant paddle along a gently undulating, fairly quiet tarmac path through the beautiful valley.

In Ilirka Bistrica, I saw that 10 km further on there was an unstaffed campsite, run on a donation basis, for slow-travelling tent travellers. It was worth cycling a little further, as staying in a B&B every day was proving a bit expensive.

And what a place it was: a toilet cubicle with toilet paper, a hot shower (gas-heated), a fridge (powered by solar panels) stocked with drinks, a kitchen with a gas hob and some basic provisions and drinks, a dining table with comfortable chairs, and electricity for my phone (no need for bike batteries). In Italy, I once paid 27 euros for a pitch in a patch of weeds, with nothing but a toilet without paper and a washbasin with cold water.

It’s a shame that the temperature here drops so much as soon as the sun sets behind the mountains, so I had to crawl into my sleeping bag quite early to keep warm.

Vela Voda Valley

27 Sep: Ilirska Bistrica/Kutezevo – Rijeka (40.5 km – 550 m elevation gain)

As soon as the sun disappeared behind the mountains, the temperature dropped in Na Vrti Campsite Very quickly. ‘Six degrees the next morning – not exactly an invitation to crawl out of my sleeping bag, but my natural alarm clock shows no mercy…’.

As soon as the sun shone on the campsite, just after ten, I could take off my down jacket and it got lovely and warm in the kitchen/sitting area overlooking the valley. There was Wi-Fi, so it was tempting to catch up on my social media here first.

The route to Rijeka, I thought, that’ll be easy because I’m heading down to sea level. And tonight I’ll be staying in Rijeka with Katleen Vuegen and Yanni Ratajczyk from Antwerp, friends of a cycling friend of mine from Antwerp who’d arranged this for me. They weren’t due home until late, so I didn’t need to rush today.

To get out of the valley of the Vela Voda However, before I could get over a ridge, I first had to tackle a 150-metre climb. Border crossings are usually situated at a mountain pass, which added another 100 metres. And it turned out that Yani and Katleen were in Trsat, living in one of Rijeka’s higher neighbourhoods: a 180-metre steep climb to finish with. The icing on the cake was a flight of steps. But it was more than worth the effort; I was given such a warm and heartfelt welcome.

Up until Rijeka, there was very little traffic, and on the non-labour-intensive works It was lovely and peaceful cycling. As it was Sunday, I found it wasn’t too bad in the city either. But they don’t have cycle paths here, nor do they have narrow lanes alongside the main roads… just a white line to balance on with your fully loaded bike – that’s all you’ve got to make do with.

Steep climb over obstacles to Trsat

What a brilliant bunch of people!

27 Sep: On Saturday evening, I spent the night at the unstaffed Na Vrti campsite in the village of Kutezevo. As I’ve already mentioned, it’s a brilliantly well-equipped campsite, with Wi-Fi, a fridge, kitchen utensils, a hot shower and a lovely seating area.

I couldn’t pay my contribution because I only had a few €50 notes, so I sent a text message to Metka and Majk asking them to send me their bank account number.

Before I left, I left a leaflet about my project for Tibet and a Tibet sticker on the kitchen worktop.

That afternoon, I received this text message in reply:

“Dear Eva,

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks for your visit and kindness. We are pleased to donate the sum of €13 to Save Tibet

Wishing you every happiness and joy on your journey.

”Metka and Majk"

Aren’t they just brilliant people? I’m so sorry I didn’t get to meet them.

Na Vrti Campsite.

29 September: Rijeka – Trsat – Kraljevica (32 km – 460 metres of elevation gain)

Up and down three times

1) Climbing from Rijeka centre to Trsat: 200 metres of elevation gain – a lot of huffing and puffing. Followed by a tricky descent down steep, winding streets.

2) Second climb along the coast: not quite as strenuous, followed by a wonderfully gentle and long descent to Bakarac.

3) Apparently, you’re not allowed to finish on flat ground, but the third climb to Oštro Campsite Fortunately, that was the least difficult.

View of Bakar

The photos of the cycle route are listed in reverse chronological order. Those of the towns are listed in chronological order. Information about the location is included in the title and/or description.

Eva Van Tulden

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Around the Adriatic Sea 2026: Trieste – Dubrovnik

25 September: "forced" rest day in Trieste

25 Sep: Trieste – Lokev (SLO) (18.1 km – 520 m elevation gain)

26 Sep: Lokev – Illiska Bistrica (49 km – 410 m elevation gain)

27 Sep: Ilirska Bistrica/Kutezevo – Rijeka (40.5 km – 550 m elevation gain)

29 September: Rijeka – Trsat – Kraljevica (32 km – 460 metres of elevation gain)

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