May 6, 2022 - The 30-kilometer Limes Bike Tour is held on May 14 this year, revealing the hidden beauties of the Lim Channel.

Spend an exciting spring Saturday in Istria as the recreational bike ride for athletes, recreationists, and anyone looking for good fun out in nature returns in its new edition. Limes Bike Tour, organized by the Vrsar Tourist Board, is held on May 14 this year, and the 30-kilometer trail reveals many hidden beauties of the Lim Channel that feed the soul and body.

The cycling race starts at 10 am on the Vrsar waterfront. First, riders will pass through the Kontija forest, a well-known oasis of peace and quiet and a stunning natural environment ideal for hiking, day trips, recreational cycling, and outdoor recreation. After that, the tour continues through Kloštar, Vrh Lima, Krunčići, Medaki, Marasi, Gradina, and Bralići, before ending on the Vrsar waterfront so that all participants can uncover the specialties of the Lim Bay and charming surrounding places.

It is mandatory to stop at the lookout point on Crljenka, located on the slopes of the Lim Channel, where there is a beautiful view of the entire bay, making it an ideal spot for a short break and photos. The Limes Bike Tour stretches mainly on macadam roads, so the most suitable ride is on mountain bikes, although you can also ride trekking and electric bikes.

As part of the cycling race, in which everyone can register over 14 years of age, all participants will have a professional guide and escort and accompanying vehicle, and refreshments can be found in the Hunting House in the protected Kontija forest, where they will be provided with lunch.

Limes Bike Tour is one of the many events held throughout Istria throughout the year, continuously enriching the tourist offer and positioning Vrsar as an unavoidable destination of top experiences.

Those interested and eager to participate in the recreational bike ride can apply on the Vrsar waterfront on the day of the bike ride - Saturday, May 14, 2022, from 8:30 to 9:45. The entry fee is 50 kuna per person.

All additional information about the event can be found at the link https://infovrsar.com/dogadanja/kalendar-dogadanja/limes-bike-tour/ or you can contact the organizer directly by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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January 29, 2020 - Outdoor tourism in the protected areas of Istria was presented at the CMT - Die Urlaubsmesse trade fair in Stuttgart, with a special emphasis on cycling and nature walking, as part of the EU project KLIM Kontija-Lim Bay. 

Glas Istre reports that among the many European projects implemented or currently being implemented by the County of Istria is the EU project LIKE - Living on the Karst Edge. Thus, as part of this great German fair, everything that the Ćićarija mountain plateau has to offer, including the development potential of cycling tourism under the brand of Ćićarija Regional Park, was presented in this segment.

“We have presented and exhibited promotional materials related to outdoor hiking and biking with an emphasis on eco-friendly tourism products and offers in nature protected areas. We also presented the second edition of the brochure on eco-friendly content in Istria called Istria ecoxperience - Everything Eco in Istria. The sea and the seabed of the Lim Bay on the west coast represent a special reserve in the sea, while its slopes and coast are protected natural values, which include the Kontija Special Forest vegetation reserve. 

This year, the area is richer with cycling trails and educational walks that blend in without compromising the natural environment to allow visitors to move along the entire channel with the opportunity to engage in a range of recreational and educational programs. At the fair, we exhibited leaflets, brochures, monographs and posters, and enriched it with video materials. Everything is super accepted as people seek new experiences and move away from the hustle and bustle,” said Bruno Kostelic, Head of the Department for Nature and Environmental Protection in the County Department for Sustainable Development.

He also emphasized that cycling and cycling tourism are of primary interest for the development of selective forms of tourism in Istria, and that in the case of the Ćićarija Regional Park, this potential takes on a whole new light.

One of the key trends in the tourism sector is the growing concern for the environment, both by hoteliers and other tourism companies and guests, among whom there are more and more people who change the way they travel because they care about the environment and seek content that offers natural values and unspoiled nature.

“Istria County is a tourist destination, which has numerous natural values and landscapes that are not exclusively related to the sea, as well as offers and tourist facilities on the coast. In the Istrian peninsula, 35 natural areas are protected, and with the accession of Croatia to the European Union, we are additionally adorned with 66 Natura 2000 sites, which makes up 37 percent of the total area of protected natural values in our county. Natural values are our wealth and potential we protect, and we develop new tourism products with innovative concepts such as citizen science projects and other content and offerings within protected areas that in many ways involve science, locals and our guests, leaving us with a real sense of involvement and contribution to protecting nature,” Kostelic notes.

Istria County is a partner in the EU project KLIM Kontija-Lim Bay, Sustainable Management of Protected Areas, which is implemented under the Operational Program Competitiveness and Cohesion with an implementation period from August 2018 to December 2021, the leading partner of which is the Municipality of Vrsar. The project is being implemented to use the Kontija Forest and the entire Lim Bay sustainably, through the construction of a scientific and educational center of the Kontija protected forest, as well as providing numerous additional facilities following the nature protection conditions and developing a broader vision of the development of the Lim Valley area. In its spatial scope, it includes the project area, but it also extends to the areas of the currently unincorporated cities and municipalities of Pazin, Rovinj, Kanfanar, Sveti Lovreč, Sveti Petar u Šumi, Tinjan and Žminj.

At the same time, because of the exceptional natural values of the Lim Bay and the Kontija Forest, recognized through several different nature protection categories of the project area, the Natura Histrica Public Institution plans to develop management plans for these areas for their protection and sustainable development. The Kontija Forest thus becomes one of the key natural resources for the further development of tourism in the Municipality of Vrsar.

The KLIM project begins the systematic approach to the valorization of the wider area of the Lim Bay and the Lim Valley, which abounds in exceptional natural and cultural heritage. The broader framework and vision of the development are defined by documents that the County of Istria has produced before the implementation of the KLIM project, the Spatial Programming Basis (PPO) of the Lim Bay and Lim Draga, the programming concept of Lim Valley Park, the Lim Bay Recreation Park design concept.

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January 13, 2020 - New facilities such as theme parks and trails, rest areas, lookouts, cultural and artistic checkpoints, ecological-educational trails and specialized training grounds and structures for sports and recreational activities will soon be developed in Lim Bay.

Glas Istre writes that at the beginning of this year, the Istria County Administrative Department of Tourism will announce a public call for co-financing events and tourism projects in Istria, for which HRK 660,000 is foreseen. 

Events that prolong the tourist season and direct tourist flows to less developed areas of Istria are encouraged. County Head for Tourism Nada Prodan Mrakovic points out that through local manifestations and tourism projects they want to strongly promote the local traditions and customs and the valorisation and presentation of typical Istrian products, but also emphasize environmental protection and all other environmental aspects.

“Through the program of promoting the sustainability and quality of tourist events in Istria, we strive to motivate the organizers for the sustainable development of events, but also for the organization in the pre and post-season and in less developed tourist areas, which raises the level of attractiveness of the destination and provides additional content,” says Prodan Mrakovic presenting this year's plan of work by the County Department of Tourism.

They are focused on developing Istria as a quality tourist destination oriented to year-round tourism and sustainable development, which drives the local economy and strengthens local values, customs and traditions, respecting space and architecture, protecting heritage and preserving and smartly valorizing natural and cultural resources.

“This requires the consensus of all tourism stakeholders in Istria, responsibility and smart development. The basis of our programs is the Master Plan for Tourism of Istria from 2015 to 2025, from which I highlight several important measures of the operational strategy that we guide in our activities. These include aligning the development of accommodation types with product development, the database of private accommodation and the new marketing process according to accommodation types. We encourage the Touring System of Istria, that is, we support initiatives of cities and municipalities and their tourist boards to organize lookout points, rest areas and info-points precisely to develop this segment more and to enable guests to get to know more about the beauties and contents throughout Istria. This is complemented by the Visitor Interpretation System, where some are already in operation, such as Mare the Witch's House in Svetvinčenat, the Visitor Center in Barban, the Arsia Center in Raša, and several are still in the works. At the same time, many are still being prepared,” says Prodan Mrakovic.

With the "Istria Culture" measure, the goal is to use cultural resources to enhance tourist attractiveness and further diversify experiences and attract more visitors motivated primarily by culture.

“We started measuring some indicators of Istria's sustainable development according to ETIS, the European System of Sustainability Indicators for the Development of Tourist Destinations, and CROST, the Observatory for Sustainable Tourism Development in Croatia, a project of the Institute of Tourism launched to measure and monitor the sustainability of tourism in Croatia. In doing so, we want to sensitize the public to the importance of sustainable tourism development and raise awareness and to make plans and policies for future development based on the indicators obtained. What will help us even more with this is the Sustainable Tourism Study, which is being produced at the Institute of Agriculture and Tourism in Porec, which should give us answers about the perceptions of the population and local self-government units in Istria on sustainable development, the plans they have for the future and the like,” she added.

In the segment of private accommodation, this is followed by the continuation of the development and promotion of the EcoDomus project (eco-friendly accommodation), for which the budget of the Tourism Department is planned at HRK 180,000. The project was awarded at this year's Croatian Tourism Days and was awarded the HTZ Award in the Sustainable Tourism Development category. So far, more than 40 private renters from all over Istria have been awarded the EcoDomus certificate, which is encouraged to tailor their facilities and services to guests responsibly and sustainably. The criteria for obtaining a certificate are valued local values. The host is also encouraged to inform guests about the local cultural and historical heritage, natural values, amenities and events, arrange the environment of their facility with native plant species, promote traditional products and souvenirs, inform guests about learning opportunities and/or participating in traditional customs, promotee local cuisine and typical food products, save water and electricity, sort waste, use environmentally friendly cleaning products and the like.

“Regarding the tourist infrastructure, we continue to maintain and promote the Parenzana hiking and cycling trail, in synergy with the towns and municipalities through the route, namely Poreč, Višnjan, Kaštelir, Vižinada, Karojba, Motovun, Oprtalj, Grožnjan, Buje and Umag. In order to ensure the conditions for continuous and undisturbed sports and recreational use of the route, regular maintenance is necessary. Considering the limited possibilities of local budgets, especially the smaller units of local self-government in the interior of Istria, by pooling earmarked funds of HRK 300,000 for arranging and maintaining Parenzana, a systematic solution is ensured throughout the calendar year,” points out Prodan Mraković.

The County Tourism Department is continuously investing HRK 260,000 annually in Parenzana, independently and from its resources, and this year will set up signposts, boards for various purposes, illuminated tunnels, and enable Internet connection in some places, all to increase its attractiveness, because it is traversed by around 100,000 cyclists and pedestrians every year. This project valorises untapped resources and fosters an economically and socially sustainable environment, such as cycling services, catering (from private accommodation to boutique hotels, taverns and agritourism), wine cellars, olive oil roads, medieval towns and the like.

“In recent years, we have witnessed increased activities around the beaches, which are also supported by the Ministry of Tourism. In this segment, it is very important to manage beaches smartly and responsibly, since beaches are the most important natural resource in the product of the sun and the sea, which is dominant in Istria. Developing the document of the regional program for the development and management of beaches created the preconditions for improving the quality of all the beach content by thematizing the beaches and prescribing the minimum technical conditions of development, the long-term sustainability of managing these areas, as well as improving the attractiveness and visual identity of the entire coastal zone of Istria. This is a prerequisite for an increased satisfaction of tourists and locals through the use of those beaches that are thematically best suited to their interests and preferences,” says Prodan Mrakovic.

Three-Hundred-fifty-thousand kuna has been earmarked this year to encourage the development of selective forms of tourism, such as cultural and sport-recreational tourism, and especially cycling tourism. This includes support for IRTA's Istra Inspirit program, which is based on the valorisation of Istrian myths and legends and their attractive approach to guests. The main objective of the project is to enrich the tourist offer through the segment of cultural and historical heritage and create a unique experience and stories and indirectly extend the tourist season and enrich the cultural and tourist offer. Together with private individuals and others in the public sector, it supports the development of cycling tourism and other nature-based activities throughout Istria, in collaboration with the Istria Bike department established within IRTA.

“In order to investigate the cycling situation on the Istrian market and the satisfaction of locals and tourists with cycling, we have conducted a study on managing the quality of development of cycling tourism in Istria County. The study aims to investigate users' opinions regarding the expected quality and satisfaction of tourists and visitors with the current offer of cycle tourism products in the destination. The main objective of the Study is to offer a sustainable model of quality management for the cycling tourism product. Implemented activities will include examining the opinions and attitudes of cycling tourism service providers and defining indicators that will be able to continuously monitor the quality of cycling tourism at the county level. The project is co-financed by the Ministry of Tourism, and the study costs HRK 187,500, according to Prodan Mrakovic.

In the natural heritage segment, the Gulf of Lim and the Lim fjord is a space that needs to be smartly and responsibly developed to enhance its attractiveness, but not to the detriment of nature, plants and animals living there. Therefore, based on the "Spatial and Programming Basis of the Gulf of Lim and Lim Fjord”, adopted by the Assembly of Istria County, together with the Public Institution Natur Histrica and the municipalities and cities that fall within the scope of the professional foundation, the natural and cultural heritage will be valorized. In accordance with the expert background, existing activities will be upgraded and new facilities such as theme parks and trails, rest areas, lookouts, cultural and artistic checkpoints, ecological-educational trails and specialized training grounds and structures for sports and recreational activities will be developed. The realization of individual segments from the expert background is planned to be financed from EU funds, since it is harmonized with the European directives and spatial planning documentation of the County of Istria.

“We will continue to be present in the education segment of existing and potential caterers. The training aims to raise awareness of the importance of nurturing table culture and authenticity, as well as professionalizing and investing in quality with all catering providers, through incorporating acquired knowledge and skills into the tourist offer of the facility. To sum it up, our goal is to raise awareness of responsible and sustainable tourism development, which implies controlled and quality development based on plans and concepts, long-term perspective, local community involvement, local employees and respect for native architecture. Tourism must promote and enhance economic viability, social balance and environmental friendliness. Therefore, it is important for us to strengthen the local economy, preserve and promote local values, customs and traditions, and preserve the environment and local architecture,” concluded Mrakovic.

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