The Parenzana by e-bike: the Slovenian coast on an old railway

The narrow-gauge railway between Trieste and Poreč (Parenzo) opened its first section, Trieste to Buje, on 1 April 1902, reached Poreč the same year and closed on 31 August 1935. It is known as the Parenzana in Italian and the Porečanka in Slovenian; today the path on its bed is signposted as the Path of Health and Friendship (Pot zdravja in prijateljstva).

Most of the old line lies in Croatia, the shorter part in Slovenia and Italy. The sources do not agree on how many kilometres fall in each country, nor on the length of today's cycle route, which differs from that of the railway: for that reason we give no total. The path was restored with EU-funded cross-border projects between 2006 and 2015.

In Izola the old Parenzana station still stands in Livade, and a room of the town's maritime museum is dedicated to the railway.

The Slovenian stretch enters from Italy at Škofije, near the Rabuiese crossing, and runs past Dekani and Bertoki to Koper, then Izola, Strunjan and Portorož to the salt pans of Sečovlje. From Škofije to Portorož it is fully paved and, for the Izola tourist board, of low difficulty.

• Koper to Izola. Between the two towns runs the former coast road, now closed to cars, which the Izola tourist board presents as the longest beach of Slovenian Istria under construction. It is flat and along the sea. Whether it is signposted for bicycles along its whole length we have not confirmed. The road route chosen by the cycling router climbs instead over the Markovec hill: 7.9 km, about 26 min.
• Izola to Strunjan and Portorož. From Izola the Parenzana climbs gently towards Jagodje, then passes through the Šalet tunnel to Strunjan and the Valeta tunnel to Portorož. Valeta, the longest tunnel on the whole line, was lit and paved in 2000 and is closed to motor vehicles by barriers at both ends. Izola to Strunjan: 5.8 km, 19 min; Izola to Portorož: 7.6 km, 25 min.
• Portorož and Piran. Along the seafront Piran is 2.9 km from Portorož, about 10 min; from Strunjan to Piran it is 17 min.
• Towards Sečovlje the path continues past Seča to the salt pans and the border with Croatia, where gravel and the hills of Istria begin. The highest point of the old line is in Croatia, at Grožnjan (Grisignana).

The times on this page are computed on the OpenStreetMap cycling profile at a steady 18 km/h, an adult's pace on an e-bike, with no stops. They are a calculation, not a measurement on the path.

• Koper to Izola: 26 min on the router's road over Markovec; on the flat coast road it is a little shorter.
• Izola to Portorož on the Parenzana: 25 min.
• Koper to Portorož: 14 km, 48 min on the router's route, which again climbs over Markovec; along the coast the climb is much smaller.
• Portorož to Piran: 10 min.

With children the pace drops and the stops multiply: a swim, an ice cream, a look at the salt pans. The honest way to say it is that the Slovenian stretch is a half-day outing, and Koper to Izola an easy one. Battery range on long or hilly routes depends on the model: check yours before you plan the Croatian part.

The direct route. Trieste to Koper by bicycle is 20 km, about 65 min at 18 km/h. The router's route passes through the Montebello tunnel and along Via Flavia, in the industrial zone, with heavy lorry traffic, then crosses into Slovenia at Škofije. It is a route for an experienced adult, not for a family outing.

The family route. The Delfino Verde ferry from Trieste to Muggia runs all year from Monday to Saturday, and also on Sundays and public holidays from 25 April to 15 September 2026; it takes one bicycle per passenger, without booking, while space lasts. From Muggia to Koper the road climbs over Crevatini (Hrvatini) and Chiampore before dropping to the coast: a real climb for a family, even if a short one.

Up to the Karst it is another matter: from Trieste to Sežana, which sits at 370 m, the climb onto the plateau is long, and the router's route uses Karst footpaths. Ride it yourself before you plan around it.

The border is a line, not a wall, but since 2023 Italy has notified temporary checks on it, currently until 18 December 2026.

• Zlatoperka. In summer 2026, from 6 July to 27 August, this boat linked Ankaran, Koper, Izola and Piran twice a day, with room for bicycles: ride one way, sail back.
• Trieste to Piran. In summer 2026 a fast boat, tendered by the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, ran between Trieste and Piran until 31 August, not on Tuesdays, with space for bicycles; the line continues to Poreč, Rovinj and Mali Lošinj in Croatia. There is no winter service, and next season's dates and timetable are still to be confirmed with the operator.

Outside summer there is no boat between Trieste and the Slovenian coast; the ferry to Muggia runs all year.

The Koper tourist board marks cycling routes inland: the K1, through the land of refošk, links Koper, Marezige, Montinjan, Popetre and Boršt; the K7, the route of truffles and asparagus, climbs into the hills past Topolovec. Both are hill routes, with climbs the Parenzana does not have. From Vanganel a cycle path runs into Koper along the valley floor.

Izola hosts the Istrian cycling marathon (Istrski kolesarski maraton) at the end of September, and the climbing crags of the Karst edge above Osp and Črni Kal are within reach of the coast.

One caution for stops along the coast: under the Strunjan cliff, where the Moon Bay beach (Mesečev zaliv) is reached only on foot, the tourist board advises not to stop under the cliffs and to check the landslide risk map.

For a family living in Izola, Strunjan or Portorož, the Parenzana turns the towns of the coast into neighbourhoods: school, market and beach can be a ride away. Koper and Izola have their markets, and the general hospital is on the ridge between Koper and Izola.

The limits are those of the coast: the hills behind the towns are steep, the router's shortest routes often climb, and the villages above Koper and the Karst are reached only by real climbs. Bertoki and Dekani are close to the path but also to the expressway and the port.

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