Embark Day: Founded in the 7th century and architecturally master planned in 1205, Dubrovnik is known as the Pearl of the Adriatic. Surrounded by massive walls and turquoise water, Dubrovnik made for the perfect filming location for King’s Landing in Game of Thrones. Dubrovnik’s polished stone streets have never seen a bus or traffic signal. Walking the softly lit streets at night is a bit like strolling through the middle ages.

Dubrovnik’s allure as a romantic starting point for an adventurous cycling cruise is undeniable. The secluded port is an easy shuttle from DBV International Airport. Following bike assembly and a pleasant intro ride, we’ll cast off for a 9-night voyage that features Venice and an 8-day palette of carefully-curated cycling.

Day 2: After departing Dubrovnik and the country of Croatia, our first night’s cruise takes us South to the neighboring country of Montenegro. If only a few Americans are aware of this hidden-away country, fewer still know of the Bay of Kotor. In addition to being Southern Europe’s only fjord, UNESCO ranked Bay of Kotor as one of the 25 most beautiful bays in the entire world (and Europe’s only bay to make this vaunted list).

At the head of the fjord is the Venetian outpost of Kotor. With its back against a solid rock cliff, “Old Kotor” is a medieval walled town where 4,000 residents still enter or leave via the four original gateways. Two narrow gates open to the East and West shores. A smaller third gate opens to a stone stairway that scales the cliff to reach sentry posts high above the city. Until recently the fourth gate opened to the Venetian stone wharf. Because none of Kotor’s original gates is as wide as a car, automobiles have never entered the old city.

To preserve the city, its narrow wharf was expanded to make room for a roadway that traces the fjord’s inner bay. Our tour’s first morning ride uses this sea-level 26-mile circuit through six villages. The first of many stops uses a ferry to cross the ocean inlet that’s too narrow for large cruise ships. At other stops you’ll enjoy a hosted treat and/or meet guides who will show you three mid-ride attractions. Perast is the richest town of the Italian Renaissance. Our Lady of the Rocks is the island shrine dedicated to travelers. The remaining stop allows you to examine the bright mosaic tile floors of a recently unearthed Roman villa.

Is 26-miles too easy? Energetic riders will get their warmup on the zigzag roadway linking Kotor with Montenegro’s interior. Leaving the shore they’ll climb through 25 numbered switchbacks to reach a panorama point where they’ll look across the fjord and down onto Kotor and our ship. After cycling, sightseeing, and catching a late lunch aboard, there’s time for a guided walking tour of Old Kotor. A pre-sunset cast-off allows photographers to capture the bay’s amazing beauty from the top deck. Beyond the outer lighthouse we’ll end this southerly detour day by turning North towards Venice.

Tonight, for a unique after-dinner treat, La Belle drops anchor off Dubrovnik’s Old Port. We’ll use Le Belle’s tenders to enter Dubrovnik through its torch-lit medieval sea gates, the same way Marco Polo arrived over 700 years earlier. After dark, the heart of Old Dubrovnik (where Game of Thrones was filmed) has a distinctly magical quality, and dozens of friendly places to enjoy a drink or dessert. Last tender from the old sea gate departs at 11:30PM.

Day 3: On Croatia’s remote Peljesac Peninsula, we’ll pedal traffic-free roads on the Mediterranean’s “Peninsula of Grapes,” home to some of Europe’s rarest and finest wines. The vines grown on the peninsula’s south-facing slope receive a doubled dose of sunshine due to the mirror-smooth surface of the Adriatic, the calmest branch of the Mediterranean Sea.

A choice of routes through coastal vineyards all end at a private reception hosted at a showcase winery founded by America’s most celebrated vintner. At a bluff-top temple of winemaking overlooking Trstenik’s picture perfect port and our waiting cruise ship, we’ll enjoy award winning wines with regional breads, cheese, and salami.

A relaxing lunch-hour cruise transports us across the channel to the island where Marco Polo was born. From the stone village where our ship ties up, rides around the island of Korcula return for twilight walking tours that end at the civic theatre, where the island’s professional troupe of dancers will provide a private performance of Korcula’s thousand-year-old Moreska Saber Dance. Our private show will be the last “home” appearance of the season. In the off-season they perform this elaborate dance elsewhere (places such as London, Moscow, Melbourne, New York, and Tokyo).

Day 4: Croatia’s Krka National Park is home to some of the world’s most beautiful travertine waterfalls, cascades that become a bit taller every year! After appreciating this hidden valley of waterfalls, our ride reaches the coast at Biograd, the coronation site of Croatia’s Kings. From Biograd it’s a short ferry-crossing to the bridge-linked islands of Pasman & Ugljan.

An enchanting day of cycling concludes when a second ferry delivers us to an ancient trading port where the solid marble streets have withstood a thousand years of traffic. Still a center of wealth, within Zadar’s walls is a Croatian Rodeo Drive. Closed to cars, our yacht will be parked at the far end.

Day 5: Welcome to Istria! Over the last decade Istria has become the #1 destination of Italian cyclists. And why not? Recently “stolen” from Italy as a punishment for Mussolini’s treachery, by 1947 Istria was locked behind the iron curtain. Wracked by civil war until 2003, for the past dozen years Italians, and especially Italian cyclists, have fallen in love with Istria, a former portion of their country that wasn’t spoiled by progress and tourism.

The food, wine, churches, plazas, architecture and old signs are distinctly Italian. Cyclists from Italy, and everywhere else, arrive to discover a “lost Tuscany” (but with a quieter network of well-paved lanes than Tuscany could ever wish for). Years from now, when your American cycling friends brag about their upcoming trip to Europe’s newest cycling hot spot, you’ll be able to smile and say “Been there!”

If there is a more picturesque port to explore than Rovinj, a favorite of Rick Steves, we’ve yet to find it. Since La Belle will remain here until midnight, there’s time to savor it later. Our morning ride heads inland to find Istria’s famous green gold. During our scouting we sought out the Istrian family that won the international gold medal for olive oil.

Our easy morning spin takes us to the town with Meloto’s tasting room. When their sporting son, Matteo, learned of our desire to cycle from Rovinj to visit, he showed us a route that passes some of the family’s prized trees. When he learned of our mid-October arrival he made us an offer we couldn’t refuse. In 2022 Matteo will again tie off a trio of trees adjacent to our morning route.

At a roadside reception hosted by his family we’ll again experience the fun of helping with the annual harvest. When we reach his press and art studio we’ll sample the peppery blend of the previous year’s harvest. Our inland return ride to Rovinj passes castles and walled villages that are treasured by locals but not yet known to tourists.

Day 6: After four fabulous days of cycling, most will be ready for a day without lycra. Instead of sleeping in, however, we encourage a climb to the top deck, where you and your partner can savor our sunrise arrival in Venice while sharing a cappuccino.

While the cruise ships used by normal tourists are now routed around Venice to a remote terminal, our yacht-sized ship is allowed to cruise through the center and tie up in the pedestrian district only a short stroll from San Marco Square.

As soon as we tie up a group of licensed guides will appear to provide informative 90-minute walking tours—a perfect introduction to the world’s most fascinating city. The rest of the day is yours.

While it’s easy to return to the ship for lunch and or dinner, an unstructured day of wandering through the romantic capital of the Renaissance with your partner is the ultimate treat, which only gets better as the sun sets and the throngs of tourists disappear. Venice after dark is magical and safe. As with Cinderella’s coach, however, our ship departs at midnight.

Day 7: Today’s ride starts from the port where the Alpine country of Slovenia reaches down to touch the sea. From Koper, a remnant of Istria’s famous narrow-gauge railroad allows riders to burrow through a mountain and reach the picturesque port of Piran without breaking a sweat. Continuing past the Belle Epoque Casino in Portoroz, we’ll cross a sentry-guarded border to re-enter Croatia.

Will the previous days of cycling prepare you for a gentle climb through oak-forested hills to discover Istria’s third epicurean treasure? In addition to wine and olive oil, Italians who visit Istria return home with gourmet truffles. Today’s lunch is at a hilltop microbrewery (400 feet above the sea) where the brewmaster / chef is famous for crafting small batches of handmade noodles in a sauce sprinkled with fresh truffles.

Before our after-lunch return to the ship we have yet another treat. We’ll adjourn to an adjacent oak grove to learn the Istrian sport of truffle hunting.

While a local expert explains the mysterious process, we’ll be entertained by the antics of her truffle-hunting hound.

Day 8: Our morning coastal ride links UNESCO heritage ports of Primosten and Trogir, each a sparkling jewel of the Venetian Republic.

This day’s lunch cruise delivers us to a third UNESCO heritage site, a port so perfect that a Roman Emperor chose to retire here, 90 miles distant from Italy. In the year 365, the Roman Emperor Diocletian erected a marble palace that would remain Europe’s largest for the next thirteen centuries.

Stranger still, through the dark and middle ages the abandoned structure was repurposed, and became “lost” to western knowledge. Thus when Louis of France finally built a larger palace at Versailles, no one in his court knew of Diocletian’s Palace, which was still standing! It’s an amazing tour. Afterwards, Split’s waterfront Riva at sunset is perfect for people watching.

Day 9: While we sleep in comfort our yacht transports us to the island of Hvar, where a Venetian port guarded by a fortress castle has become the Adriatic’s trendiest destination. In order to preserve the serenity of the island’s Venetian shore, the past two centuries of development was restricted to the other side of the island. When daily traffic on the narrow road linking the old and new sides of the island became unbearable, they built a tunnel. Like all of the big ferries and cruise ships, we’ll dock on the new side of the island. By arriving between the huge ferries, our rides start when the roads are empty.

Cyclists are drawn to Hvar because the now-deserted road across the top of the island is among the world’s finest rides. This well maintained and graded route along the ridge line offers breathtaking 360-degree views across seas and islands as it winds between lavender fields and stone villages. While other cyclists who make the famous ride to the old port of Hvar have to turn around and climb back out, during our perfect morning ride the yacht-sized La Belle will cruise ‘round Hvar and enter the old Venetian port to retrieve us. If you beat La Belle to the island’s yacht port, you’ll have plenty of time to look for famous celebrities while inspecting some of the Venetian Republic’s finest architecture.

As our 10 day / 9 night – adventure connecting four countries draws to a close, a third lunch-hour cruise crosses a wide channel to reach and explore Vis, our tour’s 6th Croatian Island (not bad for an itinerary that also includes Venice and a fjord)

Croatia’s forbidden isle of Vis is where Yugoslavia’s Communist Dictator created a fortress stronghold with gun emplacements, underground escape routes, and a submarine pen tunneled into a sea bluff. During the decades of Marshall Tito’s rule, only those born on Vis could visit. The choice of scenic routes to a hidden cantina and winery are amazing, as is the Vis version of pizza.

Disembark: Following 8 days with cycling and our layover day in Venice, we’ll pack bikes before a farewell dinner and overnight return to Dubrovnik, where a westward flight will allow you to reach home the same evening.

We’ve chartered “The Beauty of the Adriatic” for this Dubrovnik & Venice itinerary, a 110-metre (yacht-dimensioned) vessel with advanced stabilization, ultra-green power plants and Z-drive propulsion.

Commissioned by CroisiEurope in 2007, this unique Belgian-flagged cruiser has just fewer than 100 soundproofed staterooms in five categories.

All have private bathrooms, spacious floor plans, king-width beds that can convert into separate full-width twins, individually-controlled A/C, and large view windows.

The floor plans of the A, B, C, & D Categories are identical, the only differences are the windows and which deck they are located on. A & B Staterooms have two large rectangular windows and are located on the top two decks. C & D Staterooms have two large portholes.

The cuisine is exceptional. Breakfast includes bountiful buffets created by our 5-star chef. Each evening your waiter will present a new five course menu—listing an array of choices for you to select from.
Is beer & wine included with dinner? Of course!

The Lounge has seating for all our guests and is a great place to relax, mingle with your fellow cyclists, catch up on emails, or read a nice book.

The bar, located on the Sun Deck, enjoys breathtaking 360-degree views.

Onboard wi-fi is included, as is expert wash-and-fold laundering of your valuable cycling wear.