NOVA Eroica Istria in May once again brings together gravel cycling, white roads and the gastronomy of northwestern Istria
The second edition of the NOVA Eroica Istria – Truffle Tour event will take place on 1 and 2 May 2026 in Novigrad-Cittanova and northwestern Istria, with a programme that combines a sporting challenge, recreational riding, local gastronomy and the distinctive aesthetics of the Eroica movement. After the inaugural edition held in September 2025, the event returns in a spring slot, precisely at the time when the Istrian landscape opens up to the outdoor activity season, and cycling routes gain additional appeal thanks to mild temperatures, green hills, vineyards and white roads that have become one of the most recognizable symbols of the gravel scene.
The event is conceived as a two-day cycling festival, and not merely as a sports competition. The organizers point out that its special quality lies in the combination of riding on macadam, paved secondary roads, historic routes and landscapes that lead through areas known for truffles, wines, olive oil and medieval towns. At the centre of the event is Novigrad-Cittanova, from which all the main rides start and to which they return, while during the festival days the town will also be a meeting place for participants, exhibitors, visitors and local producers. Due to the expected interest in the event, it is useful for visitors planning to come to Novigrad to check
accommodation offers in Novigrad and the surrounding area in good time.
Three routes as the backbone of the main festival day
Saturday, 2 May, is the main sporting day of the NOVA Eroica Istria event. The programme offers three gravel routes of different lengths and levels of difficulty, with the organizers emphasizing that more than 80 percent of the surface consists of Istrian white roads. This very piece of information is important for understanding the character of the event: Eroica is not based only on the result, but also on the experience of riding on terrains that preserve a connection with the history of cycling, the rural landscape and a slower, experiential approach to travelling through space. The routes are designed to connect sporting effort, panoramic sections, cultural heritage sites and refreshment points with products characteristic of Istria.
The longest route is called the Truffles Route and is officially defined as a 150-kilometre section, or 153 kilometres according to the technical data published on the event website. It is intended for experienced cyclists and participants looking for a complete gravel challenge through the interior of Istria. The route passes through areas associated with truffles, vineyards and historic settlements, including Motovun, Livade and Oprtalj. According to official information, this section has 2,020 metres of elevation gain, seven refreshment stations and a start at 8 a.m. In competitive terms, it is the most demanding option, but also the route that most fully presents the contrast between Istrian hills, forest areas, macadam climbs and panoramic roads.
The medium Teran Route is conceived as a balance between a sporting challenge and the pleasure of riding. Its official length is 100 kilometres, or 106 kilometres according to the event’s technical data, with 1,460 metres of elevation gain and five refreshment stations. The start is scheduled for 9 a.m. The route leads through rolling hills, wine-growing areas and Istrian places in which the sporting rhythm alternates with the possibility of experiencing the local ambience. The name of the route draws on Teran, one of the most recognizable Istrian wine varieties, which also emphasizes, in the very structure of the event, the connection between cycling and the gastronomic identity of the region.
The shorter Malvasia Route is intended for recreational riders and participants who want to experience the Eroica atmosphere at a more moderate pace. The official description lists a 60-kilometre route, or 62 kilometres according to the technical data, with 695 metres of climbing, three refreshment stations and a start at 10 a.m. Unlike the longer sections, which have a competitive character with timed segments and transfers at a free pace, the Malvasia Route has a cyclotourist character and is ridden at a free pace. This route is particularly important because it opens the event to a wider circle of participants, including those who are not competitively oriented, but want to take part in an international gravel festival and get to know northwestern Istria by bicycle.
White roads, the Parenzana and Istrian towns create the event’s recognizable identity
NOVA Eroica Istria has particular value in the fact that parts of the routes also follow the wider area of the former Parenzana, the historic railway line that connected Trieste and Poreč and is today one of the best-known cyclotourism routes in Istria. In the contemporary tourism and sports context, the Parenzana has become a symbol of connecting nature, history and active holidays, and the inclusion of its sections in the gravel event further emphasizes the authenticity of the route. The ride does not take place only through the landscape, but also through layers of the history of a space in which trains, goods and people once moved, and today cyclists, recreational riders and travellers seeking an experience away from the main roads do so.
The routes pass through recognizable localities of northwestern and central Istria, among which Motovun, Grožnjan, Buje, Livade and Oprtalj stand out in particular. These are places of strong visual identity: stone cores, narrow streets, viewpoints, vineyards, olive groves and forest areas create an ambience that goes beyond the usual sporting format of a race. For participants and accompanying visitors, the event therefore also has a pronounced tourist dimension. Coming to the festival can be connected with tours of small towns, local taverns, wine cellars and olive oil producers, and for those who want to stay for several days,
accommodation options close to the routes and the festival programme are available.
The gastronomic part of the programme is not merely accompanying content, but one of the elements by which NOVA Eroica Istria differs from classic cycling races. The refreshment stations have been announced as places where participants will encounter local delicacies, including truffles, extra virgin olive oils, cheeses, prosciutto, wine and traditional products. Such a concept relies on the broader philosophy of Eroica, in which cycling is viewed as a culture of travel, socializing and respect for the space through which one rides. In the Istrian edition, this philosophy acquires a distinctly local character because the natural challenge of the white roads is connected with products that are already internationally recognized as part of the peninsula’s identity.
The first day is dedicated to tradition, family rides and vintage aesthetics
Friday, 1 May, brings a programme that is less focused on the competitive result and more on togetherness, tradition and the festival atmosphere. According to the published programme, the first day includes the Ciclo Club Eroica Tour, Vintage Tour and Eroica Family Tour. In this way, the event opens up to different profiles of participants: members of the Eroica community, lovers of oldtimer bicycles, families, recreational riders and visitors who want to be part of the atmosphere without the need to participate in more demanding routes. Such an approach broadens the reach of the event and enables Novigrad, over two days, to be not only a start-finish point, but also a festival space.
The Family Bike Ride is planned as an easy and safe ride open to all generations. The organizers connect it with the traditional May Day bike ride, whereby the international sports brand fits into the local rhythm of the Labour Day celebration. The programme also announces a traditional May Day wake-up call with a brass band, followed by the celebration of Labour Day in Karpinjan with a picnic and music programme. This combination of local tradition and an international cycling event is important because it shows that the festival does not attempt to replace the existing social calendar, but complements it and includes it in a broader story about active tourism.
The Vintage Tour – Ciclo Club Eroica has been announced for the afternoon hours and is intended for participants with oldtimer bicycles and clothing inspired by earlier periods of road cycling. Eroica is globally recognizable precisely for cultivating the aesthetics of old bicycles, steel frames, classic equipment and the romantic image of cycling before the dominance of modern technology. In Novigrad, this segment will be further enhanced by a bicycle exhibition in the Lapidarium, giving the event a cultural and historical dimension. For visitors who come to the town because of Friday’s programme and stay for the main rides on Saturday, a practical option is to check in advance
accommodation for visitors to the NOVA Eroica Istria festival.
Competitive format and participation rules
According to the event regulations, NOVA Eroica Istria – Truffle Tour is an amateur cycling event that takes place predominantly on gravel roads. The two longer routes, Truffles Route and Teran Route, have a competitive character, with timed special sections and transfers at a free pace. The Malvasia Route, as the shorter option, is defined as a cyclotourist route ridden entirely at a free pace. Such a format enables the simultaneous existence of sporting competition and recreational participation, without losing the fundamental idea of the event: experiencing the space through riding, gastronomy and togetherness.
The regulations also prescribe the technical conditions for bicycles. On the longer competitive routes, gravel bicycles with drop handlebars, disc brakes and tyres with a minimum width of 32 millimetres are envisaged, while for the shorter Malvasia Route, E-Gravel bicycles and E-MTB bicycles with an auxiliary electric motor are also permitted. At the same time, the regulations state that ordinary, non-electric MTB bicycles are not permitted on any route. For participants, the obligation of a medical certificate is also important, with conditions differing depending on the selected route and the participant’s status. The organizers also recommend repair equipment, energy food for the ride, and for the start they prescribe front and rear lights and a chip attached to the bicycle.
Prizes are planned for the competitive categories on the longer routes, including men’s, women’s and categories for persons with disabilities, as well as the club ranking. According to the official regulations, the award ceremony is planned for Saturday, 2 May, near the Bike Village, with the Teran Route scheduled at 3 p.m., and the Truffles Route and team ranking at 4 p.m. All participants who finish the NOVA Eroica Istria – Truffle Tour receive a commemorative medal of the event, which further emphasizes that the value of participation is not measured solely by placement, but also by completing the selected route.
Novigrad as the festival centre of the gravel community
During the event, Novigrad-Cittanova takes on the role of the centre of the gravel scene in northwestern Istria. The start and finish of all routes are located in the town, while the festival programme includes an EXPO zone, producer presentations, tastings of local products, themed content and a music programme. Such organization is important because it creates a broader experience for participants and visitors: those who do not ride the routes can take part in the accompanying programme, follow the starts and arrivals, meet producers and experience the town through a sporting atmosphere. In this way, Novigrad functions not only as a logistical base, but as a public stage for the event.
In the context of the tourism offer, NOVA Eroica Istria fits into the trend of strengthening active and sustainable tourism. The director of the Istria Tourist Board, Denis Ivošević, stated that the second edition of the event confirms that the quality of the event was recognized already after the premiere, and that the return in May and the greater interest of participants show Istria’s potential for developing top international gravel events. In his assessment, the race connects white roads, landscape and gastronomy and further strengthens Istria’s position as a destination of active and sustainable tourism. This statement is important because it places the event in a broader development framework, beyond the narrow sports calendar.
The organizers also announce the possibility of renting bicycles, which is especially significant for international guests who do not travel with their own equipment. This reduces the logistical obstacle to participation and broadens the circle of potential participants. In addition to official registrations, which are open through the Eroica platform, participants can choose a route according to fitness, experience and equipment, and according to published information, changing the selected route is possible until 15 April 2026 without penalty between routes that require the same type of medical certificate. Since the event is held during the extended May Day weekend, increased interest is expected in
accommodation in Novigrad, Buje, Brtonigla and surrounding places.
An event that connects sport, the local economy and the identity of the space
NOVA Eroica Istria has the potential to operate on several levels: sporting, tourism, cultural and economic. For cyclists, it represents an opportunity to ride on unique terrain, with a large share of macadam and clearly defined routes. For local producers, it opens space for the presentation of wines, olive oil, cheeses, prosciutto, truffles and other products before an international audience. For tourist boards and local government, the event is an opportunity to promote northwestern Istria outside the most intense summer period, in a term that naturally favours outdoor activities and shorter trips.
The organizational framework includes the Istria County Tourist Board, the Tourist Board of the Town of Novigrad-Cittanova, the Cluster of Tourist Boards of Northwestern Istria, the Town of Novigrad-Cittanova and local cycling structures. Such cooperation confirms that the event is not an isolated sports project, but part of a broader destination strategy in which sport is used as a channel for presenting the space, identity and local offer. In the case of NOVA Eroica Istria, the special feature is that cycling does not stand apart from the places through which it passes, but makes them an integral part of the experience.
The second edition of the event thus comes at a moment when gravel cycling in Europe is recording strong growth in interest, and destinations that can offer diverse macadam routes, safe logistics and a meaningful stay have an increasing advantage. Northwestern Istria, in this context, is positioning itself as a space in which a sporting challenge can be combined with landscape, tradition and gastronomy. NOVA Eroica Istria is therefore not just an announcement of yet another cycling race, but confirmation that white roads, historic towns and local flavours can become a strong foundation for an international event that equally attracts competitors, recreational riders and the public.
Sources:- Eroica – official event page of NOVA Eroica Istria with a description of the routes, lengths, climbs, start times and the concept of the event (link)- Eroica – official regulations of NOVA Eroica Istria – Truffle Tour with participation rules, route format, technical conditions and start data (link)- Eroica – official registration page with information on registrations and entry fee categories (link)- Istra.hr – Istria events calendar with the announcement of the second edition of NOVA Eroica Istria 2026 and a description of the festival programme (link)- Croatian National Tourist Board – publication about NOVA Eroica Istria – Truffle Tour, the programme, routes, statement by the director of the Istria Tourist Board and organizers (link)- Town of Novigrad-Cittanova – official announcement of the event in Novigrad with information on the date, organizer, registrations and programme (link)
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