Jezero Butoniga

In November 2017, we decided to escape the foggy weather in Austria and booked a hotel in Porec, located on the Istrian Peninsula in Croatia, where pleasant autumn weather was forecasted.

We brought our bikes along, with Betty and our e-bikes. To our surprise, we ran into Norbert and Gabi, friends from Gumpoldskirchen, who were also staying at the hotel. Norbert, a strong cyclist who often rides with our group, joined us, while Gabi had an e-road bike with no speed limit of 25 km/h, making her ready to ride at our pace.
From Porec, we headed towards Visnjan, enjoying a steady, gentle uphill ride. We then turned left at Stuti, which led to a fast downhill into the Mirna Valley, passing the Mirna River. After reaching nearly sea level, we made a 90° turn towards Butoniga Jezero, a picturesque lake surrounded by mountains.
At the lake, the big climb of the day began, with an 18% gradient. The winding road, complete with switchbacks, led us up to Bankovci, where we reached a high road with stunning views. After a brief descent, we took a short break to charge Gabi's e-bike in Trviz.
The ride back to Porec was easy, though with Norbert's high pace, it became a challenge for me to keep up. The loop was a great ride in excellent weather, and we ended the day with a refreshing swim in the sea.

bike: Pretty Betty Specialized Tarmac S-Works
starring: Gerry Samer