Bartolići: Cycling Route 513 and Nearby Churches

Cycling and regional history give a stay in Bartolići two distinct focal points. The surrounding area is home to church buildings with datable architectural features and works of art; the wider travel area adds a variety of landscape forms. Villa Trüffel-Garten is located at Livade / Žugani 62 in Bartolići. Leisure activities associated with it include walks, hiking, cycling and bicycle rental. Confirm the accommodation’s availability directly before finalizing your trip.

Cycling Route 513 and Regional Routes

The official cycling route 513 Tartufina climbs to Bartolići and continues above the settlement at a junction below Šimeći. In the wider travel area, its profile describes a challenging 34.7-kilometer circular route via Sovinjak and Istarske toplice, returning to Buzet. It covers 780 meters of elevation gain, with 12.5 kilometers on asphalt and 22.2 kilometers on gravel. These figures therefore refer to the circular route, not just the direction of travel described in Bartolići. Gravel, at 22.2 kilometers, makes up the larger share of the route surface; asphalt accounts for 12.5 kilometers. Together with the elevation gain, this breakdown provides specific information to help you plan your rides. Check route conditions before setting out.

The Parenzana is another route in the wider travel area: it runs from Savudrija via Buje, Grožnjan, Livade and Motovun to Vižinada. Its route therefore differs from the Tartufina, whose regional route profile passes via Sovinjak and Istarske toplice on its way back to Buzet.

Churches and the Regional Landscape

The wider Buzet and Buzeština region includes valleys, gorges, hills and partly wooded mountains at elevations of 100 to over 1,000 meters. Grad Buzet and the Municipality of Lanišće are part of the Bijela Istra landscape region, whose name refers to the steep white limestone cliffs of the Ćićarija Mountains. Nearby Motovunska šuma is also designated as ecological network site HR2000637 and is described as an area of biological significance. This adds a specific nature-conservation connection to the landscape overview.

The history of churches in the immediate area can be traced through several specific dates. The parish church in Sovinjak was built in 1927 on the site of an older church dating from 1556; the bell tower beside the church dates from 1557. The nearby Church of Saint Roch dates from the 15th century. Behind the altar is a fresco of Saint Roch, painted by Domenico from Udine in 1571. In Sovinjak, the chronology focuses on the church site and its bell tower; at the Church of Saint Roch, a specific fresco adds a dated work of art to the building’s history.

The Church of Saint Helena in Sovinjska Brda has also been restored. The work included repairing the roof, renewing the interior walls, replacing the windows and reconstructing the altar. Bartolići belongs to the parish of Župa sv. Jurja mučenika in Sovinjak, founded in 1645.

Discover more destinations: Baredine, Sveti Martin, Marčenegla, Prodani, Buzet, Pračana, Veli Mlun, Črnica.

View the wider travel guide: Općina Buzet.