61 TOPLICE - OPRTALJ - TOPLICE

The trail runs from Istarke toplice towards Zrenj, and then returns to the starting point over the plateau above Gradinje and Istarske toplice.
The trail to Gradinje starts on the asphalt road, but leaves it soon in the vicinity of the tavern “Dolina”. It continues towards the centre of the village, where you can stop by a renovated little church, and then follows the road up to the forest path to Oprtalj, a typical Istrian hill top village whose name occurs even on ancient monuments. The trail runs through an impressive canyon, where you will be able to enjoy magnificent views of both Oprtalj and the recognizable Učka and Ćićarija massifs. The trail turns eastwards towards the village of Laganisi at the top of the road. From that point, you follow the marked road (IPP – Istrian mountain trail) up to the village of Vižintini. As you progress along the trail, you will be able to enjoy views of the mountain range and many old towns such as Motovun, Kaldir, Sovinjak and Vrh. Upon reaching the village of Vižintini, the trail continues along the marked path all the way to a crossroads where it turns to the south, but it soon turns eastwards again in the direction of the village of Žnjidarići, where it joins the serpentine road to Istarske toplice. It is a spa located in the valley of the River Mirna whose rich thermal springs have been known since ancient times. The spa was named after the most famous spring, St. Stephen’s Spring (izvor sv. Stjepana), welling out from under an imposing 85 meter high rock on top of which you can look around the ruins of the old St. Stephen’s Church (crkva sv. Stjepana). In the autumn months, truffle hunters can be readily seen in the wooded area of Istarske toplice.
Just before returning to the starting point, you can make a slight detour to visit the impressive galleries of an old quarry. The trail returns to its starting point after descending down a few more curves and entering a small park right next to the spa.

Highlights

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