Nine tunnels. Six stone viaducts. A route shaped by terrain.
Official historical sources record nine tunnels with a combined length of about 1,530 m along the old railway and six stone viaducts, all on the Buje–Poreč section. The line’s engineering is not background decoration: it is the core reason the Parenzana feels different from an ordinary gravel path.
The Grožnjan–Livade sequence
The official Parenzana project highlights six tunnels and four viaducts between Grožnjan and Livade. Key structures include Sv. Vid and Kalcini near Grožnjan, Kostanjica, the two short Završje tunnels, and Freski. Major viaducts include Završje, Antonci, Freski and Oprtalj.
Motovun tunnel
On the Vižinada–Motovun section, the route passes through a lamp-lit tunnel approximately 222 m long beneath the Motovun hill before descending toward Livade.
Valeta / Lucan tunnel in Slovenia
The longest historic tunnel is approximately 544 m and lies between Strunjan and Portorož. The modern route through this section is one of the most distinctive reminders that Parenzana is a cross-border railway story, not only a Croatian trail.
Safety
Carry your own light even where lighting exists, slow before entrances and expect colder, damp conditions inside tunnels. Heritage infrastructure and trail condition can change; current local notices take priority over guide text.