Učka from Lovran: from the sea to 1,401 m in one climb

Učka is the mountain that rises straight out of the Kvarner Gulf above Opatija and Lovran, and its highest point, Vojak, stands at 1,401 m with a stone tower on top. Few road climbs start this close to the sea and finish this high. Our track leaves the harbour at Lovran at 14 m and climbs 1,434 m in 18.5 km to the summit, an average of 7.5%. It is one of the hardest days you can have on a bike on the Adriatic coast. Here is how the climb breaks down, how to pace it, and how to handle the heat at the bottom and the wind at the top.

The climb: coast, villages, pass, summit

The climb divides naturally at the Poklon pass, at 922 m according to the Učka Nature Park. Below it you climb through villages and forest above the coast; above it the summit road takes you onto the open top of the mountain.

• Lovran to the villages. The road leaves the sea at 8.5%, then eases to 5.8–7% as it climbs through the hamlets above Lovran and Opatija. Kilometres four and five are back at 8%, and by 4 km you are already above 300 m.
• The steep link. Kilometre six is 13.3% on our track, the first real wall. After it the road settles at 6.8–7.6% through the forest on the old road towards Poklon, with a 9.5% kilometre at 10 km, then eases to 2–3.5% into the pass after about 12 km.
• Poklon to Vojak. The park describes its own summit road from Poklon as 7 km of gently rising asphalt through beech forest, with occasional glimpses of the sea, climbing about 465 m to the top. Our track follows it: 6–8% most of the way, with the last kilometre and a half at 8–10% to the tower.

How to pace sea to summit

For most amateurs this is a two-hour climb, and sometimes much more. It deserves the same respect as a big Alpine pass, with the added problem that it starts in Mediterranean heat.

• Start at 75–80% of FTP and stay there. Below Poklon you have an hour or more of climbing ahead, and the 13.5% kilometre will push you above that whatever you do. Ride it seated, then come back down to your pace. Our guide to pacing a climb with power explains why an even effort wins on long climbs.
• Treat Poklon as halfway. In height it is two thirds of the way up, but you will feel it as half. Stop, refill, eat, then start the summit road steadily.
• Gear low. A compact with a 32 or 34 sprocket. See gearing for climbing.
• Fight the heat early. In summer the coast is hot by mid-morning, and the lower slopes face the sun. Start early, carry two bottles and drink before you are thirsty. Hydration in the heat has the details.
• Fuel the whole climb. Two hours of climbing needs 60–90 g of carbohydrate an hour; fuelling long rides has the numbers.

The mountain above Kvarner

Učka Nature Park covers 160 km², and Poklon, with its information point, is its unofficial centre. On Vojak, the Lovran tourist board notes, the tower built at the very top in 1911 lifts the highest point above 1,400 m. From the top the view takes in Istria, Kvarner Bay and its islands, Gorski kotar, Velebit and the Alps, and on clear days the Istria tourist board says it reaches as far as Venice.

The climb has a racing history too. According to the park, the Tour of Croatia finished on Učka in 2016, on stage 4 from Crikvenica, and again in 2017, on stage 5 from Poreč to Poklon. For decades the mountain has also hosted the Croatian hill-climb championships, and the recreational King of Učka race, organised by the Ičići tourist board, has climbed from the sea at Ičići to Vojak.

Practical: season, wind and the way down

• Season. Spring and autumn are ideal: the coast is warm without being hot, and the top is pleasant. In midsummer start at dawn. In winter the top can be cold, icy and wrapped in cloud while Lovran is mild.
• Wind. The top of Učka is open and exposed. In a strong wind the summit road and the descent are no place for a bike. Check the forecast; wind forecasts for cyclists explains what to look for.
• Pack for the top. The summit is about 1,400 m above the start and much cooler than the coast. A gilet and arm warmers make the long descent far more comfortable.
• The descent. Seventeen kilometres downhill to the sea, with tight bends in the villages and traffic near the coast. Stop at Poklon to let your rims or rotors cool. Descending faster and safer has the technique.
• Make it a trip. Opatija and Lovran make an excellent base for a week of riding. Our guide to cycling in Istria covers the rest of the peninsula.

Ride it in Moveee Indoor

The route on this page is the real climb from Lovran to Vojak, with its height at every point. In Moveee Indoor your smart trainer reproduces that gradient as you ride, and the world around you is built from the map of the real place: the coast, the villages above Opatija, the forest and the bare summit. Učka is a serious indoor session. Riding it on the trainer teaches you what nearly 1,500 m of climbing in one go really costs, how to ride the steep link above the villages without spoiling the rest, and how much you need to eat to reach the top still pedalling.

Ride it once as a long climbing day in your build, then again a few weeks before your trip, at the same power, and compare your heart rate. Prefer your own device? Download the GPX above and load it into any app that rides GPX files.

The short version

From the harbour at Lovran to Vojak, 1,401 m: 17 km and nearly 1,500 m of climbing, split at the Poklon pass. Ride it at an even, endurance-plus effort, start early to beat the heat and take a layer for the top. On the summit, climb the stone tower for a view from the islands to the Alps.