Have you already been to Istria, Croatia’s biggest peninsula?
If you have, you have probably visited famous places on the coast like Pula with its magnificient monuments from ancient Roman period…
…or Rovinj, which is one of the most charming towns on the Adriatic coast.
But, if you happen to travel to Istria, don’t forget to include its picturesque hilltop towns in your itinerary! You can find them scattered all around the inland Istria.
The most popular one is definitely Motovun. It’s a hilltop town located in the heart of Istria, famous for its steep, narrow, cobbled streets and preserved medieval structure. It is also famous for the black and white truffles. You can buy products with this appreciated delicacy, and occasionally you can even sign up for a truffle hunt in nearby forests. In summer, Motovun becomes the scene of a popular open-air film festival.
Apart from Motovun, there are other charming historic towns and villages around Istria. My next suggestion is Grožnjan, also famous for its stone houses, built very close one to another. In summer, a popular jazz festival and the school of jazz take place there. In addition to jazz, it is also famous for its art galleries.
You can find similar places all around Istria. It’s just enough to google which historic towns are the closest to your hotel or apartment. Are these Roč, Hum, Buzet, Gračišće, Žminj, Svetvinčenat, Buje, or maybe Bale?Whichever you decide to visit, you’ll enjoy beautiful scenery, plus you’ll probably return with delicious home-made products. Historic towns and villages are typically surrounded by family farms, vineyards and olive groves. If you’re not really into hustle and bustle of big tourist resorts, you might even consider spending a night there. In that case, you’ll have the feeling that the towns are just yours. And here’s one note regarding the term “town”. They are usually regarded as towns due to their urban layout and feel, but their size is actually more of a small village.
It is also important to know that some secrets of inland Istria are hidden underneath its surface. One of the best examples is the Baredine Cave. With tours in different languages, guides will take you into the underground, up to 60 metres below the ground. You’ll see five beautifully decorated chambers, an endemic species and an underground lake there. Just bear in mind that the inside temperature is 14°C (57°F) throughout the year, so you might wanna bring a jacket.
When you get hungry, it’s worth to take a turn to the Lim Bay. You’ll find two high-quality fish restaurants there, offering the best mussels and oysters in Istria.
Of course, you can find excellent restaurants elsewhere, too.
And if you want to bring the taste of Istria home, you should know that the most famous local products are wine (especially malvazija) and extra virgin olive oil. I believe your friends and family will be more than happy to get these as a present once you return home.
Inland Istria has even more secrets to discover! I gave you just an outline, so that you can design the combination that suits your wishes best. Whatever itinerary you make, I’m sure you’ll have a great time!
I really like it, agree that it is so beautiful. Here is one of my shots in Rovinj.