Introduction
Istria, the heart-shaped peninsula at Croatia's north-western tip, is the country's most refined and gastronomic region — a sun-warmed land of Venetian-Italian coastal towns, hilltop villages, truffle forests, vineyards and olive groves, often called the “Croatian Tuscany”.
Overview
Istria, the largest peninsula in the Adriatic and Croatia's gentle, prosperous north-western corner, feels closer to Italy than to the rest of the country — and indeed it is officially bilingual, its centuries under Venice and Italy written into its architecture, dialect and cuisine. The result is one of the Mediterranean's most rewarding regions for food, wine and unhurried beauty. Its loveliest town is Rovinj, a romantic former fishing port whose pastel houses crowd a small peninsula crowned by the tall campanile of St Euphemia's church, its harbour and tangle of steep lanes irresistibly photogenic. To the south, Pula guards one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheatres in the world — a vast 1st-century arena that still hosts summer concerts and film festivals — along with other Roman monuments and a working-port energy. The west coast also holds Poreč, with the dazzling 6th-century Byzantine mosaics of its UNESCO-listed Euphrasian Basilica, and a string of resorts and pebbly coves, while the offshore Brijuni Islands form a national park of parkland, Roman ruins and a former presidential retreat. But Istria's soul lies inland, in a rolling green landscape of vineyards, olive groves and medieval hilltop towns that has earned it the “Croatian Tuscany” label: Motovun, perched dramatically above the truffle-rich Mirna valley; the artists' town of Grožnjan; tiny Hum, billed as the smallest town in the world; and Buzet, the “city of truffles”. This is gourmet country — the Motovun forest yields prized white and black truffles, the region produces some of the world's most awarded olive oils and excellent wines (the white Malvazija and red Teran), and the cuisine marries Italian influence with Croatian tradition in fuži pasta, prosciutto, seafood and truffle dishes. Warm, scenic and delicious, Istria is at its best from late spring to early autumn for the coast, with autumn the prime season for the truffle harvest and the vineyards.
Discover Istria
Rovinj is the jewel of the Istrian coast and one of the most beautiful towns on the Adriatic — a former Venetian fishing port set on a small peninsula, where pastel houses rise straight from the sea in a tight cluster of steep, cobbled lanes, all crowned by the soaring baroque campanile of the church of St Euphemia. The harbour, the artists' street of Grisia, the waterfront cafés and the labyrinthine old town make it irresistibly photogenic, especially at sunset, and the wooded Zlatni Rt (Golden Cape) park and offshore islets add swimming and walking. Up and down the west coast lie more gems: Poreč, with the extraordinary, glittering 6th-century Byzantine mosaics of its Euphrasian Basilica (a UNESCO World Heritage Site); the resort areas around Vrsar and the Lim fjord; and a coastline of pebbly coves, pine-backed beaches and clear water. Just off Pula, the Brijuni Islands form a national park of manicured parkland, Roman and Byzantine ruins, dinosaur footprints and a safari park, once Tito's summer retreat. The Istrian coast combines historic towns with relaxed Adriatic bathing.
Ways to Experience This Destination
The romantic Venetian port of Rovinj, the mosaics of Poreč and the coves and Brijuni Islands.
One of the world's best-preserved Roman amphitheatres and the classical monuments of Pula.
The “Croatian Tuscany” of Motovun, Grožnjan and Hum and the prized white and black truffles.
Malvazija and Teran wines, world-class olive oils and an Italian-influenced cuisine of fuži and seafood.
Frequently asked questions
This overview comes from Visaja's worldwide missions database (visaja.com), checked against official government sources; for binding answers, the mission itself always has the final word.