Because of its mediterranian imprint and geographical setting, Istria is the ideal place for your holiday. With its heart shape the green peninsula dives deep into the blueness of the Adriatic, boardered by the splendid gulf and islets. Istria is often referred to as the Croatian Tuscany.
If you start your tour through Istria from Rijeka (170km from Zagreb), pass through Učka tunnel. Drive on through "Istrian Y" to city of Pazin, place in the center of Istria. On your way to Pazin you will come across the smallest town in the world - Hum. Pazin is well known by its spectacular pit, a natural phenomenon placed under special protection. Interesting fact is that here, french writer Jules Verne has found inspiration for his novel "Mathias Sandorf", published in 1885.
Then drive north-east to medieval town of Motovun, located on top of 277m high hill. The longest Istrian staircase with 1052 steps lead to the top of the hill. The town is well known for its film festival held under the open sky. Numerous guests of the Motovun Film Festival noticed that unique Istrian taverns with local specialities and wines (teran and malvasia) with relaxed atmosphere are what makes this festival different from many others. Fall is the Truffle season, a very respected delikatesse which flourishes naturally underground. It is possible to find them using specially trained dogs.
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Another town situated 10km from sea, on the top of a hill (at 222m above sea level) is Buje. Beautiful panoramic view of surrounding green fields, wineyards and olive groves gave the town the name "The Watchman of Istria".
Arriving to coast of Istria, visit town of Umag - sport center of Adriatic. It is well known by ATP tour, tennis tournament that is held in Umag every year. Town is perfect for rest and recreation, with warm and comfortable climate (2400 hours of sunshine a year). It offers a lot of sport activities on sea and land like sailing, diving, water skiing, windsurfing, deep sea fishing, basketball, volleyball, handball, soccer and many other.Find accommodation in Umag
On the road to south, you will find city of Novigrad. It is rich with historical heritage and you can enjoy walking through beautiful narow streets and little shops.
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Poreč is a beautiful town on the west coast of Istria with a long tradition in tourism and one unique monument protected by UNESCO. Euphrasius basilica is a complex of sacral structures and one of most significant mosaics in Europe.
Every place in old city center is special, with mix of the past and modern times. Whole historic core of Poreč becomes tourist stage of summer Street art festival which includes stage performances, visual art projects and various types of street perfomrances.
Cardo and Decumanus are main city streets that divide the city in four parts. On the main city square Marafor, Roman forum with Roman temples was built. One of the temples was dedicated to god Neptune. Some Romanic houses and Venetian gothic palaces are still well preserved.
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Rovinj is the next stop. It's a city with a soul, old architecture, history and culture. Old city of Rovinj is located on a peninsula, with typical Mediterranean narrow streets, small squares and friendly people. Streets lead to the town's highest point, where is St. Euphemia Church with the bell tower and view that stretches to the Brijuni islands.
One of the Rovinj attractions is the "Croatian Summer Salsa Festival" which is organized by a group of enthusiasts and salsa lovers during summer. Festival usually lasts for four or five days, with workshops and parties while dancing salsa on wooden dance floors set in streets and city squares.
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Take the trip to Brijuni islands with ferry boat from Fažana (Pula - 8km).The Brijuni archipelago stretches along the south west coast of the peninsula of Istria. The islands consist of two large islands, Veli (big) Brijun and Mali (small) Brijun plus twelve other smaller islands. For travellers from all around the world, national park Brijuni has become one of favourite holiday destinations with its spectacular beauty, and mild climate. The coastline is mostly low and rocky, although very accessible, with a few sandy and pebble inlets.
The white villa on the island in Veli Brijun was the residence of Joseph Broz Tito. During his reign as president of Yugoslavia, he received many public officials and delegates here. He was an animal lover, and he had received many gifts from visitors from all parts of the globe. Today there are more than 600 indigenous plant species, mostly Mediterranean, and in the northern part of Veli Brijun there is a safari park where there are deer, zebra, ostriches, giraffes and other animals.
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The ancient city of Pula - city famous by arena, the best kept amphitheatre of the Roman ages today. It was built in the first century, and was used for holding gladiator battles.
Visit Augustus' temple, in the Forum – the main city square; the arch of Sergijevaca – known as the "Golden gate" and museums with exhibits such as: tools for making oil and wine in the areas underneath the Arena. Have fun at fisherman's festivals, restaurants in the town and surrounding areas, taste seafood and fish specialties of Istria.
The famous Irish writer James Joyce stayed in Pula for a time. Today there is a bronze statue of Joyce "sitting" in front of the pub "Uliks" where he regularly enjoyed drinking coffee or perhaps a glass of wine. Most visitors of Pula usually take a picture with the statue as a fun memento.
Today, concerts are regularly held in the arena, manifestations such as "Under the starry sky, between the stone columns" and artists such as: Alanis Morissette, Cesaria Evora, Anastacia, Vanessa Mae, Sting, Joe Cocker, Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo, Simply Red, Jamiroquai, have held concerts there, just to mention a few.
Pula is a top holiday destination for its sights, events and excellent night life.
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