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For those of you who have not heard of Istria, it is the largest peninsula within the Adriatic Sea, located at the very top of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Kvarner Gulf. This peninsula is shared by three countries, Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy, however, 90% of its area is part of Croatia with just a thin slither over the border in neighbouring Slovenia. ||||Istria is only a three-hour drive from Vienna and just 90 minutes from Trieste, the region feels a world away from the Dalmatian resorts and islands further south. Many visitors to Istria remark that it just feels different from the rest of Croatia. You’ll find a greener landscape and plenty of charming, unspoiled towns which are away from the main tourist trail. The region is famed for its beautiful medieval towns, jewelled coastline, and magnificent produce, surely that’s enough good reasons for anyone to visit this stunning area.||As with the rest of Croatia, the best time to visit Istria is between late Spring in the months of May and June, through to September and early October. Given Istria’s proximity to Germany, Austria, Italy, and the Balkans, it’s a hugely popular summer holiday destination for southern Europeans, with peak months falling in July and August. Overall, the best time to visit is either June or September, when you’ll find warm but pleasant temperatures and less crowds.||||||So why visit Istria I hear you ask, well few regions in Croatia have a history as vivid as Istria. The Romans turned this largely agricultural area into a centre of trade and commerce, leaving their mark, in particular, in gorgeous Pula. The Venetians later contributed scores of idyllic villages such as Motovun and the alluring architecture of Rovinj. ||||Through the 20th century, the region was fought over between Italy and Yugoslavia, at one time becoming the personal playground of President Tito, before falling to Croatia in 1991 after the conclusion of the Serb Croat conflict. However, aside from history, Istria is best known for its magnificent food. The region is referred to as Croatia’s pantry, with wonderful wineries, orchards, truffle forests and medieval hilltop towns. ||||Istria’s beaches might not grab the headlines as much as those further south, but they are equally magical. Zlatni Rat, known as the Golden Cape, is the most famous in the region, but you’ll find many more hidden gems if you chat to the locals. Istria’s beaches are predominantly pebbled rather than sandy, it’s also a great area for snorkelling, particularly around the southern tip of Cape Kamenjak. What you will note most of all whilst traveling around Istria, is the truly remarkable scenery, it really is one of the most beautiful regions of Croatia. ||||Getting to Istria from the UK is easy and relatively inexpensive, it’s only a few hours direct flight from Gatwick to the regional capital Pula. Renting a car from the airport was simple and driving in Istria is safe and easy to navigate your way around. ||||No visit to Pula would be complete without a tour of the 2000-year-old Roman Amphitheatre. It’s one of the largest in the world and is still used to this day for events and concerts, in actual fact, Dua Lipa had been performing there the night before my visit. Built during the 1st Century by Emperor Vaspasian as a gift to lover Antonia Cenida, it was primarily used as the entertainment centre for retired legionaries from the roman army. If you get the chance, make sure you have lunch at the Amphitheatre Hotel Restaurant, it’s amazing! ||After lunch it was a short drive to San Canzian, about 80-90km. My tip is to avoid the motorway and take route 21 instead, it meanders its way through the olive groves, mirroring the coast which runs alongside the estuary and the fjord.||||Arriving at San Canzian you will drive along some of the most scenic & picturesque roads I have ever experienced. There are plenty of twists & turns as well as a few hairpins to negotiate, but great fun. For my first night I chose the San Canzian Hotel and Residence. San Canzian is an authentic luxury Hotel & Residences, with 28 rooms and suites, situated in a medieval village. All rooms and suites are unique and individual, extremely well appointed and have the most amazingly comfortable beds. The design is kept traditional, inspired by the unique charm of the Istrian countryside. ||||Having settled into my new home for the night, I booked dinner in the Luciano Restaurant and enjoyed one of the most amazing tasting menus with accompanied wines.||The following morning, after a wonderful sleep, I had a sumptuous breakfast and then headed down to the spa for a treatment and some serious relaxation. Later I enjoyed lunch in nearby Motovun at Konoba Fakin, it has its very own vineyard that you can actually see from the restaurant. I enjoyed the house speciality, which really should be tasted to be appreciated, white chocolate ravioli with caramel sauce!||||Later that afternoon, I was invited to try truffle hunting at Karlic Tartufi with a personal guide called Armin. The Truffle Hunting Centre is surrounded by beautiful old hazelnut and oak trees, which apparently change the appearance and taste of the truffle depending on the tree it is found under! No truffle hunting experience would be complete without your truffle hunting canine helpers. In my case it was Troofie the Damatian, the first truffle hunting dalmatian and the only truffle hunting dalmatian they have ever trained, however, according to her owner, she’s not that good at finding truffles, but makes up for this with her endless affection and fun loving attitude. The star of the show was Lila the labrador, she’s the best truffle hunting dog at Karlic Tartufi, finding our first truffle in less than five minutes. Post truffle hunt you get to do some tasting and then there’s the cooking experience. We tasted local deer sausage, truffle oils and local cow, sheep and goats cheeses. Our cooking experience was scrambled eggs with black truffle, which is a typical afternoon snack in the region. Karlic Tartufi also produce their own balsamic vinegar and olive oil.||||My visit to Istria was all too brief, however, I managed to get a good feel of this incredible area in Croatia. Istria is a must visit and should be included on every holiday bucket list. It’s an area of undiscovered beauty with a rich history just waiting to be explored.
