Enjoy your stay in one of the villas in the hinterland of Istria, discover the richness of the Istrian cuisine, explore the wine and olive oil roads and taste local specialties. Visit Motovun, Groznjan or Visnjan and enjoy stunning panoramic views of the countryside. Discover natural beauties of Istria and enjoy kilometers of bicycle paths.
Book a villa in Istria near the sea, enjoy unforgettable days on the beach and relax in the shade of pine trees. If you go on vacation with your family, choose a villa in Istria with pool or enjoy beautiful pebble beaches. Our offer includes villas that can accommodate up to 14 people and that are ideal for holidays with family or friends.
Istria
Getting to know the tradition, culture and way of life of local people is the best way to truly realize the beauty of the Istrian region. Besides enjoying the beautiful beaches and numerous cultural and entertainment events, thanks to its medieval remains and the untouched nature, you can explore Istria in all aspects.
While touring the coastal cities and islands of Blue Istria you can enjoy the beautiful beaches and hidden coves, explore the magic of the romantic towns and find out a lot about the culture, traditions and daily lifestyle. Start you tour in Umag and visit the ATP tennis tournament. Continue the journey to Novigrad and Porec where you can find a UNESCO protected Euphrasian Basilica. Experience the beauty of the Lim bay with beautiful beaches and enjoy the view of romantic town Rovinj. Meet the gladiators in the Roman amphitheater Arena in Pula, and take your children on an adventure safari in the National Park Brijuni. Enjoy the warm sun, clear sea and view of the Kvarner bay in Rabac.
Travel through Green Istria and fall in love with small, medieval towns like Motovun, Pazin, Hum, Žminj and Roca located on small hills. Get to know the traditions and stories, experience the beautiful nature, taste unique delicacies and buy some of the traditional souvenirs.
Tradition
Istrians really keep to their traditions. The geographic location and climate influenced the lifestyle of residents who have always been farmers. In the area of White Istria (Cicarija and Ucka) Istrians raise animals, the Red Istria (southwest Istria) is the area of excellent winegrowers, while in Blue Istria everyone lives from fishing.
In Istria you can find many old buildings that testify the tradition and culture of this region. Istrian wells called Sterne, old Istrian houses called Hiza, roofs, decorative details and oysters for oil were built of stone. Visit small town Savicenta where you can find beautiful Istrian wells that once symbolized wealth. One of the most famous symbols of Istria is Kazun, small field house built of stone, which was once used as a shelter and storage of agricultural tools. Each typical Istrian cottage house called Hiza was built of stone, with so called ‘baladura’ - a staircase to the house entrance, a tavern with hearthstone and a well (Sterna).
The traditional two-toned brown and white costume can be seen in the Ethnographic Museum of Istria.
Istrians value Easter customs a lot like going to the church to bless food, Easter cakes and eggs.
Each town in Istria has traditionally held indigenous fairs where you can feel the atmosphere of the past. The offer is varied and you can bargain and buy whatever you want. We advise you to visit the fair in Buje which takes place every first Wednesday of the month, where you can feel the breath of Istrian tradition.
Traditional culture and heritage, a specific way of life and modernity are characteristic of Istria, which is reflected in a number of authentic souvenirs: miniature versions of famous Istrian stone monuments (Arena, Euphrasian Basilica . . . ), old Istrian buildings; wells, native Istrian souvenirs that can be found in many shops and fairs. Extremely interesting is Bukaleta, traditional jug made of baked clay, which is an inevitable souvenir of every Istrian tavern and used for serving wine. Indigenous souvenirs are Istrian instruments (sopele and rozenice). Among other souvenirs that can be purchased you can choose between Istrian lavender, brandy, olive oil, truffles, wine, dried fruits in honey and various magnets, cards and cups.
Gastronomy
Love goes through the stomach, as we all know. Is there a better way to fall in love with Istria than to try all the delicacies that are traditionally prepared in this area? Olive oil, fine wines and authentic specialties will satisfy the appetites of the biggest gourmets.
Istrian cuisine is a mixture of different historical and cultural influences. Based on Mediterranean and Italian cuisine with a number of spices, rosemary, bay leaves, basil, vegetables and olive oil.
In many traditional Istrian restaurants, do not miss the opportunity to try Istrian prosciutto and goat cheese. The main specialties are different depending on the seasons, during the fall they eat fungi, asparagus in spring and during the summer black truffles. Try the homemade pasta with truffles, gnocchi, pastiche, homemade chicken soup and Istrian minestrone, stewed meat and vegetables.
The traditional Istrian ox (boskarin) with ravioli is an Istrian delicacy that you must try. Order carpaccio ox and enjoy the superb taste and aroma. If you are spending your vacation in Novigrad, try the traditional Novigrad scallops, grilled scallops that are believed to be the best in the world due to the mixing of sea and river water in Novigrad. If the road leads you to Pula, treat your taste buds with scrambled eggs with wild asparagus, traditional omelet from eggs and asparagus in a basket made of dough.
Top quality local wine is an essential part of the table. Enjoy the drops of white wine; Malvasia, Pinot and Muscat, as well as a glass of autochthonous red wines; Merlot and Teran.
Restaurants
If you want to try some of the excellent and indigenous local specialties during your holiday we advise you to visit the following restaurants:
- • Umag - Tavern "Sole"- traditional dishes, ravioli filled with shrimp, chocolate cake with olive oil
- • Novigrad - Restaurant "Damir i Ornela"- polenta with cheese, truffles, Malvasia, homemade gnocchi with truffles
- • Porec - Restaurant "Sveti Nikola"- fish dishes, anglerfish , dessert Istrian wine Muscat
- • Rovinj – Restaurant "Puntulina"– homemade noodles, flambéed scallops, semifreddo
- • Pula - Restaurant "Alla Beccaccia"- homemade brandy, venison, black risotto, scrambled eggs
- • Livade - Restaurant "Zigante"- authentic dishes with white truffles
- • Vrsar - Restaurant "Trost"- meat and fish dishes, Istrian minestrone
- • Buje - Restaurant "Stari Kastel"- octopus in wine sauce with seasonal truffles