Day-by-day programme of this 7-day itinerary across Istria and the Kvarner gulf.
Day 1 â Arrival in Pula
Landing in Istria, the heart-shaped peninsula in the northern Adriatic, a mosaic of Roman, Venetian and Austrian heritage. You begin in Pula and its spectacular Arena.
- âïļ Pula â Aeroporto di Pola (PUY)
- ð Pula Arena â Pula Arena is one of the six largest Roman amphitheatres in the world and the only one to still have all three orders of arches intact: built in the 1st century, it could hold 20,000 spectators and today is a unique setting for summer concerts and festivals. You also explore the underground chambers. A few steps away, the Roman Forum with the Temple of Augustus and the Arch of the Sergii tell of imperial Pula. You stroll the centre and sleep here.
- ðĻ Hotel Scaletta â Centro, Pula
Day 2 â Kamenjak and the Brijuni
Morning on the wild cliffs of Cape Kamenjak and afternoon by boat to Brijuni National Park, the archipelago that was Tito's summer residence, before reaching Rovinj.
- ð Cape Kamenjak â At the southern tip of Istria, the Cape Kamenjak headland is a wild nature reserve: low cliffs, Mediterranean scrub, hidden coves of clear water and dirt trails to walk or cycle, with no buildings. It is the right place for a first morning swim away from the crowds. Then you head back up to Fazana to board for the Brijuni.
- ðŊ Brijuni â From Fazana harbour a ferry takes you to Brijuni National Park, an archipelago of fourteen very green islands. It was the summer residence of Marshal Tito, who received heads of state and film stars here: still today you tour by little train among Roman ruins, a safari park with the exotic animals gifted to him and English-style lawns. An unusual, fascinating corner. In the late afternoon you reach Rovinj, the pearl of Istria.
- ðĻ Hotel Casa Garzotto â Centro storico o zona porto, Rovinj
Day 3 â Venetian Rovinj
A day entirely devoted to Rovinj, Istria's most romantic town: a tangle of colourful alleys climbing to St Euphemia's bell tower, between Venetian and bohemian atmospheres.
- ð St Euphemia's Church â Rovinj is a peninsula of pastel-coloured houses pressed against one another, dominated by the Baroque bell tower of St Euphemia, inspired by St Mark's in Venice. You climb the cobbled alleys - the famous Grisia, the artists' street - up to the church, from which the view embraces the sea and the roofs. Below, the fishermen's harbour and the waterside terraces. A seafood lunch in a konoba.
- ð Punta Corrente (Zlatni rt) â In the afternoon, south of the centre, the Punta Corrente (Zlatni rt) forest park offers shady pine woods along the sea, trails for walking or cycling and flat rocks to sunbathe and dive into the clear water, facing the islets. On return, a sunset aperitif on Rovinj's rocks is a ritual. You dine and sleep in town.
Day 4 â Porec and the Lim Channel
Northward along the coast: the early-Christian basilica of Porec with its golden UNESCO mosaics, and a stop on the Lim Channel among oysters and mussels.
- ð Euphrasian Basilica â Porec holds one of the treasures of Byzantine art in Europe: the 6th-century Euphrasian Basilica, a UNESCO site, with dazzling golden mosaics in the apse, an atrium, a baptistery and a bell tower to climb. The old town, of Roman layout, is a pleasant weave of Venetian streets to the point on the sea. Heading back south you skirt the striking Lim Channel.
- ð―ïļ Lim Channel â The Lim Channel (Limski kanal) is a long, narrow fjord set between steep green walls, the only true 'fjord' of the Mediterranean: its salt-rich waters host renowned oyster and mussel farms. In the shoreside taverns you taste them just harvested, with a glass of Istrian Malvasia. A memorable lunch in an unusual landscape. In the afternoon you return to Rovinj for relaxation and sea.
Day 5 â The hill towns and the truffle
A day in inland Istria, the 'little Tuscany': the medieval hilltop villages of Motovun and Groznjan and a truffle hunt in the woods of Livade.
- ð Motovun â Inland Istria is a succession of rolling hills, vineyards and medieval villages clinging on high: the Croatian 'little Tuscany'. Motovun is the most famous, a walled town atop a hill from which the gaze sweeps over the Mirna river valley: you climb on foot along the Venetian walls to the square with its church and the view. In the village you taste truffle ice cream. Then you continue to Groznjan.
- ðŊ Livade â The oak woods around Livade, in the Mirna valley, are among the richest truffle lands in the world: here the prized Istrian white truffle is dug, a rival to Alba's. You can join a truffle hunt with trained dogs and then taste the produce - truffle, cured meats, cheeses, oil and Malvasia - at a farm. A tasty, authentic experience. In the afternoon you visit the artists' village, Groznjan.
- ð Groznjan â Groznjan is a tiny stone village, almost abandoned and then reborn as a 'town of artists': silent alleys, studios, galleries and workshops, geraniums at the windows and absolute peace. You wander car-free within its walls, with the green valley all around. Towards evening you head down to the Opatija riviera for the last part of the trip.
- ðĻ Hotel Istra â Lungomare di Abbazia (Opatija)
Day 6 â Opatija and Rijeka
A last day on the Kvarner gulf: the belle epoque promenade of Opatija and lively Rijeka with its Korzo and Trsat castle, before heading home.
- ð Opatija Lungomare â Opatija was the 'Austrian Nice', the favourite spa resort of the Habsburg empire: art-nouveau villas, parks of laurels and camellias and the famous Lungomare, an elegant paved promenade 12 km long skirting the sea between Volosko and Lovran, with the statue of the 'Maiden with the Seagull'. A belle epoque air and a coffee with a view. Then you reach nearby Rijeka.
- ð Trsat Castle â Rijeka, a large port city and 2020 European Capital of Culture, surprises with its lively pedestrian Korzo, Austro-Hungarian palaces and the Trsat sanctuary, perched on a hill with a medieval castle overlooking the city, the port and the gulf. A blend of Central-European history and seaside life. A lunch in the centre closes the trip. Then you head back towards Pula airport.
Day 7 â Departure from Istria
Return from Pula airport (or by car towards Italy). End of the journey in the Istrian peninsula.
- âïļ Pula â Aeroporto di Milano Malpensa (MXP)
