Croatia’s Istria peninsula, where culture and nature collide
This Adriatic peninsula presents a welcome alternative to Croatia’s overrun hotspots.
As Dubrovnik succumbs to more and more visitors, Istria, the peninsula on the Italian border in the far north of Croatia, seems an ever more appealing option, especially during the northern summer. The landscape is very different to the wild, remote and mountainous southern coastline of Dalmatia; Istria feels neat and cultivated in comparison. Meanwhile, the cultural and historical influence of Italy and Central Europe is ever apparent and it has many attractions in its own right.
The Romans founded Pula as Istria’s main port in 46BC and the ruins are now part of the city. The splendid Arena, a first century AD amphitheatre, where crowds of up to 20,000 spectators would watch gladiator fights, now hosts open-air summer concerts (Icelandic singer Bjork and German electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk will play there this year) and stages the annual Pula Film Festival (July 14-22). Nearby, the former Roman Forum, overlooked by the imposing Temple of Augustus, is now Pula’s main square, rimmed by busy cafes and home to the useful city tourist office. Another Pula landmark is the Secession-style (art nouveau) iron-and-glass covered market from 1903, where locals shop each morning for seasonal fruit and vegetables and a rich array of meat, seafood and dairy products.
Pula is also a busy port. The Uljanik shipyard, on a tiny island connected to the mainland by a causeway, was originally built by the Austro-Hungarian navy in 1856. It’s still working (just), and becomes a spectacle each evening after dark with a brilliant contemporary installation, Lighting Giants, which sees its eight towering cranes bathed in myriad colours and reflected in the water.
However, most tourists who land at the airport will be headed not for the city itself, but for the coast. There are a handful of renovated 1970s hotels a few kilometres south of town, on the Verudela peninsula and in Medulin, with generous sports facilities and acceptable rock-and-pebble beaches, as well as two or three very good family-run restaurants serving authentic local seafood dishes. But far more compelling are the resorts on Istria’s west coast. As you leave Pula, it’s well worth making a 10km detour to Fazana to take a 15-minute boat ride to the car-free islet of Veli Brijun. Here a half-day can easily be spent wandering through carefully tended parkland, complete with deer and peacocks, and drinking coffee in the shade of pine trees.
In the early 19th century, it was a health resort, popular with wealthy Austro-Hungarians, as well as artists and writers, such as painter Gustav Klimt, author Thomas Mann and Irish novelist James Joyce, who lived briefly in Pula in 1904-05. Later, under Yugoslavia, it became President Tito’s summer residence, where he would entertain international royalty, politicians and film stars. Since 1983, it has been part of Brijuni National Park.
A half-hour drive north from here, Rovinj competes with Dubrovnik for the title of Croatia’s most picturesque destination. With its pastel-coloured Venetian-style facades curving round a wide, sheltered fishing harbour, backed by a hill crowned with an 18th-century church, it is irresistibly photogenic. Besides its luxury hotels, rustic-chic seafood eateries and candlelit cocktail bars, it’s home to Zlatni Rt, a green peninsula planted with pines, cedars and cypresses, skirted by a coastal path leading to a series of pebble coves giving on to warm turquoise sea, perfect for bathing.
And then you have inland Istria, a hinterland of undulating vineyards and olive groves, guarded by medieval fortified hill towns such as Motovun and Groznjan. Much loved by gourmets and connoisseurs for its pungent truffles and robust Teran red wine, the Mirna Valley lies at its centre, offering stone villas to rent and agrotourism centres serving homemade fuzi (a type of pasta) and hearty stews, as well as vineyards open for tasting, among the best of which are Meneghetti near Bale on the road heading south, and Trapan just outside Pula, which is where we started.
And to dine? Batelina, Banjole, 7km southeast of Pula city centre, serves carefully and imaginatively prepared seafood; the owner is a fisherman and the menu changes daily, depending on the previous night’s catch. Kantinon is in Rovinj, which has lots of expensive fancy restaurants, but this down-to-earth eatery, overlooking the harbour, offers delicious seafood, sensible prices and a laid-back atmosphere. Zigante in Livada is owned by local truffle-hunting champion Giancarlo Zigante, and this is the best place to try Istrian truffle dishes; there are six degustation menus and excellent house wines.
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■ There is surely some correlation between Croatia’s growing popularity and its starring role in the HBO series Game of Thrones. Among the attractions to have featured are Dubrovnik, with its city walls and forts featured as King’s Landing; beautiful Trsteno Arboretum on the outskirts of the city, which becomes the Red Keep’s gardens; the Fortress of Klis, which is used for exterior shots of Meereen; and St Dominic Monastery in Trogir, which appears as the city of Qarth. The remains of Diocletian’s Palace in Split, another Game of Thrones filming location, is now the buzzing heart of the city. Among the ancient columns, temples, walls and underground cellars that once made up the Roman emperor’s retirement home, you’ll find dozens of hidden bars, restaurants and shops. Stay at Apartments Salvezani, right in the centre of the UNESCO World Heritage site, and be sure to visit hip Uje, a restaurant and wine bar that also lies within the old palace boundaries.
■ Don’t go hoping for sand. Croatia is all about picturesque pebbled beaches lapped by crystal clear water. Zlatni Rat is the best known, and adorns just about every travel brochure, so expect crowds, but there are gorgeous hidden spots on the mainland, such as Nugal, just south of Makarska.
■ The Biokovo mountain range contains Croatia’s second highest peak, Sveti Jure, at 1762m, but lies just a few kilometres from the sea. Rise early and follow the steep trail from the village of Makar, just above the beach resort of Makarska, up to the peak of Vosac (1422m), or, if you’re feeling energetic, Sveti Jure. It’s a spellbinding route in spring, scattered with wildflowers and butterflies, sweet-smelling pine trees and limestone boulders. Head back down for a refreshing dip in the sea and a well-earned gelato (the ice cream here is as good as you’ll find on the other side of the Adriatic).
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Recommended accommodation is at Hotel Kastel in Istria’s fortified hilltown of Motovun. This 33-room boutique property occupies an elegant baroque building with fantastic views over the surrounding countryside, a quiet garden and terrace restaurant.