Istria
 Istria is largest peninsula in Croatia, located on the very west part of Croatia. It looks like a triangle (see map on the left) and is very popular destination for tourist and travellers due to it's close vicinity to Italy, Slovenia and Austria, as well as it's large coastline, full of small and larger bays with hundred of places and villages offering tourist services.
Interior of Istria peninsula is also very attractive, with numerous small towns built on top of the hills around Istria. Istria became part of Croatia (ex - Yugoslavia) after the Second World War as previously it belonged to Italy, so culturally, Istria is very much influenced by Italian culture.Lot of various companies do holidays to Istria. Istria was called " Terra Magica" in Roman times. Istria is much more westernised than the rest of Croatia due to it's rich and versatile history.
Places in Istria:
 Brijuni (Brioni) Islands - an attractive group of islands near Istria Peninsula, with the main islands Veli Brijun that is Croatia National Park and open to visitors. These islands used to be one of the Tito's favorite residence. Brijuni archipelago are attractive group of islands near Istria Peninsula, with the main islands Veli Brijun that is Croatia National Park and open to visitors. In more recent history almost every major statesman visited the islands as Brijuni were residence of late President Tito .. read more.. + Brijuni Directory
 Groznjan is a 14th-century Venetian town , known nowadays as Town of Artists - an arts colony, where, since 1965, painters, sculptors and musicians comes to live and work. Groznjan is one in the row of pretty Istrian hill top medieval towns,architecturally similar to Motovun or Pazin.
This small town in the central part of Istria, 8 km southeast of Buje or 26 kilometers north east of Porec is situated on the plateau above the River Mirna valley.. read more ... + Groznjan Travel Directory
 Motovun - Small town in central / continental Istria located on the hill above pastoral valley with views all around Istrian hills. It become very trendy as it hosts every summer Motovun Film festival. Motovun is one of the best preserved Istrian hill medieval towns. It is located at the south side of Mirna River Valley about twenty kilometers from Buje (another Istrian town) and offers 360 degrees panoramic view of Istrian valleys all the way to Adriatic Sea... read more + check Motovun Travel Directory
 Novigrad or Cittanova in Italian, is a small, picturesque town located at the north-west shore of Istrian Peninsula, just about 25 km away from Slovenian border and about 15 km from Porec, Umag or Buje - another places in Istria. Novigrad is positioned on a small limestone peninsula on which the old town centre is built, surrounded by well preserved mediaeval walls and towers.... read more + Novigrad Travel Directory
 Pazin - a nice little town in continental Istria. The old part of the town, called Kastel, lies on a hill about 130 meters above the abyss called Jama or Fojba in Italian. In the abyss bellow the castle, Pazincica river flows. Kastel - Medieval Castle is built on a cliff ... read more + Pazin Travel Directory
 Porec - Important Istrian tourist resort, built in Austro-Hungarian style architecture, featuring Episcopal Complex of the Euphrasian Basilica in the Historic Centre of Porec. This ancient settlement of Istria is also popular day trip destination from Venice Italy...+ Porec Travel Directory
 Pula - main Istrian city and important Croatian port and industrial centre being something in between a busy working port and active Istrian Riviera town.It features huge and amazing Roman amphitheater still used as summer stage for various opera and pop performances + Pula Travel Directory
 Rovinj - walled town built on small peninsula - very popular tourist destination - regular daily trips to Venice. This fishing port was once the principal town of the Istrian peninsula; it is one of the most attractive towns in the region and its historic centre was modelled on Venice. .. read more + Rovinj Travel Directory
Umag - Istrian tourist place with numerous hotels. Umag is well known for it's yearly Tennis tournament.
Rabac - Another popular tourist destination with numerous hotels and camping grounds.
Check recent topics in Istria Travel Forum:
Nadomak Sunca, Istria, among ten of the best WWOOFing breaksIn today's eddition of Guardian Travel, under the title ' Ten of the best WWOOFing breaks' , Nadomak Sunca in Istria is also featured.
The article starts with ' These European holidays are great for the environment and for your budget - provided you don't mind mucking out on a farm or sticking your hand in [...]
More is less: Casa Oraj in Lovran, Istria In Saturdays’s article in Guardian, titled 'More is less', the writer suggest that clubbing together with friends this summer and going slightly off the beaten track, you can take your pick of castles, villas and mansions.
Among other sugested European holiday castles, villas and mansions, Casa Oraj in Istrian resort of Lovran (located 5km south of Opatija), is also [...]
Two holiday recommendations for CroatiaAdditional two holiday recommendations for Croatia in recent The Guardian travel supplements:
Glam beach retreats for under €100 : Beach bungalows, Palmizana, Croatia
Glitzy Hvar is Croatia's celebrity magnet. It's here that the moneyed dock their mega yachts, stepping ashore to strut the town's pale marble promenade.
But 10 minutes away courtesy of a private speedboat, lies the [...]
Motovun’s Mondo Konoba in NY TimesMondo Konoba, located in Motovun, Istria was featured in today's New York Times.
This is an excerpt from the article:
Mondo Konoba may be the best little restaurant that you may never reach. It is what eating in the Old World should feel like. Just be warned that you’ll have to work for it..
Mondo Konoba sits on [...]
Your spending money will go much further in Croatia According to article in Observer's travel section, British travellers should visit Croatia next summer where their spending money will go much further. In its yesterday's article titled 'Where to holiday beyond the Eurozone' they suggest to do following swaps :
Swap Corfu for Korcula : A long-time family favourite, Corfu offers an ideal mix of bustling resorts, long sandy [...]
An affordable way to explore Istria’s beautiful coast and medieval townsAn affordable way to explore Istria's beautiful coast and medieval towns is featured in yesterday's The Independent's travel section.
Under the title 'Find a budget base in Croatia' , David Ryan writes about his Istrian experience. This is and excpert from the article:
Every holiday has a defining moment, a mental snapshot which recalls the mood, be it [...]
New Year’s program in Valamar Diamant Hotel in PorecValamar Hotels and Resorts, Croatian largest hotel chain, has presented New Year's Eve program in its popular Valamar Diamant Hotel in Porec, Croatia.
Along with the program for the period from 29 December 2008 till 4 January 2009, created to suit the liveliest time of the year, Valamar announced some imaginative surprises for all participants in the [...]
Rovinj’s Hotel Lone in the Design Hotels collectionScheduled to be opened in the summer of 2009, Hotel Lone, Rovinj, has been included in the prestigious international Design Hotels AG collection, and has thus become the first Croatian hotel within this globally renowned brand. This opens up a whole new market for both this hotel and Rovinj’s and Croatian tourism, focused on sophiticated [...]
Flights to Pula from European AirportsAs last year on the beginning of April, Ryanair ,the low cost airline, introduced the flights between Pula and London on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, while Croatia Airlines will provide flights to London once a week.
Pula Airport has also started to welcome flights from the German cities of Dresden, Leipzig, Rostock, Berlin and Erfurt, as well as [...]
New ferry boat line Pula - Fazana - Rovinj - Pula There are some good news comming from Croatian authorities about boats and ferries in Croatia : The municipalities of Pula, Fazana and Rovinj have last week agreed to jointly finance a new ferry boat line that will connect Pula via Fažana (place accross the Brijuni National Park) and Rovinj.
The new ferry line, which will be a seasonal one, already [...]
Hotel Riviera in Porec to become Hotel Palazzo
Following the reconstruction of Hotel Riviera in Porec - Istria, that began in early February, this oldest hotel in town located in the historical town core, will be renamed to Hotel Palazzo and will completely change its appearance.
The old part of the hotel, which cannot be modified for its architectural value, will remain unchanged, with [...]
Railway tunnel Ucka part of program for railway infrastructureAt its meeting at the beginnig of March this year, the Croatian Government took a stand regarding the amendments referring to the Proposal of the national railway infrastructure program 2008-2012, which was being discussed at the Croatian Parliament’s session.
The Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Božidar Kalmeta, after a discussion lead by the representative [...]
Istrian specialties presented around the worldThe Italian gastro-guide Veronelli and the French Vienna-licensed guide Gault Millau present Croatian specialties and restaurants on their pages – to be specific, those from Istria and Kvarner.
The two gastro-guides present a total of 32 Istrian restaurants, and five in Opatija.
The Italian gastro-guide Veronelli was printed in 40 thousand copies, and the French Gault Millau [...]
Sea Accident in Croatia - Update 2A burning Turkish cargo ship drifting towards Croatia's Adriatic coast, threatening to pollute Istrian beaches, is at the moment located on about 5 nautical miles from Brijuni Islands and National Park.
According to Jutarnji.hr , Croatian daily, the fire is under control and it is expeced that Bura wind, predicted by weather forecast for Croatia, will push the ship further away [...]
Sea Accident in Croatia - UpdateThe official statement of Croatian Ministry of Sea regarding the recent sea accident :
Turkish-flagged ship catches fire off Rovinj, all passengers safe
The Turkish-flagged ship ‘Und Adriyatik’ caught fire early Wednesday morning 15 miles off the northern Croatian Adriatic resort of Rovinj, said Marina Haluzan, spokeswoman for the Croatian Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure.
Three [...]
Sea Accident in CroatiaSome worrying news are comming from Guardian tonight about the sea accident that happened 13 nautical miles west of the Istrian town of Rovinj:
Blazing freighter threatens oil spill off Croatia - A burning Turkish cargo ship with 1,000 tonnes of crude oil aboard was drifting towards Croatia's Adriatic coast on Wednesday, threatening to pollute tourist beaches.
'The situation is [...]
Maistra hotels awarded by European tour operatorsMaistra, an Istrian hotel and tourism company, has added to its rich collection of recognitions a further three prestigious awards given by leading European tour operators Thomson Holidays and Neckerman.
The greatest confirmation of the hotel’s quality is certainly satisfied guests, and besides their praise the recognition coming from business partners also holds an important place. Maistra [...]
Croatia Tourism Statistics for 2007According to Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ) , tourist year 2007 in Croatia closed with record figures.
The first draft of 2007 figures are following:
Croatia had a total of 10.8 million visits (6% increase compared to 2006), resulting in just over 57 million overnight stays.
Istria had a total of 2.75 million visits. (5% increase compared with 2006), resulting in 18 million overnight stays.
Kvarner had a total of 2.45 million visits [...]
Valamar Hotels & Resorts Sales Increased for 14%, New 14 Million EUR Investments AnnouncedValamar Hotels & Resorts, the largest Croatian hotel company, managing 38 tourist facilities in four leading Adriatic coast destinations, has published sales results for the previous year and announced new investments for business expansion.
'This has been a very successful year for Valamar. We have achieved an increase in sales income of 14% compared to previous [...]
Stella Maris - luxury Istrian villasThe Umag company Istraturist recently completed construction of new attractive Istrian villas which have now become an integral part of the tourist settlement Stella Maris in the immediate vicinity of the town of Umag, Istria.
With an investment worth about 17 million Euros, the settlement Stella Maris has been transformed into an exceptionally comfortable holiday region [...]
Croatia to participate at Brest International Festival of SailorsThe Brest International Festival of Sailors is taking place from 11th to 17th July 2008.
It is a large sailing event organized in Brest, France.
At this year's event Croatia, Vietnam and Madagascar will be the guests of honors. These three countries will be participating with vessels which, until recently, were quite unknown to the nautical heritage.
According to the [...]
Porec, Croatia - 22nd International Tourism and Catering Equipment FairThe international fair 'Promohotel 2007' is currently going on in Porec, Istria.
The fair gathers couple of hundred European companies that specialises in equipment for tourism and catering, as well as hotel furniture and interior design.This year's fair of equipment for tourism, catering trade and hotel industry with innovations in touristic and catering sector, focuses on furniture and [...]
Christmas Break - Escape to Croatia This ChristmasThis unique Christmas holiday break in Croatia will be one to remember for years to come.
Why not leave the stress of Christmas behind with this unique offer to get away from it all and experience both the luxury of a five star hotel in Zagreb and the comfort of your very own villa in the [...]
Brijuni Rivijera Investment - bidders shortlistedAccording to Hina, the Croatian News Agency, the first stage of a tender for investment in the 'Brijuni Rivijera' - the company that runs hotes in Brijuni National Park, finished last week, with 15 companies being short-listed from among 25 bidders as potential investors in Istria, the company announced in a statement last week, following a meeting of its Supervisory [...]
Four new low cost carriers arrive at Pula AirportBy the end of 2007, the four additional low cost air carriers will introduce their flights to Pula Airport.
These are the German companies Germanwings and TUIfly, the Hungarian air carrier Wizzair and the Danish Sterling.
Direct connections to Pula are currently maintained by three low cost air carriers that operate during the peak tourist season – the [...]
Istria, Kvarner and Central Croatia Road and Ferry Map
Sailing in Istria - an introduction about sailing in Istria
Travel Articles about Istria:
Escape: Croatia has the taste of old Tuscany
The architecture, landscape and truffles on every menu will remind you of Italy, but Istria has a brand of hospitality all of its own, says Claire Prentice
The first sip of Romano’s raki makes the hairs in my nose prickle. By the second my eyes have filled with tears and my throat is on fire. My host looks on approvingly as Rina, his wife, pushes over a plate of freshly baked cake. I have only been in Istria a few hours and already I’m being treated as one of the family.
The raki, flavoured with honey but still not sweet enough to take the sting out of the pure alcohol, is just one of the treats that Romano has in store. He also makes his own wine from the vineyards that surround the house. You can drink endless amounts of it and because it is organic, he promises, you will never get a hangover. With that he uncorks a bottle and begins to pour. read more
Tuscan Style farm Tourism in Istria - an interesting article about farm tourism in Istria - (by Reuters)
Hire yourself a piece of history in 'the new Tuscany' - From village houses to palazzos, the Istrian peninsula is the new place to go for charming self-catering properties: With its lush green hills, fertile valleys and honey-coloured medieval hilltop towns, Istria has been described as 'the new unspoilt Tuscany'. But Istria can stand firmly on its own merits, among which are modest prices, a glorious unpolluted coastline (albeit without sandy beaches), picture-postcard Venetian strongholds such as Rovinj, a safe, tranquil environment - the region was untouched by the civil war of the Nineties - and friendly people. Plus bags of history - there's scarcely a civilisation that hasn't left its mark - and the Croatians of today keep up the cultural traditions with exhibitions, concerts and festivals in even the smallest villages. read more
New Istra Bike Trails Website: The Istria Tourist Board recently launched a new website http://www.istria-bike.com/ which is dedicated to cycling offers of Istra. It offes a range of valuable Istria cycling information targeted to tourists and local fans of recreational and professional cycling... read more
Other Istria info: Istria Travel Directory - directory of Istrian Travel Links Top Tourist Sights of Croatia :: Photo Album - Cities of Croatia |
