Think of Croatia and you’ll probably picture its pretty islands, UNESCO-listed Dubrovnik , or all the sun-soaked festivals that flood summer social feeds. But there is so much more to the Adriatic-hugging country. Venture northwest towards the Italian border and you’ll find Istria, a heart-shaped peninsula once the jewel of the Venetian Empire.
Fought over for decades, Istria officially became Croatian in 1991 following the breakup of Yugoslavia. It’s a bountiful place of fine wine, olive oil and truffles, which are all channelled into its gourmet dining offering. Istria is a magnet for Italian, German and Slovenian families, making crowds swell in its towns and villages over the school summer holidays.
That, and the heat — increasingly nudging towards the unbearable 40 degree mark in peak season — mean that visiting over the Easter break or the October half-term is a far more pleasant experience. Car hire is crucial. Infrastructure within the towns is non-existent and there’s no way to reach the smaller villages otherwise — these are the ones that make Istria sparkle.
On the upside, nothing is more than an hour or so’s drive away so you won’t be behind the wheel (or on the ‘wrong’ side of the road) for long. From truffle-hunting to island hopping and catching a gig at a Roman amphitheatre, Istria may be Europe’s best-kept secret - for us Brits, at least. Here’s a whistlestop guide to enjoying the best of it.
Hugging the western coast of the Istrian .