LOCAL INFORMATION
Istria is a peninsula coming out of the Bay of Trieste with a long and turbulent history. Porec itself is a Roman town from the time of Tiberius and much of the stone paving dates from this time. The capital of Istria is Pula which boasts an amphitheatre to rival Verona or even Rome amongst its many Roman remains. Concerts are held there, both classical and pop, throughout the summer.
In Porec there is a noteworthy series of jazz concerts in July and August featuring international artists in the museum courtyard known as ‘The Lapidarium’ which are well worth attending.
The beaches are rocky - mostly levelled with the help of concrete - with steps and ladders down into the sea. Swimming shoes - readily available locally - are essential for sensitive feet!! The sea is crystalline and blue flags fly everywhere. There is always plenty of space and a solitary corner easily found.
Sports activities are myriad: cycling, diving, horse-riding, hiking, paragliding, etc. Sight-seeing trips abound daily and are very good value both by coach and boat. There are also hundreds of restaurants to cater for all appetites .
Day trips by boat to Brijuni, Venice and Trieste as well as shorter coastal cruises to Rovinj and Lim Fjord are highly recommended.
Brijuni National Park
Some 40 kilometres along the coast towards Pula lie the Brijuni islands a National Park famed for its natural beauty and historically associated with Tito as his preferred location for entertaining world heads of state, politicians, film stars, etc.
It now houses an interesting museum and provides conducted tours around the main island crossing an enormous golf course (currently being restored - with help from St. Andrews -although still in use) and around a small safari park with the remains of Tito’s animals and the addition of some new and more suitable ones e.g. zebras, ostriches, llamas, shetland ponies, etc.
There is also a programme of theatrical productions in early summer which usually includes some Shakespeare and is held in an outdoor amphitheatre on the smaller island.
Mirna Valley
A long straight road connects Novigrad with Buzet and follows the Mirna (meaning ‘serene’) river through a lush, green valley which includes several notable places to visit. Motovun is a hilltop fort well worth a visit with incredible views and is home to the local truffle dogs.
Groznjan is another, lesser hilltop fort which has been adopted by an artistic community who have revamped the picturesque houses and sell their wares there. This area is famous for its truffles - black and white - and a fair is held in the village of Livade October to auction off the season’s harvest.