3. Istria
Okay, so we're cheating a little bit by naming an entire region, but as so many of Istria's resorts are perennially popular (it's easy to see why) we thought we would include the whole lot as one destination. The region was totally unscathed by the war so was still visited even during that time, and just after was quick to promote its tourist offerings once more.
With good transport connections including flights to Pula or to nearby Italy, it is easy to reach the area. Most Europeans drive down from their home country, but there are also bus connections to Italy as well (from Trieste) and a summer catamaran service that connects several Istrian ports to Venice - a quick and easy easy of combining that fantastic holiday destination with this one in Croatia.
Porec is one of the top resorts - there's a good selection of resort type hotels there - though our personal favourite is the charming Rovinj (shown above) and its wonderful harbour. Both of these have a number of sights for you history buffs, but don't forget to visit the Pula to view the amazingly well-preserved Roman amphitheatre.
However, Istria's (relatively!) undiscovered secrets are its wonderful inland, hilltop towns and villages. These include Motovun, which is gaining recognition of its annual film festival, and Buzet, which is famed for its truffle festival every autumn. And not forgetting Hum - (unofficially) considered to be the world's smallest town, with only 22 inhabitants. |
