What’s on in Croatia in October
October may not exactly be prime beach weather, but there’s still plenty to see and do in Croatia in October! Read on below for some of the most interesting events taking place in Croatia this month.
The CroRace
Formerly known as the Tour of Croatia (and having previously taken place in April in the last four years), CroRace will tour Croatia from 1st to the 6th October. Starting from Osijek and ending up in Zagreb, this year’s race will feature a number of Croatia’s beautiful national and nature parks (fourteen in total!) – including Plitvice, Krka Paklenica national parks, and Papuk, Ucka and Medvednica nature parks. A number of top teams, including last year’s winner Bahrain Merida, will be taking part as will cyclist Maciej Paterski who won the first event in 2015. If you’re in Croatia during this time and near the route, pop along to cheer on the cyclists! If you’re not, you can still view beautiful Croatia on TV – the race will be televised all over the world; in Europe, Eurosport will have coverage.
Croatia in October – Chestnuts Galore
October is a top month for a number of food-related festivals in Istria. One of the most popular is Marunada in Lovran (close to Opatija), which is dedicated to sweet chestnuts. First held in 1973, this festival is dedicated to a special type of chestnut – ‘Maruni’ – which grows in the Opatija Riviera; these chestnuts are larger, sweeter and can be peeled more easily than other types of chestnuts. Marunada offers the chance to sample all sorts of products made from chestnuts – cakes, pancakes, puree, pies, even chestnut goulash! And if you haven’t even ever tasted roasted chestnuts, you’re really missing out! There’s also plenty of other food to sample at this festival, and other things to enjoy – including live music and sports. Marunada will be helf in Lovran from 11th – 13th October 2019, and then in nearby Dobrec on 19th & 20th October and in Linganj on 26th & 27th October. Ask locally for more details, or see some more info at the Lovran Tourist Board website or the official Marunada website.
Croatia in October – Truffle Season
Istria is rich in truffles and October is the best month of the year for white truffles, which are the most valuable kind. Although events celebrating truffles are held in various locations throughout autumn, it’s in October when you have plenty of choice for different festivals – these include the Zigante Truffle Days held in Livade in inland Istria, close to Motovun. Actually held over ten weekends from the 14th September to the 17th November (which means every weekend in October!), you can sample all sorts of delicacies made from truffles as well as other gastronomic delights from Istria. You can even enjoy a guided truffle hunting tour in the Motovun forest, and on one weekend (19th & 20th October) there’s the International White Truffle Hunt Competition at which you can watch the master (human and dog!) at work, searching for truffles.
Motovun itself hosts the one-day Festival of Teran Wine and Truffles (19th October 2019) which showcases the local Teran wine as well as truffles.
Gastro Delights in Dubrovnik
So, your mouth may be salivating at the thought of all the above mentioned culinary masterpieces…but what if you’re visiting the opposite end of the country to Istria i.e. Dubrovnik? You’re still in luck! The Good Food Festival (14th – 20th October 2019) is now in its sixth edition and will feature a number of tours, lectures, presentations and workshops (for example, on making special Croatian dishes). Numerous Dubrovnik cafes, bars and restaurants will also take part, either hosting special tasting events or offering special menus for the week-long event. One of the main components of the Festival is the ‘Dubrovnik Table’ (usually on the Sunday) in which a table the length of Stradun (!) is used by local restaurants and businesses to show off their gastronomic delights – you can buy a reasonably priced ticket and then sample many of these delicious items!
More details can be found on the Dubrovnik Tourist Office website.
The Dubrovnik Film Festival (15th – 20th October) also takes place in the city at roughly the same time as the above!
Istra & Craft Beer Festival
If you don’t care so much about food and a cold beer is more your kind of thing, the second Istra & Craft Beer Festival will take place in Porec in the first week of October (actually, 28th September to 6th October). The best Croatian independent and craft brewers will showcase their beers; live music and food will also be there for you to enjoy! See the official website for more details: www.istracraftbeer.com.
Boating and Sailing Enthusiasts
Croatia’s largest boat fair (and, in fact, the largest in Central and Eastern Europe) is the Biograd Boat Show, taking place in this sweet little town, famous for its expansive marina, that’s close to Zadar. The 21st Show will be held from the 17th to 20th October 2019 and will likely have over 300 exhibitors and over 300 boats on display.
Outdoor events
If you’re an outdoorsy-activity kind of traveller, you may well be interested in the Baska Outdoor Festival held in and around Baska on the island of Krk, 11th to 13th October 2019. There’s mountain biking, zipling, trekking and more! A full programme of all the events of the Festival can be downloaded from the Baska Tourist Office website.
Other Events in Croatia in October
Here’s a few more events taking place in Croatia in October!
- International Prosciutto Fair, Tinjan, Istria (18th – 20th October)
- The 28th Zagreb Marathon takes place in the city on 13th October – pop along to see elite athletes pounding the streets.
- Close to Zagreb is the town of Ivanic-Grad where the 15th ‘Bucijada’ Pumpkin Festival will take place on the weekend of 4th to 6th October. As well as a fair showing pumpkins and pumpkin products, there’s workshops, music and fun for kids.
Do also check out our Events in Croatia page for more events taking place in the final months of the year!
