Cheap Holidays To Croatia In Gorgeous Istria

So many people overlook Istria when planning cheap holidays to Croatia, yet this heart shaped peninsula has so much to offer visitors.  With farmhouse restaurants serving slow food and award winning wines, it’s easy to see why Istria is so often described as the new Tuscany. With a full calendar of culinary events and a reputation for hospitality Istria is already the full package before you consider more than 400 kilometres of stunning coastline including Brijuni national park.

Perhaps one of the most remarkable things about Istria is the sheer contrast you can experience in a relatively small area. In just a few kilometres you can move from fishing villages to medieval hilltop towns. While the architecture in Rovinj and Porec has a strong Venetian influence, inland Pazin which is just half an hour away has a very Austro-Hungarian look. Of course both the Hapsberg and Venetian empires are among the civilisations to have left their mark on Istria.

Your holiday to Istria is likely to start in Pula which is the economic and cultural centre of the region. If you plan to explore Istria from one of the many coastal resorts then there are plenty of options for transfers, but be sure not to miss the city itself. The highlight of a visit to Pula for most people is the famous amphitheatre from the 1^st Century. The amphitheatre is one of the best preserved in the world and seating more than 20,000 it is also one of the largest. Once the location of brutal fights to the death between Roman gladiators, the amphitheatre is now used primarily for concerts and cultural events.  If you can time your visit to coincide with the Pula Film Festival (9^th to 23^rd July 2011) then the amphitheatre makes for a magical open air cinema.

In a region famed for the quality of its cuisine you would expect to be spoiled for choice in Pula. If you are ready to splash out a little on a real treat then consider eating at Valsabbion in the Pjescana Uvala area. This award winning restaurant is run by two sisters and has repeatedly been voted best restaurant in Croatia.

If you are planning on staying overnight in Pula there is plenty of choice, but consider staying a little way out of town. You could follow in the footsteps of Sting, among other famous visitors, and stay at the Hotel Histria which is right on the beach and around 4 kilometres from the historic centre. There are plenty of local buses which connect the hotel with the central Pula or alternatively a taxi will take around ten minutes. If you are planning to visit the Brijuni Islands, you could also consider staying at the Villetta Phasiana. Located in the charming fishing village of Fazana the hotel looks out over the islands but is still only around 10 kilometres from Pula giving you the best of both worlds.

Around 25 minutes north of Pula by car is the gorgeous Mediterranean fishing port of Rovinj. If you are not hiring a car then the journey can be also be done by public bus and takes around 40 minutes. The old harbour is lined by cafes where you can enjoy a coffee while watching the fisherman mending their nets. This is also a great spot for an al fresco lunch. Walk off lunch by climbing up the gorgeous cobbled street of Grisia. The street is lined with local artists selling their work and at the top is the hilltop church of St Euphemia, the largest baroque building in Istria. The church is dedicated to Rovinj’s patron saint who was tortured by the Emperor Diocletian before being thrown to the lions.

Continue along the coast to Porec , home to the Euphrasian Basilica. The basilica was built in the 6^th century by Byzantine emperor Justinian and is on the UNESCO world heritage list. Porec, like Rovinj is home to a number of coastal resorts. Thomson Holidays has packages to Rovinj and Porec package deals for those looking for cheap holidays to Croatia.

Fabulous though the coastal areas are, if you want to enjoy all that Istria has to offer you will need to head inland. From Porec, you can visit some of Croatia’s top wineries, many of which provide tastings in their cellers. While you explore the countries famous wine roads it is worth stopping off at the pretty medieval hilltop villages of Groznjan and Motovun. In the summer film-buffs are drawn to Motovun’s famous Film Festival while jazz and opera fans find Groznjan’s Musical Summer hits the right note.

Istria’s best kept secret though is found around 30 kilometres inland from Porec near the village of Beram. The tiny chapel of St Mary of the Rocks is found in the woods around a kilometre north of Beram. You would struggle to find the church without help from the lady in the village who holds the keys, but if you make the pilgrimage here you will not be disappointed. The chapel is lined with magnificent fifteenth century frescos, including a unique representation of the eerie dance macabre or ‘dance of death’. Painted by Vincent de Kastav in 1474 the fresco has some quite interesting variations on what was a common theme in the period. Due to the locked church it is also one of the best preserved examples and getting the chance to admire it in solitude is a bonus.

The central region around Pazin is also home to Days of Truffles festival which takes places between the 10^th of September and 6th of November this year. For gourmet tourists to Istria these truffles have a massive appeal and in November there is the opportunity to taste truffles in every possible combination of flavours. The forests of Livade, Oprtalj and Buzet are the place to hunt prized white truffles with specially trained dogs. You too can join the hunt and then afterwards visit a local ‘agroturizam’ (a farm stay) to taste the results or even learn to cook with them yourself.

A number of travel agents offer package holidays to Istria, so it is possible to base yourself in a coastal resort and explore from there. Alternatively you may like to move from place to place. Whichever option you prefer you would be well advised to hire a car in order to see everything the area has to offer.

(With thanks to the Croatian National Tourist Board for providing photos as well as their help and advice)