Istria: coast towns and truffle hills

Route description

Pula has a Roman amphitheatre, one of the best preserved in the world, and the Temple of Augustus in the old forum. Follow the coast road north to Rovinj, whose old town sits on a peninsula crowned by the church of St Euphemia.

Rovinj’s old town is car-free, so park outside and walk in. Then turn inland into green hills and oak woods to Motovun, a walled hill town above the Mirna valley.

The road up to Motovun is steep and narrow; park below the town and walk to the ramparts for views over the truffle woods. Autumn is truffle season, when local restaurants put them on the menu. Nearby Grožnjan is a quiet hill village of artists’ studios and galleries.

Cross the Učka mountain, through the toll tunnel or over the pass road, to Opatija on the Kvarner Gulf, with belle-époque villas and a long seaside promenade. The Istrian motorway is tolled, while the older roads are slower but more scenic.