Istria in Croatia - 9 wonderful places to visit

Istria in Croatia offers charming cobbled streets, historic towns and a crystal clear sea. We've travelled to Istria several times by motorhome and managed to visit a whole bunch of great places on this Croatian peninsula. Here are nine great places to visit in Istria, Croatia.

Table of contents

Where to travel in Croatia?

We are sometimes asked about which town or area to choose for a holiday in Croatia, and we sometimes answer that it doesn't really matter. As long as you choose a place along the coast, you can hardly go wrong. It is actually nice almost everywhere.

If we are forced to answer, we usually say that we like the neighbourhood around Split (including Brac, Where, Omis and Trogir) or also Istria. Today we would like to share our best tips about Istria.

READ MORE: Holidays in Dalmatia - 10 favourites on the Croatian coast

Istria in Croatia

Istria is a peninsula in northern Croatia, extending into the Adriatic Sea. Almost all of Istria belongs to Croatia, and most of it is included in the Istrian County. A small part of the peninsula belongs to Slovenia, and two municipalities in northern Istria are in Italy. The city of Opatija, located in the far northeast, is geographically part of the Istrian peninsula, but not part of the Istrian county.

Why do we like Istria in Croatia?

Yes, why do we like Istria in Croatia? First of all, it's probably because Istria is full of small picturesque towns and villages with narrow alleys, beach walks and bobbing boats. We also like the abundance of campsites and the crystal clear water. Plus, this is the part of Croatia where we think the food is the best. Olive oil, seafood and truffles can never go wrong, right?

9 places to visit in Istria

Here are nine great places to visit in Istria, in no particular order. We start in Opatija in the north-east, and move around the peninsula until we reach almost is back where we started.

1. Opatija

Opatija is an interesting and beautiful town, unlike almost anything else in Croatia. Once part of the mighty Empire of Austria-Hungary, Opatija was a place where the wealthy of the time came to relax at the luxurious seaside resort. You can almost feel the breeze from the past as you pass the beautiful turn-of-the-century houses.

READ MORE: Opatija in Croatia - along the Lungomare seafront promenade

2. labin

Labin is a charming little town on the eastern side of Istria, where the small houses climb the hill towards the church at the top. The municipality of Labin also includes the tourist resort of Rabac, which is located right by the sea. In the same municipality we have found the beautiful Camping Marina, where you can relax in an infinity pool by the Adriatic Sea.

READ MORE: Labin in Croatia - on a motorhome trip around Istria

3. Amphitheatre in Pula

Pula in the south is the largest city in Istria, and we visited this city mainly to see the mighty Roman amphitheatre known as the Arena. The amphitheatre in Pula is the sixth largest in the world and extremely well preserved. Just north of it, there is also a nice campsite that we visited twice, both times. summer and winter.

READ MORE: Amphitheatre in Pula - Arena for gladiators

4 Fažana

Located just north of Pula, Fažana is a cosy little fishing and tourist town. It is ideally located for visiting the archipelago and the Brijuni National Park, where the President of Croatia has his summer residence. Of course, you can also stay in the town and enjoy fresh fish and delicious seafood. A kilometre outside the town is a huge campsite and there is a nice promenade between the town and the campsite.

READ MORE: Fazana - a gem on the west coast of Istria

5. Rovinj

Rovinj is located on the west coast, about four miles north of Pula. This is an idyllic little town, filled with narrow cobbled streets and beautiful Baroque and Renaissance houses. You can swim from the cliffs in the centre of town or climb to the top of St Eufemia's Cathedral for a breathtaking view of the whole city. Of course, there are plenty of outdoor restaurants serving fish and truffle dishes.

READ MORE: Rovinj in Croatia - lovely medieval town in Istria

6. Vrsar

The west coast of Istria is full of charming towns. Vrsar is located between the more famous Rovinj and Porec. Vrsar is a little smaller, but perhaps just as charming. We enjoyed a lovely 4-course dinner here, with ingredients such as prawns, squid, chanterelles, chard and figs. Yum! There are also two campsites in Vrsar, one of which is a naturist campsite with its very own island and large luxury glamping cabins.

READ MORE: Vrsar in Croatia - small town with big surprises

7. Poreč

Poreč is a town with a dramatic history, having been ruled by the Byzantine Empire and the Republic of Venice as well as the Austrian and Italian Empires. Today it's a quiet holiday resort, but its buildings and food culture bear traces of its history.

Here we visited a restaurant that we can highly recommend, where we enjoyed a meal with truffles. Outside the city is a huge campsite, with a "tourist train" that smoothly transports guests between the campsite and the city.

READ MORE: Porec in Croatia - holiday resort in beautiful Istria

8. Bergsbyn Motovun

The mountain village of Motovun is located inland, in the northern part of Istria. It is fascinating to drive along the road towards the small village - suddenly the mountain and the village climbing to the top appear. The village is famous for truffles and the annual film festival that attracts thousands of people from all over the world. Once you reach the top, you can admire the view and enjoy a meal in a restaurant. There is also a caravan park here.

READ MORE: See the post on The world's smallest city (same as below)

9. Hum - the world's smallest city

Less than an hour east of Motovun is Hum, considered the smallest city in the world. Hum has a fortress, a church and a single small street. Only about 20 people live in the small town, but despite this, there is a restaurant and a museum,

READ MORE: The world's smallest city - Hum in Croatia

Have you been to Istria in Croatia?

Have you been to Istria, and if so, what are your favourite places?

Facts about Istria in Croatia

Country: Most of the Istrian peninsula belongs to Croatia; a small part of the peninsula belongs to Slovenia and Italy.
County: The county of Istria (Opatija, which lies along the north-east, belongs to the
Primorje-Gorski Kotar County)
Largest city: Pula
Other cities: Rovinj, Poreč, Pazin, Labin, Rabac, Umag in Croatia, and Piran, Koper and Portorož in Slovenia.
Language: Croatian, Slovenian and Italian in some municipalities

Travelling to Istria in Croatia

Flight: You can fly to the capital Zagreb. From Zagreb it takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes to drive to Opatija by motorway (toll road). There are also airports in Rijeka and Pula.
Car/caravan: There are several different ferry crossings from Sweden and different routes down through Europe to choose from. For example, if you drive from Rostock, it takes about 13 hours (about 130 miles) to drive to Opatija, if you count pure driving time.
Bus: Bus services run between most cities in Croatia.

Helena

13 April 2019 6:00

Croatia

experiences in Europe

Helena

Administrator

27 Comments

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Inga Magnusson says:

It looks cosy!

13 April 2019 - 7:03

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Istria is nice and charming! 🙂
  
  13 April 2019 - 12:30
  
  Reply
Matts Torebring says:

We stayed there, in different places, for a few years. We did not find any first class "Aha" campsites. The clean water in the sea is impressive.

13 April 2019 - 8:34

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Agree that the water is extremely clear and nice here!
  
  13 April 2019 - 12:30
  
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Anette says:

I also like these areas. Rovinj is a favourite.
You can tell that the Romans have been there, they have left their mark.

13 April 2019 - 9:25

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Rovinj is fantastically charming! Interesting also with all these historical traces! 🙂
  
  13 April 2019 - 12:31
  
  Reply
Ama de casa says:

The only place I have visited in Croatia is Dubrovnik. Kind of a day on a cruise, really gave me a taste - just like this post 🙂

Hmm... I wonder if Norwegians might visit Pula with some kind of hope because of the name? 😉

13 April 2019 - 9:31

Reply
- Britt-Marie Lundgren says:
  
  We probably liked all of Croatia but perhaps most Trogir, Omis and of course the national parks Plitvice Lakes and Krka.
  Of the places in Istria we stayed in Labin (nice camping Marina), Pula (amphitheatre!!) and Rovinj which we really liked.
  A lot had happened since the late 80s when we went there with a car, a caravan and three daughters in the back seat....
  
  13 April 2019 - 11:24
  
  Reply
  - Comment by post author
    
    Helena says:
    
    Britt-Marie, I imagine it was different in the 80s, interesting to have been there then! 🙂
    
    13 April 2019 - 12:33
    
    Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Ama de casa, time to see a little more of Croatia then! 😉 And let's see if you dare to go to Pula, haha 😉.
  
  13 April 2019 - 12:32
  
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Ann-Louise Paulsson says:

Wonderful Istria! We loved Rovinj so much, and also Labin. I also liked Pula and there are many historical sights there but it was not as cosy as Rovinj and Labin. I would like to go to all the places above but mostly to Hum and Motovun.

13 April 2019 - 12:05

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Aren't there many nice places in Istria? Hum and Motovun were really charming little places 🙂 .
  
  13 April 2019 - 12:34
  
  Reply
Anna / boihusbil.se says:

Thanks for a lot of great tips for those of us aiming for Croatia this year!

13 April 2019 - 12:19

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Glad that you plan to roll towards Croatia! 🙂
  
  13 April 2019 - 12:34
  
  Reply
Ditte says:

Croatia is nice and has a lot to offer. Travelled around here a lot during the 60's and 70's and have been back several times much later. Sailing here in the archipelago is really nice and highly recommended. However, not relevant for us at the moment.
Great tips for those planning a trip here.

13 April 2019 - 14:47

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Glad you have been here several times Ditte! I can imagine that it is nice to sail here!
  
  13 April 2019 - 22:18
  
  Reply
Marianne - Glimpses of the world says:

Nice post about Istria! I am going there in a few days ?

13 April 2019 - 17:37

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Oh bad lovely! Nice trip!
  
  13 April 2019 - 23:00
  
  Reply
Husis blog says:

Rovinj is definitely my owners' favourite city. So nice to walk around the city with all these alleys and cosy little restaurants.
On the last trip, the owners also visited Novigrad, which can also be added to the list of small towns worth seeing.

13 April 2019 - 19:40

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Thanks for the tip about Novigrad! Of course there are more nice places! 🙂
  
  13 April 2019 - 23:01
  
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BP says:

What a great advert you are doing for Croatia. The country will probably get all the publicity it can get after the result in the ranking you showed recently.
Have been in Rovinj and Pula as well as in Split and on the island of Hvar. Agree with you that it is very nice there, but as I said, the price level is quite high.

13 April 2019 - 20:56

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Yes, Croatia could use some help right now, hehe. I agree that Croatia has become more expensive than before, although I still think it is quite affordable compared to e.g. Italy.
  
  13 April 2019 - 23:05
  
  Reply
Role o Carina says:

Sounds nice and looks beautiful too, maybe a trip there in the future!

Take care...

14 April 2019 - 10:07

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Definitely worth a visit! Have fun! 🙂
  
  15 April 2019 - 5:42
  
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Lena - good for the soul says:

Croatia is so beautiful! Have been to a few places. Including Pula, which you mention here. The island of Krk is also really beautiful. And Dubrownik with its beautiful buildings! Will gladly go back!

Hug Lena

17 April 2019 - 8:22

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Helena says:

Hum is really on my "want to experience" list. Have been craving it since the last time we visited Croatia.

09 May 2019 - 15:04

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Cecilia says:

Hi! You write such wonderful reports about your trips! I don't have a big motorhome, but we comfortably sleep in a Toyota Corolla? This time we will actually stay at Pension Sobe Slada for 14 nights and make excursions from there.
Thank you very much for many great ideas!
Greetings
Cecilia

01 June 2019 - 13:46

Reply

Istria in Croatia - 9 wonderful places to visit

Where to travel in Croatia?

Istria in Croatia

Why do we like Istria in Croatia?

9 places to visit in Istria

1. Opatija

2. labin

3. Amphitheatre in Pula

4 Fažana

5. Rovinj

6. Vrsar

7. Poreč

8. Bergsbyn Motovun

9. Hum - the world's smallest city

Have you been to Istria in Croatia?

Facts about Istria in Croatia

Travelling to Istria in Croatia

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27 Comments

Inga Magnusson says:

Helena says:

Matts Torebring says:

Helena says:

Anette says:

Helena says:

Ama de casa says:

Britt-Marie Lundgren says:

Helena says:

Helena says:

Ann-Louise Paulsson says:

Helena says:

Anna / boihusbil.se says:

Helena says:

Ditte says:

Helena says:

Marianne - Glimpses of the world says:

Helena says:

Husis blog says:

Helena says:

BP says:

Helena says:

Role o Carina says:

Helena says:

Lena - good for the soul says:

Helena says:

Cecilia says:

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