The west coast has the major historic towns and the busiest beaches. The interior — the Mirna and Raša valleys — has the wine, the truffles, and the hill towns. Pick a base on either side and you can cover the rest as day trips.
Destinations
Day Trips from Istria from Istria
01
Pula
Istrian port city with an extraordinary Roman amphitheatre and monuments woven through the old town.
02
Rovinj
Venetian Istrian harbour town of steep cobbled lanes, crowned by St. Euphemia above the Adriatic
03
Porec
Istrian coastal town with a Roman street grid and the mosaic-filled Euphrasian Basilica.
04
Umag
Istrian harbour town near Slovenia, with a Venetian old promontory and Croatia's long-running clay-court tennis tournament
05
Novigrad
Small Istrian walled town where Venetian stone houses cluster around a quiet Adriatic harbour.
06
Fazana
Istrian fishing town facing the Brijuni Islands, with Roman roots and a compact stone old centre.
07
Motovun
Istrian hilltop town above the Mirna River valley, encircled by medieval walls and truffle forests.
08
Žminj
Central Istrian hilltop town with stone lanes, castle remnants, and countryside cave excursions nearby
09
Brioni Islands
Istrian island national park shaped by Tito's retreat, safari animals, and Roman traces.