suffrock

I have a list of possible towns to visit/explore during our time in Istria in June. I'd appreciate it if the Istria experts out there can rate them for me, say on a 3-point scale: 3 being must-see, 2 is drive-by, 1 is skippable. Also, am I missing anything? I know there are lots of great towns out there, and we're trying to string some together along our route. We won't have time to see all of the peninsula; we're focusing more on the northern and central sections. Thanks in advance for any advice you can give!

Momjan
Buje
Groznjan
Opartalj
Livade
Motovun
Gradinje
Sovinjak
Buzet
Roc
Hum
Draguc
Beram
Pazin
Gracisce
Labin
Rasa
Svetivincenat
Dvigrad
Bale

travel2live2

Momjan - 1-2. Worth a quick stop if in area.
Buje - 2-3. No real sites - just a cute likeable town. Fun to walk around.
Groznjan 2+-3. A favourite of mine. Pure joy to wander the lovely streets. An artist town so that adds interest. Also has a truffle festival in September.
Opartalj - 2. Not a must see but nice.
Livade - 1+-2. The town itself is not spectacular but worth the trip for truffles!!
Motovun - 2+-3. Lovely little town with amazing views. Drawback - can get packed with tourist buses but less so in June hopefully.
Gradinje - have not been there
Sovinjak - 1 - not bad but not must see.
Buzet - 2 - not must see but if you are in the area make sure to drive up to the old town centre. Lovely truffles shop.
Roc - 2+. Tiny place again but cute to explore with extra friendly locals. Very helpful TI office. No real sites.
Hum - 3+++. Definitely must see. Very tiny (pop around 18 i think) but so perfect and charming and atmospheric. Has a cute little shop. Have lunch or dinner there. In season has truffles on the menu.
Draguc - 2 - lovely if you are in the area. Tiny so not much to do - no sites. Just soak up the atmosphere.
Beram - 3. An off-the-beaten-path sort of place which I love.
Pazin - 2. A very ordinary town lacking charm but does have a nice gorge and a castle.
Gracisce - 2+. Another one of my favourites. Again, teeny tiny but has lovely views and is a pleasure to wander. Sweet little restaurant.
Labin - 2. Worth a few hours' visit but not a must see. Still nice, though.
Rasa - have not been there.
Svetivincenat - 2. Worth a wander.
Dvivigrad - 2+ only if you like ruins. It is nice for something a bit different if you have extra time. I really like it.
Bale - 2+-3. Yet another of my favourites (obviously in the old town centre). The streets are so tiny and twisty. So far I haven't seen tourists there!! I would go out of my way to get there.
Zminj is another nice little town with lots of kozuns to explore. They are little ancient stone huts that are dotted around the area.

So many reasons to rent a car which I know you are doing. Are you staying in Rovinj?

Just remember that these towns are so small (i.e. one tiny street sometimes) that they do not take long to explore but they can be serene and extremely atmospheric. You can see several in a day but save a bit more time if you go to Motovun to eat (excellent restaurant) and shop a bit. Same goes for Groznjan as it is a bit bigger than many other villages listed.

suffrock

Thanks! Exactly the kind of info I was looking for. Yes, we're renting a car. Driving down from Slovenia, then off to Plitvice, Mostar, Dubrovnik & Hvar after Istria. Rasa evidently has some Mussolini era architecture, which I thought might be an interesting contrast to the other towns we'll be visiting. We're staying in Rovinj at Casa Garzotto. Have you dined at Monte? or the Fjord restaurant? I'm looking at those two, simply based on guidebook recommendations, which can sometimes be misleading. We like great food and unique dining experiences. Again, thanks--can't wait to get there!

travel2live2

I should clarify - all the villages above are worth a visit. Sovinjak is in a pretty location and is worth a peek but there are just so many other lovely villages to choose from!!

Casa Garzotto in Rovinj is really nice. Monte has some really great dishes - I recommend the squid ink risotto, gnocchi, grilled seafood, sea bass, etc.

Sorry - no experience with the Fjord but would love to hear about it after you return!

Happy planning and even happier travels!

uaz04

Hmmm - with Momjan I'm a little biased, as my own house is overlooking the Momjan castle. Nevertheless, the food at Rino's is simple, traditional Istria cuisine at it's very, very best, as well as inexpensive. Three of the best Istria wines are in Momjan - Kozlovic, Sinkovic, and Kabola. And if you knock on my door for coffee, I roast beans fresh every weekend. Also take a walk down to the Momjan spring, flowing right out of the vertical rock face in three places.

travel2live2 is right about ALL the places on your list - they are all special in some way and worthwhile. You cannot see 'everything' in Istria even in a year, so just plan any route and then take your time; move on when you feel like it to the next place. With so many interesting small villages and towns, just getting lost without a map is JUST AS WORTHWHILE. Trust me on this one, you'll likely discover your own secret favorite places...such as the little mill in Kotli, or the view from the small chapel and old tree near Bric, or the view from Visentini Vrh, or even...well, you're getting the point, I'm sure.
There is no list of Istrian "must sees", as in many places, which is why many of us continue to fall deeper in love with this place. It's like a great relationship - you can fall in love at first sight, but then fall ever deeper as new layers and subtleties reveal themselves. Istria does not have the 'wow' factor of say, Toscana with Siena and Florence, but there is immense pleasure in discovering the rather understated beauty for yourself, making more of a personal connection.
This is hard to explain, and this kind of thing is not for everyone, but if this strikes a chord then Istria will be magic for you.

Oh...add Zrenj and Zavrisje to your list!!

travel2live2

uaz is so right and knows more about Istria than I do! We do not live there yet but soon will. Anyway, it is true that there are not lots of sites per se but Istria just somehow grabs you tightly. The rugged scenery is sublime.

My first time I was so moved that it was difficult to comprehend - it was a very personal experience. I felt at home immediately. It was next to impossible to get me to leave. And it is pure magic (to me, too). There is nothing quite like driving a car and taking those tiny unpaved roads to see where you end up. Exploring Istria is pure pleasure and far less touristed than the guidebooks say. You can see all sorts of little villages and hamlets where people literally stop what they are doing and stare then wave as tourists there are few and far between. Sure, Porec and Rovinj can be busy in summer but Istria is a fantastic place to escape to/from.

Sounds like I must explore Momjan again! It is hard to rate these places because in my mind they are all worth a stop but there are just so many! I have not yet been to Zrenj and Zavrisje, either but will fit those in when we go in a month. My heart is beating fast and I am getting goosebumps just thinking about it...

suffrock

Thanks both of you for all your great advice. It sounds like Istria is right up our alley. We definitely prefer places that are more off the beaten path. Too bad we won't be there on the weekend, or I'd be following the scent of coffee to your house, uaz!

travel2live2

Maybe we should both meet for coffee at uaz's house!! Hope you have a truly magical trip. Don't forget to report back!

deli1000

Buje - 2 ok but not great

Groznjan 3 - beautiful

Opartalj 2 nice

Livade 1 skip that unless you love truffles

Motovun 3- definitely a must see

Buzet 2 quaint. nice views

Roc 2

Hum 2 - don't blink or you'll miss it


Pazin 1-2 quite dull and uninspiring

Labin 2-3 definitely worth a stop. lovely views from the top

Rasa 1 - a dump

Dvigrad 1-2 - ruins is all you'll find there

Bale 2-3 very nice