Motovun

Porec is an interesting coastal town to visit. It has several historical sites and an interesting old town to explore. It was surrounded by walls for centuries and two towers still remain. Of its monuments the basilica complex with its baptistery and Bishop’s Palace is the most valuable, dating from the 6^th century. Porec also has an aquarium and a variety of activities to offer including diving, sailing, water skiing as well as hiking and cycling. It’s an excellent place to shop for souvenirs too and to visit the cafés down by the harbour.

Umag is a resort on western Istria with some of the best quality sea water. Among the Blue Flag beaches are Katoro, Aurora, Kanegra and Laguna Stella Maris. The old town is on a peninsula which was once an island and has preserved some medieval architecture including the 10^th century city walls and the West Tower which is now the museum. Umag is on the ATP tennis circuit with the Croatian Open being held in July each year. There is a marina, a pretty promenade and of course, some restaurants serving amazing food.

Motovun delicacies include white truffles, olive oil, wild asparagus, liqueurs, and honey. The largest truffle in the world was found in the Motovun forests in 1999. Organic fruit and vegetables from this area make up 70% of the Istrian production.

There are several good restaurants in the town including Konoba Mondo, a lovely hidden eatery located just outside of the gate of Motovun. It serves simple dishes with local ingredients and traditional truffle inspired meals.

Since 1999 Motovun has been holding an annual film festival. Taking place in July over 5 days, local independent produces show case their films which are innovative and have powerful storylines.  The festival is extremely popular with crowds growing every year to watch any of the 50+ films in both the indoor cinema during the day and outdoor screenings in the evenings.