The guide
Istria, planned properly
What to see, when to come and how to get around — written by the people who live here, not copied from a brochure.
Labin & Rabac
The hilltop town and its beach resort — home turf of Apartment Gordana.
Labin & RabacThe beaches around Rabac with children
Where the water stays shallow, where the shade lasts longest, and where you can still park in July.
2 min read
Labin & RabacWhat to do in Labin: the old town, the galleries and the mining history
A hill town that was a mining town until 1999, and still shows it. What to see in half a day, and why the upper town is worth the climb.
3 min read
Labin & RabacFrom Pula airport to Labin: hire car, bus or taxi
Forty-odd kilometres, and three ways to cover them. Which one makes sense depends less on price than on what you plan to do once you arrive.
3 min readWalking and mountain biking around Labin
The old miners' paths and forest tracks behind Labin make good walking, and better riding. What the terrain is actually like, and when to go out.
2 min readPebble beaches in Croatia: what nobody tells you before you go
Almost every beach in Istria is pebble or rock. That is why the water is clear — and why the first afternoon can be a shock if you were expecting sand.
2 min readRabac or Poreč? Choosing where to base yourself in Istria
The east coast and the west coast of the same small peninsula are two different holidays. Which one suits you depends on what you want your evenings to look like.
2 min readPula & around
Roman ruins, Kamenjak’s cliffs and the south of the peninsula — Villa Karla country.
Pula & aroundPula in one day
The arena, the forum and the old town in a route you can walk — and where to get out of the sun on the way.
2 min readThe beaches of Pula and Punta Verudela
A city with swimming at the end of every bus route. Which stretch suits which kind of afternoon, and where the water is worth the walk.
2 min readDiving near Pula: wrecks, caves and where to start
Clear water, a Habsburg-era liner on the seabed and cave systems along the coast. What the diving is actually like and what a beginner can expect.
2 min readRenting a villa with a private pool in Istria: what to check
Photographs of a pool tell you almost nothing. Here is what actually determines whether a villa works for your group, and what to ask before you pay.
3 min readPula Arena: what to know before you go in
One of the six largest Roman amphitheatres still standing, and the only one with all four side towers. Worth an hour — and worth an evening if the timing works.
2 min readA day on the Brijuni islands
A national park of fourteen islands that was Tito's summer residence, with Roman ruins, dinosaur footprints and a safari park of diplomatic gifts.
2 min readIstria wide
Planning, seasons and the inland hill towns — useful wherever you stay.
Istria wideWhen to visit Istria: month by month
Sea temperature, crowds and prices from Easter to the olive harvest — and why September is often the best month.
1 min readDriving to Istria from the Netherlands: route, tolls and how long it really takes
Around 1,300 kilometres and two border crossings. Which route, what you need on the windscreen, and why the last hour takes longer than the map says.
3 min readDriving to Istria from Germany and Austria
From Munich it is a morning's drive. From the Ruhr it is a long day. The route, the vignettes and the two places where the traffic actually goes wrong.
2 min readIstria with children: what works and what does not
Short distances, safe water and a lot of stone in the sun. Which parts of an Istrian holiday children genuinely enjoy, and which are for the adults.
3 min readBooking direct with the owner in Croatia: how it works
What the tourist tax is, what eVisitor does with your passport, what a deposit means here, and why the total on a platform is rarely the total.
3 min readHow warm is the sea in Istria? Month by month
The northern Adriatic is shallow, which means it warms up late and holds the heat into autumn. What that means for when you book.
2 min readIstrian wine: malvazija, teran and where to taste
Two grapes you have probably never drunk, from a region that exports almost nothing. What they taste like and how tasting works here.
3 min readTruffles in the Istrian interior: Motovun, Buzet and the season
The Motovun forest produces some of the best white truffles in Europe. When the season runs, what it costs, and how to eat them without being taken for a ride.
2 min readThe hill towns of Istria: Motovun, Grožnjan and the roads between them
Half a dozen walled villages on hilltops within an hour of each other. Which ones to see, in what order, and why you should go late in the day.
2 min readEating in Istria: what to order and what the words mean
A menu here is half Italian, half Croatian and entirely local. The dishes worth ordering, the ones to be careful with, and how the bill works.
3 min readOne week in Istria: an itinerary that leaves time to swim
Seven days, one base, no packing and unpacking. Three days out, three days at the beach, and one day where you do nothing at all.
2 min read