Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
recent trend in Istria is the emergence of
agroturizams
. Like Italian
agriturismos
or Slove-
nian tourist farms, these are working farms that try to involve tourists in a meaningful
way—sometimes just for a meal or overnight stay, but occasionally actually participating in
the daily workings of the farm. For more information, pick up the free brochure (available
locally), or visit
www.istra.hr
.
Getting Around the Istrian Interior
By Public Transportation:
While it's possible to see some parts of inland Istria by public
transportation, the rewards are not worth the headaches. The large hill town of Pazin is the
region's transit hub, with buses to Rovinj, Pula, Pore
č
, and Motovun—but not the smaller
villages.
By Car:
Theregionisidealbycar.Foraquickvisittoonlythebesthilltown(Motovun),
just zip on the
ipsilon
highway (A-9) to the
Nova Vas
exit, and take the mercifully flat road
44alongtheMirnaRiverValleystraighttoMotovun.Butforafulldayofhilltown-hopping
in the Istrian interior, follow my suggested route in the “More Hill Towns” section, later.
Dramatically situated a thousand feet above vineyards and a truffle-filled forest, Motovun
(moh-toh-VOON,MontonainItalian,pop.531)isthebest-knownandmost-touristed ofthe
Istrian hill towns. And for good reason: Its hilltop Old Town is particularly evocative, with
a colorful old church and a rampart walk with the best spine-tingling vistas in the Istrian
interior. It's hard to believe that race-car driver Mario Andretti was born in such a tran-
quillittletraffic-freehamlet.TodayMotovun'squietlanesaresharedbylocals,tourists,and
artists—who began settling here a generation ago, when it was nearly deserted.
Motovun is steep. Most everything of interest to tourists is huddled around its tippy-top.
The main, upper entrance gate into town deposits you at the main square, with the church
onyourleft and Hotel Kaštel onthe right. From there, you're just about two blocks in every
direction from a sheer drop-off. This hilltop zone is circled by an old rampart that today of-
fers Motovun's most scenic stroll.
