Istria is a peninsula in the Adriatic Sea, which is predominantly in Croatia lies. Part of Istria in the north belongs to the slovenian region Obalno-kraška and the region around Trieste belongs to Italy.
Istria
The Istrian peninsula is located in the northern part of Croatia and covers a total of 4,437 km². The green peninsula has a coastline of 1000 km with secluded bays, rocky, pebble and sandy beaches. The water quality is extremely good and particularly suitable for diving, swimming and all water sports. The islands are very close by Krk, Cres, Lošinj and Rab. The south of Istria is one of the most beautiful areas in the entire Adriatic. The northeast is characterized by the mighty Ćićarija and Učka mountain ranges, which are suitable for long hiking, cycling and mountain bike tours.
You can also find more information about vacation options at www.maremonti-istra.com
places
Parenzo-Poreč, Orsera-Vrsar, Rovingno-Rovinj and of course Pola-Pula and environment. Definitely worth seeing Trieste and the Castello Miramare in the north, the hilly interior with the medieval towns Portole/Oprtalj and Montona/Motovunreminiscent of Tuscany.
Other goals
The highlight are those Brioni Islands off the coast at Pola-Pula and Fasana, a nature park with only a few hotels.
The nearby islands Cres-Cherso and Lussino-Losinj are worth a trip. Also Lovran-Laurana, the aristocratic old Austrian sea bath is beautiful, although the beach was concreted over under Yugoslavian rule (it has a bit of Eastern flair) But the view from Ucka-Monte Maggiore is also great, from the pass you can see all of Istria and over the Kvarner Bay the dalmatian Islands.
The Limski Canal or Limski fjord is a 10 km long, narrow arm of the sea between Vrsar and Rovinj on the west coast. Because of the low salt content and the high oxygen concentration of the brackish water, fish, mussel and even oyster farms are located there. Excursions are offered from the surrounding tourist places, where with a little luck you can see dolphins.
background
language
Due to the tripartite division of Istria and the demarcation that has often shifted in the course of history, the language corresponds to the respective national languages Croatian, Slovenian and Italian, especially in the Croatian part, a lot of chunks of Slovenian and especially Italian flow into the language. The local language of the population on the coast is Venetian or Istrian, an old Roman dialect (Vulgar Latin) that cannot be found anywhere else in Europe. In the inland, Venetian is spoken and a mixed language called Ponas. It consists of Slavic-Dalmatian dialects, with Venetian and some German influences. In some places an Istro-Romanian is spoken by descendants of the immigrant Romanian shepherds (Wallachians). In Pola you can speak German without any problems, as the Polesans still feel they are part of the Austrian culture and many Polesans have an Austrian grandmother or similar .
getting there
By plane
- 1 Pula airport (Zračna luka Pula). The fourth largest airport in Croatia. During the summer season, several companies offer direct flights from airports in Germany and Switzerland.
- The airport Rijeka (RJK) is 40 km from Opatija. Although it is less important overall than Pula, it has year-round connections to / from Germany (with Eurowings or Croatia Airlines).
- The nearest major airports with numerous year-round connections are Trieste (TRS; 100–160 km; 1½ – 2 driving hours) and Ljubljana (LJU; 130–225 km; 1: 45–2½ hours).
By bus and train
There are buses from Trieste train station to every city in Istria. You should therefore not take the train via Trieste, as the change in Divaca and the border stops take hours. Should a train be taken anyway, change to Ljubljana. A night train also runs directly from Munich to Opatija.
In the street
The best way to get here is via the motorway from Trieste via Capodistria-Twill and then continue down the expressway Pula.
By boat
There are also ferries from Ancona and Venice, but here, too, only the hydrofoil boats are worthwhile.
mobility
Tourist Attractions
activities
kitchen
In the interior of the country it is advisable to visit Montona-Motovun and Albona-Labin. Both are very pretty Venetian towns where you can also eat well. You can also eat well in villages such as Hum-Colmo, Roc-Rozzo and Buzet-Pinguente.
- Istrian wine soup, Istarska supa, also Bukaleta supa called, is one of the most famous elements of Istrian cuisine. Red wine is heated with sugar and pepper, bread is toasted and drizzled with olive oil, then both are put together in a traditional Istrian mug Bukaleta given. The wine is straight from the Bukaleta drank and spooned the bread.
- Refosco is an old, down-to-earth red wine variety. It can produce outstanding wines of intense color, but often only mediocre table wines are produced. It is beneficial if the wines undergo malolactic fermentation in order to reduce the pronounced acidity. The best wines are made in Colli Orientali del Friuli, in the Slovenian Karst and on Terra Rossa soils in Istria.
nightlife
security
The security question on vacation is not a problem. As everywhere, you shouldn't leave anything lying around carelessly. You can go for a walk anywhere, you can also go out alone at night, overall a more central European security climate predominates. The police are vigilant. Certain groups are simply avoided.
climate
The summers are hot, especially July-August, but the wind on the coast makes it easy to bear. Winter (December - March) can get very cold and freezing temperatures are not uncommon. The best time is May and June, when everything is still in bloom and green, and in September, when it is still warm enough for bathing.
trips
literature
Peter Meyer and Annette Sievers: Istria & Kvarner Bay - Holiday guide for the bathing paradise in the north of Croatia. Peter Meyer Verlag, Frankfurt am Main, 2nd update. Edition 2004
