I recently had the pleasure of visiting Istria as part of a digital nomad project with the Central Istria Tourism Board in Croatia and boy, was I blown away by this region.
Don’t get me wrong, I always knew there were hidden gems in Istria, it’s actually the first region I ever visited in Croatia when I moved there in 2022. We drove from the UK, across Europe and through Italy and Slovenia into Istria - Croatia’s northwesternmost region.
We stayed in Rovinj for a week and I was blown away by how stunning it was, the incredible surrounding countryside and honestly, how quiet and chilled out it was compared to Split and Dubrovnik! So this time around, I was thrilled to be spending 9 days in Istria to see more of what this incredible part of Croatia has to offer.
In this article I’m going to share some of the Istria hidden gems I think are worth visiting, there are of course well-known places in Istria such as Rovinj, Pula, Motovun and Hum - you won’t find those in this article but I do think they’re all worth a visit! If you want more, check out my guide to the best places to visit in Istria.
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The best hidden gems in Istria: Croatia’s green Tuscany
Gračišće
Whenever I’m ready to move to the countryside in Croatia to a small community surrounded by stunning scenery and businesses producing local, authentic produce - this is where I’m going!
I instantly fell in love with this charming village, made up of a small number of traditional stone houses, cobbled streets and a church with a churchyard offering the most stunning views of the surrounding Istrian countryside.
We visited Domaine Koquelicot winery here and also had the most delicious, authentic comfort food meal at Restoran konoba Marino. If you’re looking for an authentic konoba experience in Istria - you need to head here.
Gracisce villag centre
Gracisce view
Domaine Koquelicot winery
Pazin and the Pazin zipline
Who knew you could go ziplining over a cave and a gorge, next to a castle dating back over 1000 years?!
Pazin zipline is located in the town of Pazin and is a double zipline reaching speeds over 40km/h! We had so much fun here and the team is so lovely, a real family-run local business who were so helpful giving us tips for other things to do in the area too.
The team is super professional and we felt very safe. Amazing views and a great activity if you love a bit of adrenaline!
Note that the zipline is only open during the season unless by appointment. The season runs May-September and usually you don’t need to make a booking, you can turn up and wait for the next slot. Parking is free and located at Hotel Lovrac.
Pazin zipline
Destilerija Krulcic
Another Istrian hidden gem in Croatia is this family-owned and run distillery not far from the town of Pazin.
I first tried their famous Terranino spirit which is like a port schnapps. We tasted several of their spirits and also two of their recommended cocktail mixes, both were amazing and so smooth you could barely taste the alcohol.
I ended up buying a bottle of the Terranino to bring home which was also very affordable and a great gift for my parents back in the UK!
Terranino spirit
Sveti Petar u Šumi
If you’re passing through this village, it’s one of the more ancient settlements in the area and is famous for the beautiful Pavlinski Samostan monastery which is well worth a visit!
Pavlinkski monastery is an ancient church following the Pauline Order, named after St Paul of Thebes who was said to be the first hermit.
Istria offroading
If you’re in search of more adrenaline activities after the zipline, then I highly recommend off roading with Saorsa Outdoors.
Our outing with Martin lasted 2-3 hours and we went on such an epic route off-roading in Istria, even stopping for a shot of Rakija, when we reached the geographical centre of Istria. We crawled up muddy tracks, navigated across open fields at the top of valleys and splashed through fords and flooded areas through the Istrian countryside.
This is definitely a bumpy ride, so I wouldn’t advise if you’re elderly, pregnant or have any pre-existing injuries, but we had the best time and Martin knew so much about the Istria region.
Istria offroading
Tinjan and the International Prosciutto Festival
The International Prosciutto festival in Tinjan happens every October and is a testament to authentic local meat production, unique flavours produced in central Istria and the traditional craft of prosciutto and cured meats in the region.
Unfortunately we were leaving the week before the festival was due to kick off in 2024, but we were able to visit the charming village of Tinjan and go to the House of Prosciutto, where we tried several different types of prosciutto.
This year's festival is scheduled for 17th October 2025, find out more here.
Istria Proscuitto
Konoba Danijeli
After living in Croatia for a year and a half, I still think that a konoba experience is one of the best experiences to have when you visit Croatia.
A konoba is like a taverna is in Greece, it’s a local pub/bar and usually serves local food dishes, so each one is independent, hyper-local and you’re pretty much guaranteed authentic, local produce in a hearty, home-cooked style (plus great local beers and wines).
Konoba Danijeli was my first taste of Biftek (beef steak) in Croatia and it was incredible. Kupus salad is literally a cabbage salad with salt, pepper and vinegar and it was the best side dish ever. They also hand make their pasta and the truffle pasta was spectacular. Also if you like cheese, make sure to try the Skuta - it’s a curd cheese and it’s AMAZING.
Biftek
Truffle pasta
Banki Green Istrian Village
This is the location we stayed throughout our time in Istria and it exceeded all my expectations.
If you’re looking for a unique place to stay in Istria that’s rural but still close to amenities and town, then this is a great option.
Recently opened, Banki Istrian Village is a family-run glamping and camping ground. With dozens of camping sites and brand new facilities, they also have a pool and restaurant. We stayed in the glamping tents which were like full on log cabins but under canvas with a private hot tub, two floors, full kitchen and bathroom, 3 bedrooms and living space, all full heated and with a gorgeous deck too. If under canvas just really doesn’t appeal, there are also cabins available with similar amenities.
Check them out here.
Banki Green Istrian Village
Sopot Waterfall
We stumbled on this waterfall by accident when visiting the village of Pican. It’s a huge, single drop waterfall falling directly into a turquoise blue pool below.
This can be more of a trickle in the summer, as we were in autumn the pool water was still blue but the waterfall was flowing more freely!
Radanovic Winery
This is a gorgeous family owned winery in a stunning location and they are open by reservation only and in the summer you can do tastings under the stunning oak trees in their garden. If the weather is not great, they have a traditional stone tasting room with a bar and seating for up to 30.
I loved all of their wines, especially the red. They also supplied us with loads of locally produced and homemade savoury and sweet snacks and accompaniments.
Radanovic Winery
Zarečki Krov Waterfall
We headed out on a morning hike from Pazin which took us along back lanes, rivers and vineyards until we reached this waterfall which has a large stone platform at the top - perfect for walking onto (or jumping off into the water on a hot day as someone in our group did!)
If you don’t want to do the walk from Pazin, there is also a car park at the top of the hill where it’s just a short walk down to the waterfall.
Zarečki Krov Waterfall
Domaine Koquelicot winery
I mentioned this winery at the start as it’s located in Gračišće and is owned by a Croatian woman and her French husband who decided to start a winery in Croatia.
Their winery location is stunning with views of the valley and their stone cellar is just stunning. We did a tasting with Jacqueline and it’s the first time I’ve ever done a full tasting with a fully qualified certification in vinification and WSET level 3. Their grapes are picked by hand and the wines are produced in small batches with minimal intervention, producing 8,000-10,000 bottles per year.
Nomad red wine was my favourite!
Find their website here if you’re interested in a tasting.
Domaine Koquelicot winery
Novigrad
We popped down to Novigrad on the coast for an afternoon and I was so pleasantly surprised by the town!
I have been to Rovinj and Pula before on the Istria coast, but Novigrad seemed smaller, slower and so charming.
If you’re spending some time in Istria, everything only ever seems to be 20 minutes away from you, so don’t miss the chance to head to the coast.
We spent time walking along the waterfront and buying some local pastries but Novigrad is also a great place to take a boat excursion, you can spot dolphins off the coast, there are many dinner cruise options and also Istria excursions which take you to other towns along the coast including Rovinj, Porec and Vrsar.
Novigrad, Croatia
Brijuni National Park
One of Croatia’s stunning national parks, although it’s less well known than others such as Krka National Park or Plitvice Lakes, it is just as stunning in its natural beauty.
There are regular boats that run every hour from Fazana to Brijuni during the peak season (in November-March these only run twice a day). The boat ride across to the island takes approximately 20 minutes and costs 30 euros which also includes your entrance to the National Park and all the attractions on the island.
Brijuni is famous for its beautiful wildlife and beaches as well as the ancient sites including the Byzantine castle ruins, St Mary's Basilica and more than 200 Dinosaur footprints! But it’s also famous as being the official residence of Tito, the president of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Tito made the White Villa on Brijuni his official residence from 1953 until his last visit in 1979. He was a big animal lover and while he made extensive efforts to preserve the nature of the island, he was also gifted exotic animals by other world leaders, including elephants, rare birds, leopards, camels and more. These remaining animals can still be seen in the Brijuni Safari Park, take the safari train around the park to spot them - also included in the ticket price.
Don’t miss the Tito Museum, the safari park, the dinosaur footprints that are over 100 million years old, and the stunning beaches and nature on the island.
Medulin
During our first night in Istria, we stayed outside of Pula on the coast, close to Medulin.
We popped into Medulin and discovered Kasteja Park which is a nature peninsula off the town and home to Arena Medulin camp site and wow!
If you travel in a camper van, mobile home or under canvas, this peninsula is a stunning natural haven where you can camp or park up among the trees, bring your stand up paddleboard, canoe, kayak or swim gear because there are beaches on 3 sides of the peninsula and great facilities.
The town also has a nice promenade with plenty of cafes, shops and restaurants. If you’re a road tripper or motorhome traveller, this is definitely a Croatia hidden gem, not just an Istria hidden gem!
No mass tourism crowds here, just a lot of outdoor and adventure lovers enjoying the natural space - it made us want to pack up the car and camp out here for a couple of weeks!
Medulin, Croatia
Grožnjan
Even on a cloudy, rainy day this village was so idyllic.
Cobbled streets lined with stone houses and colourful shutters, quaint alleyways hung with green vines, this felt like a village from a movie set! The reality is that it’s a stunningly beautiful and authentic medieval town which feels like you’ve stepped back in time.
We parked at the car park just outside the town and parking cost 3 euros. We then spent a couple of hours exploring, just wandering around the town, grabbed coffee and a snack and snapped plenty of photos.
I wouldn’t say there’s necessarily anything in terms of attractions, the village itself is the place to just wander and explore at your own pace.
Check out Truba bar for a glass of wine with epic views.
Grožnjan Streets
Grožnjan, Croatia
Oprtalj
Did we just step into Italy?
This charming, pastel coloured town with an approach lined by Cypress Trees was totally reminiscent of small towns in Tuscany.
We parked for free at the small car park along the main road looking out across the valley
The valley was covered in vineyards with green rolling hills and some low clouds making it even more picture-perfect.
The town itself is small and you can walk around it in around 10-15 minutes. We explored the colourful streets, visited the church, grabbed coffee at Cafe Mila before enjoying the sunshine on the terrace at Loggia Veneziana and the market area.
Oprtalj, Croatia
Trnoruzica village
I had to include this spot as we met Mirna, one of the owners, at an event in Istria and we dropped by to see this huge project.
Trnoruzica village is actually her family’s village which has become abandoned over the years, Mirna has moved back with her partner to live there and restore several of the old houses in order to create a truly authentic, Istrian countryside experience.
If you’re looking for somewhere rural, peaceful, charming and organic, bring your bike and explore the countryside, find rest and relaxation, a stay here might be for you.
Trnoruzica village
Lim Fjord
Who knew there was a fjord in Croatia?!
Also called Lim Bay or Lim Canal, this is actually a submerged karst canyon which is 35km long.
It’s a haven for wildlife as well as mussel and oyster farms.
The most popular way to see the Lim Channel is by boat and there are several excursions from Rovinj, Porec or Vrsar.
You can also hire kayaks or bring your stand up paddleboard to do your own exploration of the waterway.
Lim Fjord
Summary: hidden gems in Istria, Croatia
My hope with this blog post is not only to help you discover an area of Croatia you might not have considered but also to discover some of the lesser known and lesser visited locations in the region of Istria.
There are still so many hidden gems in Croatia and while Split and Dubrovnik are perpetually popular, the stunning nature, countryside, gastronomy, culture and charm of the Istria region has really made it my new favourite region of Croatia.
