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Istria – A Magical Region for Special Events

 

How to Get There

Istria, the largest peninsula in Croatia, is located in the country’s westernmost part and links the Central European and continental region with the Mediterranean. By car, Istria can easily be reached by taking the main transport routes and motorways from the direction of Zagreb, Rijeka or Split. After passing through the Učka tunnel, continue the journey along the Istrian Y motorway, which leads to the southern part of the peninsula and locations in inland Istria. If you are travelling by plane, the closest airport is Pula International Airport. The two other airports nearest to Rovinj are Trieste (146 km) and Ljubljana (208 km) airports.

Business Tourism Destinations

Blue Istria

The coastal part of Istria, also known as Blue Istria, boasts historic old towns, beauties of the Mediterranean coastline with attractive beaches and natural diversity, but also excellent conference facilities in luxury hotels and resorts, as well as in smaller family hotels. Poreč, Rovinj, and Pula stand out as the most important congress centres.

 

The town of Poreč, nearly two thousand years old, is one of the leading Croatian tourist destinations. The 5th-century Euphrasian Basilica, its most important cultural and historical monument, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This early Christian cathedral complex is the only complete preserved monument from that time in the world while the mosaics that adorn the interior and facade of the church form a valuable legacy of Byzantine art. Two of the largest Croatian tourist companies, Valamar Riviera and Plava Laguna, which have their headquarters in Poreč, manage the largest congress hotels in the town – Valamar Diamant Hotel, Isabella Valamar Collection Island Resort, and Hotel Parentium Plava Laguna.

In the small town of Umag in the north of Istria, Plava Laguna also has high-quality conference facilities in the hotels Garden Istra and Umag.

 

Rovinj is one of the most romantic towns in the Mediterranean, with picturesque narrow streets and charming squares in the old town that will enchant you with their beauty and the atmosphere of bygone times. The town, surrounded by 7th-century walls and ramparts, has been declared a cultural heritage site, with the church of St Euphemia towering over the old town vista as the most awe-inspiring edifice. The Golden Cape (Montauro) Forest Park, which walls off the town of Rovinj to the south, is a strong contestant for one of the most beautiful landscapes of western Istria. The tourist company Maistra is the leader in the tourist and conference offer in the town. It includes hotels located in the Monte Mulini area with a number of multi-functional conference halls – Design Hotel Lone, luxury Grand Park Hotel, and hotels Eden and Istra. The largest and most unique corporate events will be best served by the Old Factory complex in the town centre, a flexible venue of 30,000 m2, which includes a concert hall, ten conference halls and meeting rooms, a large banquet hall, and open terraces.

Pula, the largest city in Istria, continues its millennia-old history on the southern side of the peninsula, with numerous sites and landmarks, most notably the imposing Arena – an amphitheatre from Roman times where gladiatorial combat was a frequently organised attraction. Today it is used for musical performances, festivals, and concerts and has a capacity of about 5,000 spectators. The heritage of the Romans is also evident in many other heritage sites that are well worth a visit – the Temple of Augustus, the Forum – the central square of ancient and medieval Pula, the triumphal arch of the Sergii – the Golden Gate, the Twin Gate, and the remains of the former ramparts around the city, as well as the medieval Fortress Kaštel on a hill, which now houses the History Museum of Istria, and Pula's fortifications – the legacy of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy with 26 magnificent fortifications that, legend has it, were connected by underground corridors. Most of the congress facilities are located in Arena Hotels properties, with the largest – Park Plaza Histria – accommodating up to 700 participants.

Brijuni National Park, which can be reached following a short ferry ride from the small coastal town of Fažana near Pula, will take your breath away with its wealth of flora and fauna, lush forests and landscaped promenades, with deer, mouflon, peacocks, and rabbits roaming freely in the park. The Brijuni Islands, consisting of 14 islands and islets, have been recognised as a country retreat of emperors and nobles since Roman times, but flourished in the late 19th century, when the wealthy Austrian industrialist Paul Kupelwieser decided to build a tourist paradise here and construct hotels, parks, beaches, sports fields, stables, etc. The Brijuni Islands were visited by numerous statesmen, artists, scientists, and nobles and are known as the summer residence of the President of the former Yugoslavia, Josip Broz Tito. During his time, hotels were renovated and villas were built on the west coast of Veliki Brijun – the Bijela vila (“White Villa”) and villa Brijunka, orchards and vineyards were planted and wine cellars were built. In this unique open-air museum, you will also come across 200 dinosaur footprints, reminders of the magnificent creatures which lived here 130 million years ago. You can also organise conferences and other events on Brijuni – in Hotel Istra on Veliki Brijun there are several conference halls, for a maximum of 400 people.

Green Istria

The interior of Istria – nicknamed Green Istria – is an idyllic area filled with green hills, home to picturesque medieval towns, not to mention numerous olive groves and vineyards, which produce quality wines such as the Istrian Malvasia, an absolute staple of Istrian winemaking.

Some refer to this area as the Croatian Tuscany, but this title does not do the region justice – for the sixth year in a row, it has won the title of the highest quality region in the world for extra virgin olive oils according to the world guide Flos Olei, and its olive oils take top prizes at the world's most important olive-growing competitions.

Small family hotels, villas, rural hotels with wineries, and beautiful stone villas called stancija (authentic Istrian properties) seem tailor-made for smaller exclusive events. Meneghetti Wine Hotel & Winery in Bale near Rovinj, Wine & Heritage Hotel Roxanich in Motovun, San Canzian Village & Hotel near Grožnjan, and San Rocco Heritage & Gourmet in Brtonigla will charm you with their atmosphere, style and, extraordinary cuisine with particular emphasis on wines and olive oil.

Magical Istrian Incentives

Culinary Experiences in Istria

High-quality Istrian restaurants and “konoba” taverns adorn the pages of the world's famous guides: Michelin, Gault&Millau, Jeunes Restaurateurs JRE, Vinibuoni d'Italia. Istria is the birthplace of quality wines and the world's highest-quality olive oils, which have been produced on Istrian soil since the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Today, you can get a taste of both in local wineries and oleotheques (specialised shops) with an offer of proprietary extra virgin olive oil.

The Chiavalon Oil Mill offers a tour of the farm where you will get to learn about the production of oil on a walk through the olive grove. As part of a specialised tasting tour, you will learn how to properly taste and recognise real extra virgin olive oil.

Cultural Programmes

Istra Inspirit is an innovative product of cultural and adventure tourism – through storytelling, it offers imaginative programmes and performances in authentic locations and introduces you to Istrian history and mysterious legends.

A walk through the magical town of Bale will take you back to the Venetian era and show how people used to live in this fairy-tale Istrian town, what rules from the statute of the time were most important for the life of the inhabitants, and what butterflies have to do with Bale.

 

The Dvigrad storytelling tour will bring the medieval town to life and take you on a journey through time. Discover the most authentic Istra Inspirit experience featuring the insidious pirate Henry Morgan and his company and buried treasure, in search of which you will set off on your own. Enjoy an unforgettable pirate musical and real pirate jamboree in the magical ambience of medieval Dvigrad.

 

The Casanova Tour takes visitors on an unforgettable journey back to the times of the Vrsar Earldom when the famous adventurer and lover Giacomo Casanova stayed in Vrsar. Visitors of this tour will discover the more intimate side of Casanova’s Vrsar and all the interesting events that characterised his adventures in Istria.

 

At the archaeological site of Vižula, through the story of the Roman warrior Crispus, you will witness the tragic fate of the young heir to the throne, the son of Constantine the Great. The story of love, hate, and revenge, will take you back to the time of the Roman Empire and the year 326.

Sports Activities Outdoors

The beautiful Istrian countryside offers numerous opportunities for authentic adventures and adrenaline-fuelled activities – from more laid-back hiking and cycling to mountain biking in the interior of Istria, Nordic walking, or trekking along wild trails – in Istria, there are mapped and maintained trails for all these activities.

A tour of the Brijuni National Park will encourage you to participate in numerous activities. The well-maintained 13 km long bicycle path leads through open-air exhibitions, golf courses, the safari park and ethno park, archaeological sites, forests, rocky coast, and bays. You can also tour Brijuni by boat, as well as go scuba diving in some of the most attractive underwater locations of the Adriatic, feed the animals in the zoo, participate in a photo safari, or in archaeological tours.

 

Lim Bay, reminiscent of a fjord, is a 12-kilometre-long bay with steep hills up to 200 metres high on both sides. Lim Bay is a famous breeding place for fish and shellfish – after enjoying nature, treat yourself to oysters and fresh fish in one of the restaurants.

 

The search for truffles in the Motovun forest will thrill all foodies and lovers of this esteemed and expensive delicacy. In the forest hugging the foothills of the medieval town of Motovun, in the valley of the river Mirna, with the help of hunting dogs, search and find out all about truffle hunting, and finally try truffle dishes yourself.

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