Croatia | Croatia's Istrian Peninsula
The Istrian Peninsula gives us goosebumps. It's that giddy kind of rush you get when you find someplace so authentic that you can't believe it's you standing there. On this triangle of paradise that dips into the Adriatic just east of Venice, the scenery is so insanely perfect that you don't want the walks to end. Think vineyards rolling into olive groves sweeping to the Adriatic. Can't you see yourself, eating an apricot plucked from the orchard of a limestone farmhouse...chatting with a goat herder...sipping the Malvasia before another forkful of truffled gnocchi? Istria is everything we love: unspoiled countryside, seaside towns of near-Venetian beauty, a delightful mix of Croatian and Italian cultures. The Romans called it Terra Magica. Travel experts say it's "like Tuscany 30 years ago." We think Istria is just perfect...the rare kind of destination just about guaranteed to give you the unforgettable thrill of discovery.
| Duration: | 7 Days |
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| Tour Code: | ITW361 |
| Trip Style: | Deluxe - 5 star |
| Departure Dates: | 20 May 2012, 17 Jun 2012, 16 Sep 2012, 21 Oct 2012 |
| Price: | From $4,245 |
| Single Supplement: | $730 |
| Places you'll visit: |
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| Highlights: |
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Ideal for Solo Travellers
This tour offers a stimulating blend of easy walking and exposure to local culture and history. Expect an active but casually paced tempo that offers plenty of opportunity to absorb the environment, sightsee and relax. Over a third of guests travel on their own, so you'll fit right in.
In your small group (just 10 guests on average and no more than 18), there will typically be a mix of solo travellers, couples, and friends or family members travelling together. If you are like many people travelling solo and prefer a room to yourself, you'll find the single supplement is reasonable. Of course, at your request, we can invite another solo traveller on the tour to share the accommodation with you.
Trip Details
GROUP SIZE: 10 average (18 max.)
SEASONAL PRICE RANGE: $4,245 to $4,350
Single Supplement: $730
DAY 1 - VENICE
You know a tour is going to be amazing if Venice is only the starting point! We meet at our canal-side hotel in this fabled city for an afternoon of exploration on foot and aboard vaporetti (water taxis). If you've never been, you may be surprised at how thoroughly you can experience Venice in only a few hours. Of course, we'll scatter the pigeons on a stroll through the Piazza San Marco and take in the Rialto Bridge and the Doge's Palace. Our local guide also shows us the unknown Venice, where the Venetians outnumber the tourists, before dinner at one of our favorite restaurants.
Overnight: Venice; Meals: D
DAY 2 - ROVINJ
You'll be able to add Slovenia to the countries you've visited as our morning drive takes us through the narrow corridor of land that connects it to the Adriatic. After crossing into Croatia, we'll stretch our legs on a short walk with coastal views from Brtonigla on the "Olive Oil Road". Friends welcome us to their olive mill and to their home for a tasting. Then we'll lunch in a small village-the first of many chances this week to enjoy the local specialties: white and black truffles. (Here, truffles are so common that you won't pay the outrageous supplements that restaurants back home charge.)
Rovinj is one of the most picture-perfect towns you'll ever see. It completely fills the pearl-shaped tip of a small peninsula; its red-roofed buildings on the verge of spilling into the sea. We approach the best way-on foot along the coast-so you see this amazing sight from its most photogenic angle. Our hotel was a bishop's palace built in the 15th century and perfectly set in the heart of the walled town.
Overnight: Rovinj; Meals: B, D
DAY 3 - GROZNJAN
In all our years of walking-from Tuscany to Peru to the coasts of France and New Zealand-we've never found a more beautiful path than the one we take this morning. It starts in an agriturismo where our friends Simona and Milka fortify us with a cappuccino. The path has the steady, level grade of a long abandoned railroad. We're about 300 feet above a perfect valley studded with hilltop villages and a procession of vineyards, apricot orchards, and little farmhouses with pastel shutters. When you hear that Istria is like Tuscany 20 or 30 years ago, this is what they're talking about: authentic, lightly traveled, natural beauty like you thought didn't exist in the world anymore. Please be sure your camera battery is at full strength!
Our destination is the walled hilltop village of Groznjan. (That's Grosignana in Italian. All towns here are named in both languages-Monitzel is Monticello, for example. It sums up perfectly the interesting mix of cultures we encounter all week.) Improbably, Groznjan has a wonderful collection of art galleries. We'll take time here for lunch and to stroll the charming narrow streets. Later, we'll join up with a friend who fill us in on the history of the truffle and, when weather and season permit, we may even get to join a hunt. In this region, special hounds are fed truffles from the time they're pups to help them learn how to sniff out the delicacy.
Overnight: Rovinj; Meals: B, D
DAY 4 - BRIJUNI ISLANDS - PULA
After breakfast, we'll make the short drive to Fazana, our embarkation point for the ride in a wooden naval boat to the Brijuni Islands. These lovely islands held the summer residence of President Tito and were closed to the public for over 40 years. Access is still strictly controlled so the paths are quiet (except for the trademark calls of the abundant peacocks). Our walks with our expert guide include a nature preserve, a Byzantine fortress, and villas that date to Roman times.
Midday, we return to Pula with time to explore the magnificent Roman amphitheater, one of the world's largest and best-preserved. The mineral-rich Istrian soil is an intense, vivid red and, in addition to its suitability for olives and truffles, it's also an excellent medium for growing grapes. On an afternoon walk we'll visit one of the many local wineries for a tasting of the typical white Malvasia and the deep-ruby Teran made of the Refosk vines that only grow in this type of soil. On the last of our three nights in Rovinj, you have the run of the city to dine in the restaurant of your choice.
Overnight: Rovinj; Meals: B
DAY 5 - MOSCENICE - OPATIJA
Being "bi-coastal" in Istria isn't such a big deal. This morning, for example, we only spend about an hour on the road to reach Moscenice, perched high over the peninsula's east coast. Our friend Kornelia, wife of the 2,000-yearold town's mayor, often greets us before we head off to explore. Along the way, we'll sample grappa, the local "firewater". (Our timing isn't off! Some Istrians-and Italians-enjoy a sip with their morning espresso.)
Walking down from the heights, we reach the seaside village of Moscenicka Draga for lunch and, if you like, a dip in waters clear to a depth of 40 feet. Then we're off for an afternoon walk along the Adriatic, passing incredible villas, palm trees, and the scenic Cres and Krk islands just offshore. The path leads right into Opatija and our luxurious 5-star villa hotel, surrounded by a park and the lungomare where we'll promenade beside the water. You'll love this gorgeous city. It's the undisputed star of the Croatian Riviera with its yacht-studded harbor, grand architecture and fashionable resort attitude.
Overnight: Opatija; Meals: B, D
DAY 6 - CRES ISLAND
Your language lesson for the day: Cres is pronounced like "stress" - but there's nothing stressful at all about this lovely island. We'll ferry out after breakfast for a day of walks along footpaths blazed by the Romans. Depending on which meadows are ripe for grazing, we may pass by and meet local shepherds on our way to the picturesque village of Beli. Along the way, we'll drop in on a friend who made a career change from high-tech to the care and feeding of endangered griffin vultures at a sanctuary where just 70 pairs of the birds survive.
Like us, you'll be running out of new adjectives for the scenery. But you won't want to leave it behind...the orchards that hug white farmhouses with their red tile caps, the olive groves, the utter serenity of it all. The good news: we take plenty of time today to stroll and soak it all in one last time before we ferry back to Opatija for our final dinner together.
Overnight: Opatija; Meals: B, D
DAY 7 - VENICE
After breakfast, you'll have some time for last-minute Istrian shopping before we leave Croatia. En route back to Venice, we pause at our friend Roberto's agriturismo just across the Italian border. We'll lunch on the local specialties (probably with his beloved Verdi as background music). On our return to Venice we part company at Piazzale Roma.
Meals: B, L
TERRAIN:
Easy to moderate on good trails and coastal paths. An average of 2 to 3 hours of walking per day, with a mini-van usually in support.
ONE OF THIS TOUR'S FINE HOTELS
Our goal is always to find the most interesting and memorable lodging a region offers. One of our favorites from this itinerary is Villa Milenij, a private villa situated on the grounds of 5 star Hotel Milenij. The villa resides in the centre of the fashionable town of Opatija, surrounded by St. Jacob's Park and the seaside promenade-the famous "lungomare". In addition to luxurious guest rooms decorated in the Luis XV style, the villa has its own private breakfast room and terrace, as well as access to the hotel's amenities including: an indoor-outdoor pool, Finnish sauna, Turkish bath, Jacuzzi, solarium, and spa.
Inclusions
- First class accommodation
- All breakfasts, 1 lunch and 5 dinners
- Full-time experienced guide(s) who are with you throughout the trip
- Support vehicle(s)
- Admissions to tastings, historic sites and other scheduled events as noted in the detailed daily itinerary
- Gratuities for hotels, meals and baggage
- Trip literature
- All land transportation during the trip, whether by bus or boat
Terms & Conditions
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For more information, availability and pricing and options, please contact our expert travel specialists at Inspired Travel Worldwide on (02) 9449 8598 or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.
