Location: Motovun
Top Things to do in Motovun
Top Restaurants in Motovun
7 Things to do for Honeymoon in Motovun That You Shouldn't Miss
Motovun (Croatian pronunciation: [mɔtɔ̌ʋuːn], Italian: Montona or Montona d'Istria) is a village in central Istria, Croatia. The population of the village itself is 531, with a total of 983 residents in the municipality (2001); 192 of the residents speak Italian as their mother language. The Parenzana was a narrow gauge railroad that ran from Trieste to Poreč/Parenzo between 1902-1935, passed valley below the town.
Restaurants in Motovun
1. Paragliding Tandem Istra
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 380 reviews
Experience the magical Istria from the air. Paragliding Tandem flight in Motovun will take you over the magical old town. In a tandem you are able to fly without any previous experience. After a 15 min briefing you get to fly for 30 min with a highly trained instructor, which is the easiest and safest way to experience the thrill of paragliding. All you need are sporting shoes and a long sleeved jacket. Too easy.
2. Truffle Hunting
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 186 reviews
Reviewed By sophiavennix
Nikola and his dogs were a lot of fun - I would totally recommend this if you want a unique learning experience during your trip to Croatia! My husband and I went to Croatia on our honeymoon. We stayed in Motovun, and met Nikola in Livade, a small town nearby. Livade is a small, quiet town, so it was super easy to get there by car and find a parking spot. He picked us up and we drove 2 mins down the street to the woods. We walked around the woods with Nikola and his dogs, while he told us all about how he truffle hunts for a living. He's a really nice guy, and will teach you everything you need to know about truffles. He also was in the New York Times! All of the restaurant owners in town know who he is, so at the end of the tour, he brought us into Zigante Tartufi (a Michelin truffle restaurant) to get us a discount for a truffle tasting during our trip! This season was apparently not a great season for hunting due to weather. However, on our hunt we found multiple truffles, one being pretty large! Overall, we learned a lot from Nikola. Be prepared with boots and clothes that can dirty - we were not. You probably won't do any digging, but you'll get muddy from walking through the woods. :)
3. Miro Tartufi
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 198 reviews
Visit the magical Motovun, go truffle hunting and enjoy truffle flavour of Istra! Find hidden Istrian gems with Miro - a licensed guide who has more than 35 years of experience in the truffle business and allow yourself to be taken on the delicious food adventure by Mirjana – our hostess who also started this business! You will learn all about truffles: the tradition of truffle hunting, the ways of training truffle hunting dogs, the ways of preparing your favourite truffle dishes and much more. All this while basking in the sun and soaking up the fresh air! Book your tour and emabark on this delicious, unforgettable adventure with the Miro Tartufi team! Follow us on Instagram ( miro_tartufi ) for more pictures!
Reviewed By airlinetraveler363 - Dallas, United States
My wife loves truffles and we wanted to experience a truffle hunt while we were in the Istria region of Croatia. After doing some research, we landed here and we were not disappointed. We visited Motovun in September and stayed in one of Miro's apartments on top of the hill. (I know, it's taken some time to write the review). Arrival: We didn't pay attention to the arrival instructions and ended up at Miro's personal home instead of the apartment. Rather than being rushed out, Miro welcomed us into her home, offered drinks and helped us get settled. We instantly felt like we were family. Her smile was so warm and gracious and we knew we were in good hands. The Town: Once we got settled into the apartment (your legs will get a big workout walking up and down the hill), we did some truffle tasting around town and ate a wonderful dinner. We were there during the shoulder season and things were really quiet at night. If you're looking for a place with an active nightlife scene, this might not be the spot for you. If you're looking to relax and not feel rushed then this is the place for you. The Truffle Hunt: The next morning, we checked out of the apartment and headed down the hill to Miro's home (where we inadvertently arrived the day before.) We were greeted just as we were the day before- with a big smile and a big hug. There was a big tour but it felt so personal. We learned about truffles, the seasons, the different tastes between white and black truffles and then we headed out for a hunt. It was a quick 10 minute drive into the forest. The hunt was more of a walk in the woods with some dogs who would sniff their way to truffles. (Make sure to wear shoes that you don't mind getting muddy) As soon as the dogs smelled something, we would all run over to see what sized truffle they found. After the hunt, we headed back to the home where were treated to an amazing lunch filled with all types of wonderful truffle dishes including cheeses, a tomato salad with truffle olive oil, toasts with various truffle spreads, scrambled eggs with shaved truffles, and the absolutely most delicious chocolate and truffle honey cake one has ever had! As we wrapped up lunch, we purchased a few bottles of truffle oil and some salt. As we were leaving, we hugged our most gracious host. I don't say this often, but our visit really did feel like were visiting close friends. If you're debating about what to do, this is an absolute MUST! I would recommend this visit to everyone. You will not be disappointed!
4. Ancient City Walls
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 192 reviews
Reviewed By Brittany_11_10 - Los Angeles, United States
The best reason to visit the ancient city walls of Motovun (in general) is to have great views of the surrounding forests. The best reasons to visit right now are that parking is free (right near the church and cemetery), entrance to the walls is free, and essentially no one is there.
5. Hilltop Walled Ancient City of Motovun
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 518 reviews
Reviewed By Brittany_11_10 - Los Angeles, United States
Perfect to visit right now because basically no one's there, and everything's free (well, parking and entering the walled city). It is quaint, cute, historical, and it offers great views of the surrounding area. You can park near the church and then walk up half a kilometer or so. What's open right now are a few restaurants and shops, and the turnstiles are "set aside" (i.e., open) to enter the courtyard area at the very top.
6. Fakin Wines
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 39 reviews
Fakin winery is located at the bottom of the medieval town Motovun, surrounded by gorgeous vineyards in which Istrian grape varieties are grown. Several different labels of quality wine are produced with grapes grown on 30 hectares of vineyards. To make your gastronomic experience complete, the Fakin family opened a restaurant in which traditional Istrian dishes pair with excellent local wines.
