KALDIR
ISTRIA AND KVARNER RIVIERA
LOCAL AREA, BEACHES & THINGS TO DO
Kaldir
Kaldir is known as the garden of Istria. As you walk through the village you pass through orchards of plums, peaches, pears and apples as well as olive groves and vineyards. The area is also one of the principal truffle regions in Europe. The largest ever truffle (as recorded in the Guinness book of records) was found in the Motovun forest. The local restaurants specialise in providing dishes incorporating truffles and a grilled steak covered with a thick layer of fresh truffle shavings. On of the most highly regarded restaurants in Istria, Zigante, is just 10 minutes drive from Kaldir. In the autumn there are annual truffle festivals centred on Livade and Buzet. Within a 25 minute drive from Kaldir there is a wide selection of first class restaurants. We provide details and recommendations.
Village of Kaldir
Excellent wines are produced in the area and well marked wine routes lead you through charming countryside to wineries where you can sample some of the very best Croatian wines. Local olive oil is another feature of the cuisine.The Istrian coastline is a 35-40 minute drive.
Central Istria
Central Istria is often compared to Tuscany. The undulating landscape with vineyards, olive groves, woodlands and river valleys is studded with numerous hilltop towns and villages, many originating from the medieval period and earlier and almost all offering spectacular vantage points over the surrounding countryside. The guide books pick out the hilltop towns of Motovun and Groznjan but there are many others worth exploring and we will provide you with our own suggestions of places off the usual tourist routes that should not be missed. These medieval settlements have charming village houses, squares and alleyways and in towns like Oprtalj and Motuvun more imposing architecture and fortifications.
Oprtalj |
Motovun |
To the east side of Istria the old town of Labin and the hilltop village of Gracisce are worth visiting.
Excellent wines are produced in the area and well marked wine routes lead you through charming countryside to wineries where you can sample some of the best Croatian wines. Notable are the Kozlovic and Markezic wineries.
The Istrian coastal towns
The west coast of Istria is within easy reach. Many of the towns on this coast are communities first established in the Roman era or earlier but the dominant influence that can be seen today is Venetian. Most of the major coastal towns were under the control of the Venetian Republic during the medieval period. At the northern end of the coast the charming town of Novigrad is worth visiting; it has an attractive harbour crowded with local fishing boats and an old town surrounded by fortifications and on the outer side (away from the harbour) a lungamare (promenade) providing a pleasant walk along the coast and an ideal place to sunbathe and swim.
Further down the coast Rovinj is unquestionably the most picturesque of the medieval Venetian towns on the Adriatic. Every guide book features the colourful facades of the tightly packed houses that encircle this tiny peninsula with the cathedral of St Euphemia and its dominating 60 metre bell tower standing over the town.
Rovinj
Other coastal towns well documented in guide books are Porec, Umag, Vrsar and Piran in Slovenia. On the east coast of Istria, Opatija provides a contrast with its grand villas built in the 19th century for the Austro Hungarian aristocracy, a delightful lungamare (promenade) and some fine restaurants.
Our Villas in Kaldir
| Villa Giardino | |
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A three bedroom stone built Istrian house with swimming pool and views over countryside towards the picturesque historic hilltop town of Motovun. Coast 30 minutes, golf 45 minutes. Sleeps 6-8. |
