5 Charming Istria Hilltop Towns You Have to Visit in Croatia

Most people visit Croatia for its coast and seaside towns. And while this is an absolute must have, Croatia is much more than the coast only. The Istrian Peninsula is a perfect combination of seaside and greenery and is still somewhat of a hidden gem of Croatia. In this blog post as a fellow Croatian I’m sharing with you my top 5 Istria hilltop towns you have to add to your Croatia bucket list.

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📖 Planning a trip to Istria? Check my Istria Itinerary: How to Spend 7 Days in Istrian Peninsula blog post.

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Motovun

Motovun is the most famous Istrian hilltop town and surely one of the best ones you can visit. In ancient times both Celts and Illyrians built their fortresses in today’s Motovun. Actually, the name of the town is of Celtic origin, derived from Montona, meaning “a town in the hills”.

Motovun as you see it today is a medieval town on a hill 270 m (886 ft) above the sea level. From 1278 it was taken over by Venice and surrounded by solid walls which are still intact today. Which means that great views are guaranteed, especially at sunset.

Motovun is mainly famous for its truffles which can be found at Motovun Forest in Mirna River Valley.

📖 Read my Is Croatia Expensive to Visit? (+My Cost Breakdown) blog post.

Things to Do in Motovun

Obviously, you can’t come to Motovun and not try what they’re famous for – truffles. The best place to have truffles is Konoba Mondo, which I cannot recommend more!

✅ Additionally, if you’re interested in truffles, consider joining this highest rated Truffle Hunting & Cooking Tour. You will go on a truffle hunting tour with dogs specifically trained for that. Afterwards, you will enjoy a 3-course meal with truffles.

Istria is also producing really good wines and one of my favourite wineries is Fakin Winery, in the footsteps of Motovun. While you can visit the winery if you’d like, you can also find their wines in Motovun and do the tasting in their shop.

My recommendation is to try Muskat, a sweet white dessert wine which is my favourite! Other great Istrian wines are Malvazija and Teran (you have to try teranino, a sweet liquorice drink too!).

As mentioned, Motovun was once a walled-city, so checking the town walls is one of the coolest things to do in Motovun.

You can pay to visit them, but they are anyway all around the old town, so I skipped paying for a small fraction of the wall that is reserved as a tourist attraction and wandered around for free.

On the main square of Motovun, you will find St Stephen’s Church built between the 16th and the 17th century, with final shape getting in the 18th. The church is free to visit.

And lastly, I recommend having dinner at Montona Gallery where Anthony Bourdain ate too – and he loved it! So did I…

Definitely reserve a table for sunset and next to the stone walls, so you can enjoy the beautiful panoramic views.

How to Get to Motovun

So, this is the tricky part. Croatia in general is not a public transportation-friendly destination, and especially not when it comes to off the beaten path places.

Therefore, my personal recommendation is always one and only – rent a car in Croatia. This will save you a lot of logistical headaches!

However, if renting a car is not the option for you, then you can join this tour which includes Groznjan and Motovun.

Groznjan

If you’d ask me to tell you my favourite hilltop town of Green Istria, I’d say instantly – Groznjan!

This beautiful small town is such an artistic place full with galleries, souvenir shops and many instagrammable stops. Oh, and gorgeous views!

You cannot miss it when in Istria!

History of Groznjan can be dated back to Roman times, though the first mention of the town of Groznjan appears in the 12th century.

Groznjan was under the Venetian Republic for 4 centuries (14th-18th), was then ruled by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, then again by Italy after WW1 and then after WW2 it became part of Yugoslavia and Croatia.

Because of that today more than 50% of Groznjan population are Italians.

📖 Read my 8 Best Coastal Towns in Croatia You Have to Visit blog post.

Things to Do in Groznjan

To me, Groznjan has the best views of the countryside of all the Istrian hilltop towns and there are 2 viewing points with beautiful views.

Groznjan is famous for its art galleries and hand-made products. If you’re looking for some unique Istrian shopping, this is your stop.

Even if you’re just browsing, don’t skip checking out some of them because they’re all so cute and very instagrammable.

For drinks I recommend an outdoor terrace with the views at B&B Artegnana 1798 where you can stay as well. Beside awesome reviews on Booking, their food and drinks are great too, but the views are the best part.

How to Get to Groznjan

Getting to Groznjan is the same as with Motovun – you can either rent a car or join this tour which includes Groznjan and Motovun.

Buje

Buje is a very small town in Istria of about 4000 people. It is referred to as the “sentinel of Istria” for its hilltop site located 10 km (6.2 mi) inland from the Adriatic Sea.

Buje dates back to prehistoric and Roman times. It then developed from the Venetian settlement into a medieval town. Its history resembles those of Groznjan and many other towns in the area, so I won’t repeat myself here because you’ve got it already.

Anyways, Buje is one of my favourite Istria’s hilltop towns, mainly because it preserved its stone architecture which is so unique to this region of Croatia.

Things to Do in Buje

Church of the Mother of Mercy is the first sight you will see in Buje once you arrive. It was built in the 16th century with a bell tower added in the 17th. The church is free to visit.

On the other side of the street from the church, you’ll find the Etno Museum where you can go to learn more about Buje history and material culture.

On the main square in Buje you will find Church of St. Servulus, an 18th century baroque church.

As you head towards the Fortress of Buje from the Church of St. Servulus, you will stumble upon a viewing point with breathtaking views.

Once you reach the Fortress of Buje you can climb it, but my personal recommendation is to skip this and instead go to the nearby graveyard where you can enjoy the views too.

Beside these spots, my favourite activity in Buje is just to wander through its cute cobblestone streets. It’s very photogenic and instagrammable.

How to Get to Buje

Because Buje is off the beaten touristy path, no tours go there and it’s truly an Istrian (and Croatian) hidden gem.

Which also means that you can only reach Buje if you rent a car.

Hum

💡Did you know that Hum in Croatia is the smallest town in the world?!

Yes, with only 50 people living there, Hum qualifies as the world’s smallest town. If you want to cross off something unique from your bucket list, then you have to visit Hum!

Trust me, it’s such a beautiful and picturesque little town where you’d feel like you ended up in Alice in Wonderland.

📖 Check my Croatia Bucket List: 15 Best Things to Do in Croatia blog post.

Things to Do in Hum

To enter Hum, you’ll have to reach its City Gates, a copper door with bucrania, knocker and a calendar, showing the work in the field for each month of the year written in Glagolitic letter.

Once you’re inside the town, the first (and only) site you’d see is the Church of the Assumption of Mary built in the 19th century.

So, get lost in its cobblestone streets and enjoy your walk.

Finally, I recommend having a drink at Souvenir Shop COLMO, which is not only a great place to buy souvenirs, but also they have a wonderful outdoor terrace with a view.

How to Get to Hum

You can get to Hum by renting a car or by joining this tour.

Kotli

Even though Kotli classifies as a small village, because of its uniqueness I had to add it to this list of best Istria hilltop towns.

Due to its isolation, the village of Kotli has kept its rural 19th century look. It also managed to preserve its mills that were in use till 1964.

However, Kotli is mainly famous for its natural pools (Croatian version of Pamukkale) where you can bathe.

Things to Do in Kotli

There are not many things to do in Kotli besides the most popular – bathing in the natural pools. However, this will largely depend on the time of the year. In summer time it is highly unlikely you’d be able to do it because the pools are mostly dry.

This was sadly the case for us. The locals have told us that the spring time is usually the best for that. Either way, it’s a cool nature place to check.

And if you’re feeling hungry, this is the only restaurant in Kotli and a very loved one – Konoba Kotlic.

How to Get to Kotli

The only way to get to Kotli is by renting a car.

Where to Stay in Istria

Even though Istria hilltop towns are gorgeous, my recommendation is to base yourself in the seaside towns for easier exploration, especially if you’re not renting a car.

📖 For more, check my 10 Best Istria Hotels with the Pool You’ll Love blog post.

✅ If you’re looking for a custom travel plan, find out more about my personalised itinerary service here.

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