winning wines),sprinkleitwithhistoricalcharmandyouhave alittlesliceof heaven. acclaimed gastronomy(starringfresh seafood,primetruffles,wildasparagusandaward- but youcanstillfeel aloneandundisturbed in‘Green Istria’,even inthemid-August. Add andeachtownnamehasanItaliancounterpart. passports, even closer. asecondlanguageinIstria,whilemanyIstrianshave Italianis,infact, Italian itseem Italianinfluencemakes mainland. Justacrossthewater isItaly,butthepervasive cornerseparate inthenortheastern Istriafromthecontinental extension oftheDinaricRange) andGrožnjanperchonhillcrests inatmospheric clusters. of Pore along thecoastcentres onthefetching fishingvillageofRovinj andtheancientRomantown its thrivingshipyardandRomanamphitheatre, isthe economicandculturalcentre. Tourism are theseaiscleanandsecludedspotsstillplentiful. wide-ranging, plexes linemuchofthecoastanditsrockybeachesare notCroatia’sbest,butthefacilities verdant indented coastlineisenormouslypopularwiththesun‘n’seaset.Vast hotel com- visitorstoitshilltopvillages,ruralhotels andfarmhouserestaurants, artsy plains attracts the peninsula justsouthofTrieste inItaly.Whilethebucolicinterior ofrollinghillsandfertile Continental CroatiameetstheAdriaticin 3600-sq-km Istria (IstratoCroats),theheart-shaped Istria 154 © LonelyPlanetPublications „ The coast,or‘BlueIstria’,asthetouristboardcallsit,getsfloodedbytouristsinsummer, The northern part ofthepeninsulabelongstoSlovenia, part whilethe The northern , intheinterior, istheadministrative capitaloftheregion, whilecoastalPula, with

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TELEPHONE CODE: 052 Exploringthewildlandscapes of up communistchicatTito’s Soaking Catching alfresco screenings duringthe thetrails ofthelegendary Walking Taking inRovinj’s fishinghistoryat andfeasting intheforests Truffle-hunting Admiringthemosaicsat Rt Kamenjak Kamenjak Rt playground of summer filmfestival of House around Basilica Cave č , surroundedbyamodernsprawl.Inland,themedievaltownsofMotovun, , (p177) (p166) Buzet 11) in (p171) (p178) 10) er near ( p160) Brijuni

Pore (p163) č

Euphrasian (p181) Pazin Pazin Batana Poreø Brijuni Rt Kamenjak Motovun Ć Pazin i Buzet ć arija mountains(an ISTRIA 155 the easi- č Historical attractions aside, Pula is a busy PULA PULA exploited Pula’s terrain, using Kaštel Hill, Hill, using Kaštel Pula’s terrain, exploited now containswhich the citadel, as a vantage the bay. The ancient town point to protect developed around the in concentric circles placed outside the hill, with the amphitheatre Pula joined the power- fortified city centre. itself in 1150 to protect empire ful Venetian beaches awaits at the resorts that occupy the awaits at the resorts beaches to the south. Although Peninsula Verudela and holiday develop- with residential marred with fragrant pine ments, the coast is dotted fantastic seaside of cafés and a clutch groves, south along the indented Further restaurants. hides a Peninsula the Premantura shoreline, cape park, the protected spectacular nature of Kamenjak. History In the 1st century BC, the Illyrian Pola (now by the Romans and used Pula) was conquered for the headquarters as their administrative from the Limska Draga that stretched region The Romans cleverly to the Raša River. Fjord the most enchanting town and Pore the most enchanting with plenty – holiday choice, est – and cheaper entertainment options. lodging and of pop 65,000 oth- makes Roman architecture The wealth of a Pula (ancient Polensium) erwise workaday cities. The standout among ’s larger is the remarkably the Roman show star of well- preserved smack Roman amphitheatre, the dominates the city, which in the heart of for sum- and doubles as a venue streetscape and performances. mer concerts commercial city on the sea that has man- a friendly small-town ap- to retain aged peal. Just a short bus ride away, a series of reorganisation of Yugoslavia, the northern the northern Yugoslavia, of reorganisation into was incorporated the peninsula part of has remained. it where Slovenia, COAST THE ISTRIAN peninsula is Pula, the the Istrian At the tip of Islands, the city. The Brijuni coast’s largest an easy day are Tito, of former playground Istria centres The east coast of trip from here. , of on the modern seaside just resort Labin. town of below the ancient hilltop The west coast is the tourist showcase, with Rovinj , with č •• Pula THE ISTRIAN COAST

Italy retained the region until its defeat in its defeat until the region Italy retained When the empire disintegrated at the end at disintegrated When the empire A massive population shift followed as 30,000 followed population shift A massive With the fall of Venice in 1797, Istria came Venice With the fall of Misery, famine and warfare haunted the haunted Misery, famine and warfare From 539 to 751, Istria was under Byzantine 751, Istria was under Byzantine From 539 to History History Towards the end of the 2nd millennium 2nd millennium the of the end Towards points of contention between Italy and between contention Italy and points of was until 1954, when the region Yugoslavia Tito’s of a result finally awarded to Italy. As and the peninsula’s northwestern tip were tip were and the peninsula’s northwestern WWII when Istria became part of Yugoslavia, Yugoslavia, WWII when Istria became part of causing another mass exodus, as Italians and communists. Trieste many Croats fled Tito’s by banning Slavic speech, printing, education speech, by banning Slavic cultural activities. and fears were not misplaced as Istria’s Italian not were fears hold their to consolidate attempted masters to 40,000 Italians arrived from Mussolini’s Italy from Mussolini’s to 40,000 Italians arrived Their fascism. and many Croats left, fearing Istria along with and several islands to the Allied pow- for joining Italy, as a reward in WWI. ers 1918, and, in the 1920 Treaty of Rapallo, of the 1918, and, in the 1920 Treaty ceded Serbs,Kingdom of Croats and Slovenes of WWI, Italy moved quickly to secure Istria. Istria. quickly to secure WWI, Italy moved of Italian troops occupied Pula in November Istria was little more than a neglected outpost than a neglected Istria was little more Austro-Hungarian Empire. the of (1809–13) and the the Austrians again. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, most of under Austrian rule, followed by the French under Austrian rule, followed by the French peninsula. Bubonic plague first broke out in out broke first Bubonic plague peninsula. cities until Istrian ravaged 1371 and regularly the 17th century. Although the Turks never Istria, the peninsula lay in the path reached Senj from pirates who Uskok the fearsome of Istrian cities throughout attacked repeatedly 17th centuries. the 16th and of the Istrian coast in the early 13th century. the Istrian coast in the early 13th of conti- 1466 gave signed in 1374 and Treaties the Habsburgs. nental Istria to the Franks and German rulers until an in- the Franks and German rulers control wrested powerful Venice creasingly its stunning mosaics. In the period that fol- tribes, betweenlowed, power switched Slavic rule, the most impressive remnant of which is which of remnant rule, the most impressive Pore ) in p171 the Euphrasian Basilica ( the coastal and interior hills. The Romans Romans hills. The the coastal and interior BC in the 3rd century swept into Istria and as hill forts roads and more began building strategic strongholds. region and built fortified villages on top of on top of villages and built fortified region lonelyplanet.com BC, Histrian tribe settled the Illyrian the