ISTRIA: 21 BEST THINGS TO DO (including Croatia, Slovenia & Italy)

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Not heard of ‘Istria’? Well it’s one of the world’s best kept travel secrets – an Adriatic peninsular that belongs to three countries (Croatia, Slovenia and Italy) and isn’t overrun by tourists. It is a treasure trove of adventures (including phenomenally preserved Roman ruins) just waiting to be discovered and this video shows the 21 best things to see and do, travelling from the south of the Istrian peninsula right up to it’s north, from the Roman amphitheater in Pula (one of the best preserved outside Rome) which holds fun Gladiator Shows, to the aquarium of Pula (check out the unicorn fish!) to the Venetian town of Porec which has a UNESCO Basilica which dates back to the 6th century AD.
Other Istrian highlights include St Nicola island (great for beaches), the fishing village of Novigrad (with a very instagrammable umbrella street) to the hilltop village of Brtoniglia, where you can cycle through vineyards and go wine-tasting. The Cattunar winery is fabulous. Cheese is great in this region too (Istria is famed for its truffles as well as olive oil). Tennis fans will enjoy visiting Umag where a big APT tennis tournament is held every July.
In Slovenian Istria the town of Piran is a must, with great character. The salt pans here are also worth a visit as is the salt pan spa and organic fish farm.
In Italian Istria (you take the ferry from Trieste to Muggia) there’s a cute marina, great hikes and good ice cream too!
I LOVE Istria and I love how undiscovered it feels. It’s also a little cheaper than Croatia proper for example…