Skip to Content

Visiting the hill towns of Grožnjan and Motovun in Istria, Croatia

Join us on our summer trip to Istria, the northernmost province of Croatia. We drove inland from the coast to visit the picturesque hill towns of Grožnjan and Motovun.

It’s easy to make a day’s driving tour between the different hill-top towns. Explore Buzet, Draguac, Hum and Boljun as well as the better known Grožnjan and Motovun that we visited.

These towns started off many centuries ago as fortified settlements on the top of the hill. They were rebuilt in the Middle Ages and then strengthened further under Austrian or Venetian colonisation.

Old Houses at Grožnjan in Istria, Croatia
Old Houses at Grožnjan in Istria, Croatia

This article may contain affiliate links that provide commission on purchases you make at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Grožnjan in Istria

After the second world war most of the Italian Inhabitants abandoned Grožnjan. But in the 1960s it regained something of its previous success and the town was designated as a ‘City of Artists’.

Now, visitors can arrive and park on the edge of the town, then wander through the church square and through the pedestrianised lanes.

Many of the picturesque old stone buildings have been converted into art galleries, selling ceramics, paintings, jewellery and gifts. There’s also the odd stalls selling honey and other local produce.

Wooden sculpture in Grožnjan in Istria, Croatia
Wooden sculpture in Grožnjan in Istria, Croatia

When we visited, we had just missed the summer Jazz festival, Jazz is Back. There was a stage set up in the local square and performances occured every night throughout July. I’d have loved to have sat in the balmy air in a cafe listening to the music.

I had to console myself with lunch in one of the main tavernas, Bastia. I enjoyed a plate of pasta in creamy sauce with the local truffles shaved over it.

Heather at Grožnjan in Istria, Croatia
Heather at Grožnjan in Istria, Croatia

Motovun in Istria

When you reach this old hill-top town in the province of Istria in Croatia, you have two choices for parking. Park for free at the bottom of the hill, or pay a small amount to park higher up at the edge of the pedestrianised area.

Walk up through a stone gateway with carved Venetian stonework on display inside the archway. The old medieval town still has the old fortified town walls encircling it. You can walk all around them with fantastic views over the valley and looking down onto the terracotta tiled roofs below.

Motovun in Istria in Croatia
Motovun in Istria in Croatia

Food in Motovun

Motovun is particularly known for the local food and wine specialities that are sold in many of the shops, often with the opportunity to taste before you buy. There are also many restaurants serving the local specialities and a pleasant Kastel Hotel with a garden where I wouldn’t have minded staying.

By the time we’d done out little walk around, it was late afternoon and there were rumbles of thunder in the distance, so we hurried back to our car before the storm blew in.

Even if you’re based by Istria’s beautiful coastline for sea and swimming, I’d highly recommend you hire a car for a day or two and explore some of these beautiful hill-top towns. This is the gourmet heartland of Istria, so do time your visit to take in a good lunch and taste the local specialities of the region.

Carved stone at Motovan, Istria, Croatia
Carved stone at Motovan, Istria, Croatia

Read more from our trip to Istria

Cycling by the sea in Istria
A room with a view – staying at Plava Laguna Resort in Istria

Many thanks to the Istrian Tourism board who hosted* me on this visit to Istria in Croatia.

* More info on my policies page

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com

Click to subscribe to our monthly newsletter, news and reader offers

Subscribe to Heather on her travels newsletter
Click here to cancel reply.

Istria-Apartments.co.uk

Tuesday 5th of January 2016

Both places are lovely and the views from either are spectacular. I love Groznjan but it makes me sad. There is no permanent population there and it only comes alive in the summer when it hosts numerous music festivals including music courses for student. Motovun is larger but still amazing and you can virtually see the whole of Istria from its walls, including Mount Ucka. It has earned a bad reputation because it has become a magnet for tourists and gets incredibly crowded in the tourist season.

Heather Cowper

Friday 8th of January 2016

@Istria Apartments We were there in the summer and just missed the music festival in Groznjan - I can see how they get very crowded in summer

The Symbolya map and website - a fun way to record and share your travels | Heather on her travels

Thursday 19th of July 2012

[...] Website Istria Bike WebsiteOther blog posts on IstriaMy Istria diary – podcast and slide show Visiting the hill-towns of Groznjan and Motovun in Istria On the hunt for the Istrian Trufflewww.flickr.comheatheronhertravels’ Croatia – Istria [...]

Morten Croatia

Wednesday 1st of September 2010

You for sure should go there again and try some of the wine, and i totally agree wine taste the best where it is grown.

Winery Tomaz, which is just bit the foot of the motovon hill is one of my favorits :)

Heather Cowper

Wednesday 1st of September 2010

@ Mortun - we had such a wonderful time in Croatia, you're lucky to live in such a beautiful part of Europe. I'm a great lover of wine tasting - wine always tastes better where it's grown - if I get back I'll make sure I visit some wineries but we were there with our 2 teenage children and wine tasting's not top of their list, although we did bring some home.

Morten Croatia

Wednesday 1st of September 2010

Great travel blog you have here Heather!

I am an expat living in Croatia where I also do a bit of blogging about the country, I have visited both Groznjan and Motovun several times (Actually some Australian friends of mine have a house there), anyway I as you also recommend everybody to visit these two cities, they are really nice. Last time I went there was this spring where I actually stayed in Hotel Kastel, which was very nice.

At my last visited I had opportunity to visit a few of the wineries in the area, I can assure the do some really good wines here, so I can only recommend everybody to make a short stop when the see signs to one of the wineries.

Brgds, Morten