We will be visiting Italy next year and will be very close to Croatia and would love to get a little taste.
We will be my hubby and I and my 75 year old mother.
Just looking for a day trip to a cute town in the hopes of finding a gem we would not have known about otherwise.
I love that mom could say hey at least I’ve been to Croatia even if it was just for a day.
Any recommendations you would suggest I would greatly appreciate. Thank you.
Driving? And how much would you like to drive in one day?
I have not been to Istria yet but have visited Croatia several times. Were I in your shoes, I would do a loop, stopping in the hill towns of Buze, Motovun, and Groznan (about an hour one way). (When you zoom in with Google maps, all are along the road named 44.)
For something totally different, it is about an hour to Opatija, which is on the sea and being a Austro-Hungarian resort, has a very different feel, but a stroll along the lungomare is nice. Have lunch in neighboring Volosko.
Awesome. We usually don’t mind driving an hour or 2 spending the day and driving back. Just wanting to take advantage of the closeness of these countries to dip our toes into a visit that may start a longing to visit more in the future.
I asked on the Slovenia page. They said Piran, Izola and Koper. And these places look right up our alley. We like picturesque towns, churches and pretty squares etc
The Slovenian/Croatian border can be time consuming to cross. Stick to Slovenia. If you insist, then Rovinj is by far the most beautiful Istrian coastal town. Unlike other posters above, I’ve actually been to this area on six separate visits, most recently last week for 10 days. As noted in my response to your Slovenia question, I really don’t understand why you’ve picked Trieste as a base when there are so many more attractive places nearby that are more of what you seem to like.
I just saw that you are visiting in October/Nov. If you do make it into Croatia, be sure to look up if any truffle festivals are occurring!
Emily I will probably pick one you suggested. Looks more up my alley.
I have also been to Istria with a car. Many businesses in Rovinj will be closed for the season in Oct/Nov, so it may not be as charming as when in full swing. I was there first week of Oct and places were already starting to close. Good news is that the walk from the car park is relatively flat or gradual slopes. Motovun is beautiful but it's a fairly steep walk up from the parking area, which could be an issue for your mother. Groznjan is a charming tiny town, and a fairly flat walk from the parking area. If you don't pay careful attention, it's easy to drive by the small road leading back to Groznjan which sits off the main road.
Rovinj in the shoulder/off season on a warm day is heaven! Grab an Aperol Spritz at Maestral and enjoy!
Thank you both.....great suggestions
can't wait
Croatia in shoulder season is not filled with crazy people. More relaxed, more able to do stuff without reservations. We were in Dubrovnik in early Nov, and it was great. Areas north of that should be fine. Take a jacket.
Definitely Groznjan. It’s beautiful, hilltop but easier to walk than Motovun. Full of artists galleries.
