Hilltop walls, a bell tower above the sea, a fjord-like bay and the highest summit of the peninsula. Ten places in Istria where the view is the reason to go.
Istria is a landscape made for looking at. Its towns sit on hilltops for reasons of defence, and the effect, centuries later, is a peninsula full of balconies: town walls with views over forests and valleys, bell towers above the sea, and a mountain from which the whole country seems to unfold. Some viewpoints take a hike to reach, others are a few steps from a café.
Here are the places we would send a friend, from the coast to the interior, with a few notes on when to go.
1. The walls of Motovun
Motovun is the classic Istrian hill town, and its medieval walls form a walkway around the top of the hill. From there the view falls over the Mirna valley, its fields, vineyards and the forest where truffles grow. Early in the morning, especially in autumn, mist often fills the valley and the town floats above it. Read more in a slow weekend in Motovun.
2. Grožnjan
A few kilometres away, Grožnjan has its own lookout: a small square at the edge of town with benches under the trees and a view across the Mirna valley and the hills beyond. Come in the late afternoon, when the light turns warm and the music from the town's summer courses and concerts drifts through the lanes.
3. The bell tower of St Euphemia, Rovinj
The tall bell tower of the church of St Euphemia, crowned by a statue of the saint, is the symbol of Rovinj. Visitors can usually climb it by steep wooden stairs, and the reward is one of the finest views on the coast: the red roofs of the old town, the harbour, the islands and the open Adriatic. Climbing is not for those uneasy with heights, and opening depends on the season. See our Rovinj travel guide.
4. Above the Lim Bay
The Lim Bay is a long, narrow inlet cutting deep into the land between Vrsar and Rovinj, flanked by steep wooded slopes. From the road above, there is a well-known viewpoint looking down along the water, and walking paths reveal other angles. It is beautiful in the morning, when the water is still. Our guide to the Lim Bay has more.
5. Vojak, the summit of Učka
No viewpoint in Istria is higher. From the stone tower on Vojak, the top of Učka, you look over the Kvarner Gulf and its islands, down to Rijeka, and back across the whole peninsula. On very clear days, often after the bura has blown, the view reaches mountains far to the north. You can hike up or drive most of the way; see our guide to hiking on Učka.
Istria's towns sit on hilltops for defence. Centuries later, the peninsula is full of balconies.
6. Hum and Roč
Hum, often called the smallest town in the world, stands on a ridge above a green valley in the north of the peninsula. Its walls and the road leading up, lined with Glagolitic monuments, give wide views over the surrounding hills. Nearby Roč, another small walled town, is quieter still.
7. Labin above Rabac
On the east coast, the old town of Labin sits on a hill a few kilometres above the seaside resort of Rabac. From its upper streets and terraces, the view reaches down to the Kvarner Gulf and across to the island of Cres. It is a lovely place at sunset, when the sea below turns silver.
8. Pazin castle and the abyss
In the centre of Istria, the castle of Pazin stands on the edge of a deep gorge. Viewpoints and paths around the castle look straight down into the abyss, where the river disappears into the rock. It is less a panorama than a dramatic glimpse, and one that inspired Jules Verne.
9. Buzet and the northern hills
Buzet, on its hill above the Mirna in the north, looks out over the valley towards the slopes of Ćićarija. It is less visited than Motovun and has a quiet, local feel, especially in the evenings.
10. Cape Kamenjak
At the southern tip of Istria, Cape Kamenjak has no great height, but its low cliffs and headlands look out over open sea and small islands. Walk to the end of the peninsula in the late afternoon and you have one of the best places to watch the sun go down. For more evening spots, see the best sunset spots in Istria.
Tips for the best views
- Go after the bura. The dry north-easterly wind clears the air, and the views can stretch much further than usual.
- Mornings for valleys. In autumn and spring, mist in the valleys at dawn turns hill towns into islands.
- Evenings for the coast. West-facing places such as Rovinj and Kamenjak are best at sunset.
- Check access. Towers and town walls can have seasonal opening and may close in bad weather.
- Wear good shoes. Old stone steps and paths are uneven and slippery after rain.
- Bring a lens. A short telephoto helps to pick out distant hill towns and islands.
A peninsula seen from above
Spend a few days moving between these places and you begin to read Istria differently: the coastline and its islands, the valleys and their rivers, the line of hill towns facing each other across the green. Many of those who later settle here say it was a view that convinced them, a valley from a town wall or the sea from a hillside, and the wish to wake up to it every morning.
