Blog
Stories from Istria — houses, places and advice for your stay.
· By Lovely IstriaMartinje & Open Farm Doors: Your November Food-and-Wine Trail Near Your Istria Villa
Early-to-mid November is one of Istria's most authentic food seasons: St Martin's wine custom in Momjan and Pula, plus region-wide farmhouse open weekends. Here's how to fit it all in from your villa.
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· By Lovely IstriaGin, New Wine & Wild Mushrooms: Istria's Last Weekend of October
Five autumn events fill Istria's last weekend of October 2026. Here's how to combine gin, new wine, wild mushrooms and truffle into one perfect villa trip, 23–25 October 2026.
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ETIAS Pushed to 2027: What UK & US Guests Need to Know Before an Istria Villa Trip
The EU has quietly dropped its late-2026 target for ETIAS. Here's what that actually means if you're a UK, US or other non-EU guest planning an Istria villa stay this autumn or next year.
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· By Lovely IstriaIstria's Big Autumn Food Weekend: Prosciutto, Teran & Truffles
Three of Istria's best-loved food festivals land on the very same weekend this October. Here's how to turn 16–18 October into one easy, delicious road trip from your villa.
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· By Lovely IstriaNew EU Entry/Exit System: What UK and US Guests Need to Know for Istria
The EU's new biometric border system is now fully up and running, with Croatia leading the way. Here's what UK, US and other non-EU guests should expect at the border before their Istria villa stay.
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· By Lovely IstriaHeated and Saltwater Pools in Istria: What These Terms Actually Mean
"Heated pool," "saltwater system" — these filters pop up on every villa search, but what do they actually change about your stay? Here's a clear, practical guide.
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· By Lovely IstriaCoast or Countryside in Istria: Where to Stay in a Villa
Sea or truffles, beach or olive groves? A comparison of regions by distance to the sea, holiday rhythm and type of group.
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· By Lovely IstriaHow to Choose a Villa with a Pool in Istria: a 7-Step Guide
Istria has plenty of villas with a pool, and they differ a lot. Here is what to check so you pick the one that really suits you.
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· By Lovely IstriaTruffles and Wine in Inland Istria: a Guide for Food Lovers
The Motovun Forest, white truffles, malvasia and teran: what to try in inland Istria and how to fit it into a villa holiday.
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· By Lovely IstriaWhen to Go to Istria: the Best Time for a Villa with a Pool
July and August are the peak of the season, but Istria is lovely almost all year. Here is what to expect in each month.
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· By Lovely IstriaIstria with Children: What to Look for in a Villa with a Pool
A family holiday needs a different villa to a couple's getaway. Here is what to check: the pool, equipment, layout and day trips.
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· By Lovely IstriaHow Artificial Intelligence Is Changing Tourism in Istria
Discover how AI can improve holiday planning, guest communication, holiday-home management and the promotion of Istria as a destination.
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· By Lovely IstriaOlive Harvest in Istria: Tradition, Quality, and Pleasure
Autumn in Istria marks the beginning of one of the region’s most cherished traditions – the olive harvest. This area, renowned for its rich history of olive growing and premium olive oils, attracts olive lovers, local farmers, and tourists each year who w
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· By Josipa TomićTourism during the pandemic
Depending on where you are in the world you have probably been in a few lockdowns by now.
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· By Vesna IvetićTourism after the pandemic?
The direction towards which tourism is heading for now is still unknown. Tourism is a large world industry and one can assume it is going to adapt to the new circumstances.
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· By Gabriella DoronzoThe tastes of Croatian villages
Istria - the peninsula in Croatia is always a popular holiday destination, with lots of sun, beach and the turquoise crystal clear sea! By the way, the cleanest sea in Europe.
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· By Vesna IvetićSpring on an Istrian Plate
Spring is a time of awakening, the day is longer, the sun shines stronger and the nature shows us its glory with all of the flowers and blossoming trees. Also the bugs, but there has to be a downside of everything, right?
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Why do people love coming to Poreč?
I read that Poreč was the only city in Istrian peninsula with a positive natural population growth. It currently has around twenty thousand citizens, and this number keeps increasing.
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· By Vesna IvetićCroatian Football
Last year in FIFA World Cup in Russia Croatia played against France in the final.
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· By Vesna IvetićRetire in Istria?
A few years back Forbes magazine wrote an article about 14 best places to retire throughout the globe. And they put Istria in this list.
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· By Vesna IvetićA Dream Wedding on a Dream Island
I believe that May and June are the nicest months for organizing a wedding. The nature completely wakes up; everything is green and flowery, full of pleasant scents. The weather is sunny, but not yet dried up in the summer heat.
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· By Vesna IvetićFuži – What are they?
Istria holds many gastronomy events starring olive oil, wines, prosciutto etc.
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· By Vesna IvetićSport, fun and Wine all combined in Istria
Recently Istria developed an interesting type of happenings that unite fun, education, gastronomy and sports.Many tourist boards and individual institutions host several events containing the mixture of exercising and wine drinking.
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· By Vesna IvetićTastes of Childhood - Simple yet Majestic - Istrian Maneštra
One of the top priorities that almost every traveler has is enjoying local cuisine. In my opinion, Istrian food and drinks are quite appealing.
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· By Vesna IvetićStories of Istrian Lighthouses
Istria has nine active lighthouses and all of them have a legend of their own.
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· By Vesna IvetićIstrian Cuisine - Imaginative, Traditional and Natural
Thanks to my current occupation, as well as some part time jobs during the last years, I was lucky to dine in many different restaurants in Istria.
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· By Vesna IvetićIstrian global- level events
If you're a regular reader of my blogs, you might have noticed I already said a couple of things about the central part of Istrian Peninsula and its advantages. And about Istrian gastronomy events. Now I'd like you to have in mind both of these facts when
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· By Vesna IvetićVilla rentals in Istria - The Beautiful Synergy of Green and Blue Istria
Istria, the Croatian strongest tourist region, is the place of cultural and natural resources, synergy of sea and land, urban and rural.
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· By Vesna IvetićCape Kamenjak - Chrystal Blue Sea of the Primordial Mediterranean
If you're the type of person who enjoys relaxing in modern tourist resorts with all of the modern assets, there is no need to continue reading this text. No, no, don't go, I'm just kidding!
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· By Vesna IvetićIstrian extra virgin olive oils are... one of the best in the world
Did you know that one of the oldest Mediterranean olive trees grows in Istrian national park Brijuni? It is 1.600 years old and still produces this precious plant.
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· By Vesna IvetićTinjan area in Central Istria
Recently I walked through the tracks of my childhood: once again my life path led me to Tinjan. I used to come here much more often in my earlier days.
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