Written by two Croatia experts, this new, thoroughly updated third
edition of Bradt's Croatia: Istria, with Rijeka and the Slovenian
Adriatic remains the only full-length guide to this well-heeled, varied
part of former Yugoslavia to include detailed background and practical
information. Catering for all types of travellers (from outdoors
enthusiasts to culture vultures, foodies to oenophiles) and budgets, the
guide offers revised listings for accommodation, restaurants, and what
to see and do. Istria crams remarkable diversity in a conveniently
compact region: it takes under an hour to drive almost anywhere on the
peninsula. The region boasts some of Croatia's most famous sites,
including Pula's spectacular Roman amphitheatre, Poreč's UNESCO-listed
Byzantine mosaics (every bit as good as Italy's Ravenna and Istanbul's
Aya Sofya), picturesque medieval hill towns (such as Motovun and Draguč)
and frescoes, and the Brijuni Islands National Park. In 2020, the
transport hub and carnival city of Rijeka in the Kvarner region became
Croatia's first ever European Capital of Culture. Istria is renowned for
its cuisine, particularly pasta, game, seafood and truffles (until
recently Istria held the world record for the world's largest truffle),
and also produces fine wine and world-class olive oil. There is plenty
of pampering on offer, too, with luxury and boutique hotels, excellent
restaurants and inexpensive spa treatments. Istria makes a great base to
explore nearby Capodistria on Slovenia's coast, and karst limestone
areas with beautiful and uncrowded coastal towns, castles, Lipizzaner
horses and the UNESCO-listed Skocjan cave. New or expanded coverage in
this edition include advice and information on the Vivapa Valley,
Slovenian wines, recently opened hotels, travelling to Istria by rail,
and vegetarian or vegan restaurants. With extensive sections on
trekking, cycling (including the Parenzana long-distance cycling route)
and diving, plus information on windsurfing, paragliding, wreck diving
(including sites such as the Coriolanus and the Baron Gautsch) and
sailing, and detail on wildlife (30 species of orchid grow on Cape
Kemenjak alone), numerous festivals (including celebrations of film,
fish, truffles and prosciutto), music, travelling with children and
ancient history, this Bradt guide provides everything you need to plan
and enjoy a visit.
