Croatia Travel Blog

I really like this description of the Motovun Film Festival from the Times’ Wendy Ide:

Why go: For starters, where the hell is Motovun? It’s a hilltop town in Istria, with a population of just 1,000. Here, a hedonistic five-day marathon takes place, with screenings from 10am until 4am – many in the open air. Backpackers camp in the fields beneath the town and are hauled up each day in a tractor-pulled trailer.
How to get tickets: Visit the festival website for details: www.motovunfilmfestival.com
Where to stay: In a tent. Or do like the hardcore festival-goers do and sleep in the gutter where you fell the night before.
Where to drink: Everywhere, throughout the day.

See article.

No, it ain’t Cannes. I can tell you from personal experience that no festival-goers sleep in the gutter at France’s famous festival.

Where is Motovun? Alert visitors to croatiatraveller.com know that Motovun is in Istria (see a map) and accessible (although not easily) by bus. See more about Motovun.

Posted under Croatia Travel & Istria & Motovun | No Comments »

“Coastal Croatia by Bicycle: Sea, Sun, Truffles” is the curious title of the recent NYTimes piece recounting Nathaniel Vinton’s cycling trip through Istria. Why “coastal Croatia”? I don’t get it. The article is mostly about the Istrian interior with a small mention of Rovinj which of course is on the coast. I get the feeling Mr. Vinton plainly prefers the Istrian interior to the coast which, truth to tell, is my preference as well. Rovinj, Porec, Pula et al. have plenty of history and architectural interest, not to mention that vast expanse of blue water right nearby, but to experience a calmer, more authentic Croatia, you simply must venture into the interior, preferable by bicycle. The rolling interior is perfect for cycling and for a real workout you can pedal up to the hill villages of Motovun and Groznjan. Both are not quite as undiscovered as this article implies but they are nonetheless delightful. I’m glad (I think) he mentioned Grascice, outside Pazin. Now that is truly a sleepy little village! Go to article.

Read more about

• Istria
• Cycling Croatia
• Motovun
• Groznjan
• Rovinj
• Pazin

Posted under Articles & Croatia Travel & Istria | No Comments »

The schedule for catamarans between Venice and Croatia now includes the entire offering of Venezia Lines for 2007. Unfortunately, there are fewer destinations this year. Last year’s routes to Opatija and Umag have been eliminated but remaining are passenger ferries to Piran, Porec, Rovinj, Pula, Rabac and Mali Losinj. Service begins in April and ends in October for Rovinj, the most popular route, but other routes are summer only.

Another option is to go with the new routes offered by Emilia Romagna Lines. Although this company doesn’t have a direct route from Venice to Croatia, it does have passenger boats that run from Cesenatico to Rimini, Pesaro and Zadar, Cesenatico to Ravenna and Rovinj, and Cesenatico to Rimini, Pesaro, Hvar and Mali Losinj.

Although there is apparently no line from Venice to Dalmatia this year, travellers can take a bus from Venice to Cesenatico and then board a catamaran to Hvar.

Other ways to get from Venice to Croatia include the daily non-stop train to Zagreb, and the daily bus from Venice to Pula. See more on trains to Croatia, ferries to Croatia, buses to Croatia and driving to Croatia.

Posted under Croatia Ferries & Croatia Travel & Istria | No Comments »