Istria through the hills: Motovun, Grožnjan and oil mills
August in the interior of Istria: the summer truffle that no one hides, oil mills between rows of olive trees and two towns on top of a hill.
The smell appeared before the board with the name of the village. Wet earth, walnut, something between mushrooms and bread crust — that's the summer truffle in the Istrian forest, and it doesn't wait for November. While the coast cooks tourists at +33, the interior of Istria remains five degrees cooler, shady and almost empty, and the roads through the hills are narrow enough to ask you to drive, not slide.
This is the route for a day and a half. Motovun, Grožnjan and three oil mills between them, with truffle as an excuse and olive oil as the real prey. Let's start with what August actually offers on the plate.
A summer truffle is not a winter truffle—and that's okay
Let's make it clear before you pay: it's taken out in Augustsummer truffle (Tuber aestivum), black, with a marble interior, milder and cheaper than the winter white (Tuber magnatum) which comes only from October. The aroma is more discreet, so the kitchen treats it differently — it is fresh over warm fudge or scrambled eggs, where the heat opens it, and not under the knife over a cold plate where the white shines.
The price is fair: the summer truffle costs approx150–300 euros per kilogramversus several thousand for whites in season. For a plate of freshly grated fudge, count15–22 eurosin the taverns around Livado and Buzet, in the Mirna river valley where the land is the richest. Order it with a glass of homemadeMalvasia— that slightly salty, almondy white is the only logical pairing.
Why does it stop at the oil mill and not at the store?
Istria makes some of the most award-winning extra virgin oils in the world, from varieties you only hear about here:Buža, Istrian Bjelica, Črnica, Rošinjola. Bjelica gives that throat-burning sensation that is a sign of fresh polyphenols — if the oil makes you cough, that's a good thing, not a bad thing. How to read what the oilman pours into the bottle, we explained in the guideabout the extra virgin oil label.
Motovun, Grožnjan and three oil mills between them, with truffle as an excuse and olive oil as the real prey.
Oil mills around Vižinada and Grožnjan conduct a tasting through the rows of olives — a drop of oil on a spoon, bread, and the difference between mono-varietal and coupage on the tongue in five minutes. Expect it18–30 euros for a 0.5 l bottlesuperior mono-variety. Buy on the spot: the oil from the supermarket shelf is often a year old and oxidized, while the oil from the oil mill you know when it was picked. Try it at home according to the recipe forbruschetta on warm bread— the fairest test.
Two cities at the top, two paces
Motovun is a postcard for a reason: medieval ramparts at 277 m above the Mirna valley, a narrow circle around the walls and a view that floats above the fog in the morning. Come before 10am or after 6pm — it's narrow and hot at noon. Grožnjan is quieter, a city of artists with galleries in stone houses, without car traffic in the core. Park below and climb up on foot; the reward is an espresso in the square without a single bus in sight.
The road between them is a narrow two-lane through vineyards and forest — the type of asphalt whereextended weekend behind the wheelit makes sense. Drive calmly; tractors and cyclists are more common than convoys.
Questions & answers
short and to the point- Are there truffles in Istria in August?
- There is, but summer (Tuber aestivum) — black, milder and cheaper than winter white. It is extracted from May to August, around €150–300 per kilogram, and a plate of fudge with it costs €15–22.
- How much does good Istrian olive oil cost at the oil mill?
- Premium single-varietal extra virgin goes for €18–30 for a 0.5 l bottle directly at the oil mill. It is fresh and worth more than a year old oil off the supermarket shelf.
- When is the best time to visit Motovun to avoid the crowds?
- Before 10am or after 6pm. At noon, the narrow streets around the ramparts at 277 m are hot and full of buses; in the morning you can see the fog above the Mirna valley.
