01What Is Motovun Known For?

Motovun is a walled hilltop town of about 500 residents in central Istria. It stands on a hill roughly 277 m high above the Mirna Valley. It is about 25 km from Poreč, 45 km from Rovinj and 35 km from Umag. The town is known for two rings of medieval walls, white truffles from the Motovun Forest below, and wine from the surrounding hills. The old town is small. Everything worth seeing is within a 10-minute walk of the main square.

02Walk the Motovun City Walls

The walls are the top attraction. Motovun has two rings of fortifications. The oldest part, the citadel at the summit, dates to the 12th century. The Gothic town gate was added in the early 15th century, and the bulwarks were strengthened in the 16th century. This is the best-preserved fortification system in Istria.

Price
€5 per person. Students get a discount and family tickets are cheaper. The ticket has been reported as free from 30 November to 31 March.
Hours
Usually 10:00–19:00 in the main season. Hours shorten outside summer, so check locally in winter.
Where to buy
At the shop opposite the bell tower on the main square. The entrance is a few steps away and is easy to miss.
Time needed
45–60 minutes. The ticket includes the Pet kula art gallery.

The walls look over the Mirna Valley, the Motovun Forest and vineyards. Go early or in the last two hours before closing. Midday in July and August is hot and crowded, because the stone has little shade.

03Visit Andrea Antico Square and the Church of St. Stephen

The main square is named after Andrea Antico, a Renaissance music printer from Motovun. It holds the Church of St. Stephen, the freestanding bell tower beside it, and the loggia-style town buildings. The church is Baroque, and the bell tower is a former defensive tower. Entry to the square is free. The church is open at irregular times, so treat the interior as a bonus. The Kaštel building, a former Venetian-era palace, is now a hotel on the same square. Its terrace is open to non-guests for coffee.

04Go Truffle Hunting in Motovun Forest

The Motovun Forest, along the Mirna River at the foot of the hill, is one of the best-known truffle areas in Croatia. White truffles are in season from roughly late September to December. Black truffles can be found through much of the year, in summer and winter varieties.

A guided hunt lasts 2–3 hours. A local hunter works with trained dogs, and the tour usually ends with a tasting of truffle dishes and local wine. Expect to pay roughly €70–120 per person depending on group size and what is served. Prices rise in white truffle season. Book several days ahead in September and October.

Opinion: The hunt is worth the money, and the ready-made truffle products sold in the souvenir shops on the main square are not. Many are small jars of truffle-flavoured oil and spreads at tourist prices. Spend that money on a guided hunt, or on a truffle dish at a restaurant.

05Eat Truffle Dishes in the Old Town

Istrian dishes in Motovun center on fresh pasta, usually fuži or pljukanci, served with truffle shavings. Other staples are beef or boškarin dishes, Istrian ham, and sheep and cow cheese. A pasta dish with fresh truffle typically costs €20–35 in the old town, and the price depends on the truffle weight added. Plain pasta is about €10–14. Konoba Mondo is a well-known local restaurant. Reserve in advance for dinner in October and on summer weekends. Many kitchens close between lunch and dinner service, so a late lunch around 14:30 can be difficult.

06Taste Istrian Wine

Two wines define the area. Malvazija Istarska is a dry, aromatic white. Teran is a tart, deep red made from the Refošk grape family. Most restaurants in Motovun pour both by the glass for about €4–7. Dedicated tastings at wineries around the hill cost roughly €15–35 per person and often include local cheese and ham. Drive only with a designated driver, since Croatia's blood alcohol limit is 0.05%, and the roads around Motovun are narrow and winding.

07Walk or Cycle the Parenzana Trail

The Parenzana was a narrow-gauge railway that linked Trieste and Poreč from 1902 to 1935. Its route is now a walking and cycling trail with old tunnels and viaducts. The Motovun section runs through the valley below the town, close to the Mirna River. It is flat or gently graded. It is free and open all year. The walk from the base of the hill to the old railway tunnels takes about 30–40 minutes one way. A guided historian-led hike covering the Parenzana tunnel, vineyards and the old town takes 3–4 hours and costs about €130–145 per group.

08Time Your Visit: Events and Seasons

Teran and Truffle Festival
Held in mid-October on Andrea Antico Square. In 2026 it ran 17–18 October, with tastings, truffle weighing and food stalls. Dates are likely to fall in the same period in 2027.
Motovun Beer Festival
A two-day event in the old town, held in July in 2026.
Film festival
The film festival that made Motovun famous no longer takes place in the town. Since 2024 it runs as Cinehill in the Gorski Kotar region. Do not plan a Motovun trip around it.
Best months
May, June, September and October. Visit early in the day, since tour buses arrive from late morning.

09How to Get to Motovun and Park

Private cars cannot enter the old town unless the driver is staying there. There are two public car parks, one at the foot of the hill and one on the road before the town entrance. Parking is paid, and the upper lot fills fast on summer days. The walk from the upper lot to the main square is short but steep. The walk from the lower lot takes about 15–20 minutes uphill. A shuttle serves the hill during busy periods, and the schedule varies by season. Motovun has no train station. Public buses are infrequent, so a car or an organised tour is the practical choice from Poreč, Rovinj or Umag.

10Suggested Plan for One Day

  1. 09:30 – Park at the upper lot and walk to the main square.
  2. 10:00 – Walk the city walls and visit Pet kula (about 1 hour).
  3. 11:15 – See the church and square, and pause for coffee.
  4. 12:30 – Truffle lunch with a glass of Malvazija or Teran.
  5. 15:00 – Take a guided hunt or a winery tasting nearby.

Motovun works as a half-day stop, but a full day suits those adding a truffle hunt or a Parenzana walk. An overnight stay gives the quietest hours, in the evening after the tour groups leave and in the morning before they arrive.