Places to visit near Oprtalj

Up or down the hill? You just can’t go wrong: in the Mirna River valley there are many charming villages to discover, while going up will take you to the sleeping stunner Zrenj. Make it just another wonderful day in Istria!

Livade is located at the foot of Oprtalj, in the very heart of the Mirna River valley. With the introduction of Parenzana, it soon developed into a significant transport and commercial centre for wine, olive oil and other agricultural produce. Before that, river rafts were used for transportation. There is a museum in Livade dedicated to Parenzana, which you can visit with prior notice.

Ever since white truffles were discovered in the area in the 1920s, the village has become quite famous. It even ended up in the Guinness Book of Records thanks to the world’s largest white truffle at the time. Discovered in 1999, it weighed an impressive 1.31 kg.

Did you know that its residents even erected a monument to this famous truffle? You’ll find it at the roundabout, in the centre of Livade.

Take the road to the northeast if you want to visit Zrenj, a village about ten kilometres away from Oprtalj. Legend has it that St Jerome (347-420 AD), famous for translating the Bible into Latin, was born here, so the local church was named after him. Rural architectural elements are well-preserved and marked by a consistent use of stone slate roofing. The village was once famous for skilled blacksmiths, weavers and stonemasons.

There is a path leading from Zrenj to the beautifully renovated Pietrapelosa, the so-called ‘hairy castle’, perched upon a rock and surrounded by dense vegetation. The walk is very pleasant and worth taking, as the view of the castle is nothing short of spectacular!

 A useful tip: if you plan to visit Zrenj and the Pietrapelosa castle, it’s a good idea to have lunch at one of the nearby farmhouse restaurants offering homemade food and a panoramic view of central Istria.

Sv. Stjepan is a hot spring situated at the foot of an impressive 85-metre high rock, by the road connecting Buzet and Motovun. It is famous for a high content of sulphur and as many as 13 different minerals, and there is both scientific and practical evidence of its beneficial influence on a number of chronic ailments.

 There you’ll find Istarske toplice, ranking third in Europe in terms of quality and medicinal properties of water. Boasting a variety of modern facilities such as thermal pools, a spa and a clinic, it has developed into a well-known health resort and is synonymous with a healthy holiday in Istria.