Wedding Venues in Istria

Istria is the peninsula in the northwest — Italian in atmosphere, Croatian by geography, Slovenian at its northern edge, and entirely its own. The coast has Rovinj, which is arguably the most beautiful coastal town in Croatia: a Venetian-era old town built on what is now a peninsula but was once an island, with the tower of St. Euphemia visible for miles across the sea. It has Pula and its Roman arena — one of the largest and best-preserved amphitheatres in the world, still in active use. And it has Poreč, with the UNESCO Euphrasian Basilica and a waterfront that faces the open northern Adriatic.

The interior is where Istria earns its reputation for food and wine. The hills around Motovun and Buzet are truffle country; the south produces Malvazija and Teran in quantities that have made Istrian wine internationally recognised; lavender and aromatic herbs grow across the plateau estates. The medieval hilltop towns — Motovun, Grožnjan, Oprtalj — sit above vineyards and look out across a rolling green interior that bears no resemblance to the Dalmatian coast. Couples from western Europe who want a Croatian wedding that doesn’t require their guests to cross the whole country choose Istria partly for this and partly for the practical reason that it’s an easy drive from Venice, Trieste and Ljubljana.

The Kvarner Riviera, technically distinct from the Istrian peninsula but planned and accessed as the same region, adds Opatija — Croatia’s oldest resort, built by the Austro-Hungarian Empire as a sanitarium and winter retreat, now a string of grand hotels above the sea — and the island of Mali Lošinj, known since antiquity for its mild climate and the quality of its air. Our Istria collection covers the full range of this northwest corner, from a private island off Rovinj to a 16th-century vineyard castle in the hills.

Pula Airport (PUY) serves international connections from April through October with direct flights from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and across Europe.