After a chain of international headlines praising destination classics like Dubrovnik and Split, another record-breaking Croatian region finally gets some love.
The lifestyle magazine Forbes included Istria in a refreshing piece titled '6 Must-Do European Road Trips', offering some ideas on understated regions or areas that are worth a visit. Far from your usual go-here and visit-that articles that still make it sound like Game of Thrones getting filmed in Dubrovnik counts as news, the Forbes piece provides a short list of "the most satisfying late summer and early fall drives to be made now".
Far from the crowds and overpriced drinks, Istria and its companions offer a chance to slow down and enjoy the ride through some cinema-worthy scenery... but also to dive in some fantastic cuisine along the way. Apart from our precious peninsula, Forbes recommends the Autoroute du Soleil in France, the Emerald Isles in Ireland, the La Dolce Vita tour through Italy and France, and a coast-to-coast road trip through Basilicata and Matera in Italy. (Guess the last one counts as two, otherwise we're missing the sixth must-do European road trip.)
Why Istria? "For its gastronomy, beautiful landscapes of green hills crowned with villages and amazing historical monuments", cites Forbes. They describe Istria as one of the rare regions in the world when you can find both black and white truffles, and participate in organised truffle hunting with hunters and their dogs. The only logical thing to follow, of course, is to sit down for a homemade dish enriched with truffles and pair it with one of the renowned locally-made wines. Apart from the gourmet wonders, Forbes also recommends visiting the UNESCO-protected Euphrasius Basilica in Poreč, as well as little hilltop towns in central Istria, filled with vineyards, olive groves, galleries and the artists' studios.
Read the original article here.
