Motovun's stone houses and bell tower on a green hilltop, with vineyards in the foreground under a blue sky

Heritage · Motovun, Istria County

Motovun and the Istrian Hill Towns

Walled medieval town above the Mirna valley, gateway to Istria's hilltop villages

Ambient sound · similar settingMidday bells ringing over a hill-town piazza

Photo: Lothar Boris Piltz (@lotharborispiltz) / Unsplash

Discover Motovun and the Istrian Hill Towns

Seen from the vineyards below, Motovun looks like something from a storybook: a crown of stone houses and a bell tower perched on a green hill above the Mirna river valley. Walk up through its gates and you can follow the medieval walls right around the town, with views over vine-covered slopes and the Motovun forest, famous for its truffles.

Motovun is the best-known of inland Istria's hilltop towns, a string of small, fortified settlements that once watched over the valleys and trade routes of the peninsula. Nearby Završje, Oprtalj and Hum, often described as the smallest town in the world, each have their own character, and together they make a rewarding day or two of slow travel away from the coast.

Don’t miss

01The walk along Motovun's medieval town walls, with views over the Mirna valley
02Church of St Stephen and its fortified bell tower on the main square
03The Motovun forest in the valley below, known for black and white truffles
04Hum, a tiny walled town above the source of the Mirna, with a 12th-century double gate
05Završje and Oprtalj, small medieval hill villages with views across to Motovun

History & culture

The story of Motovun and the Istrian Hill Towns

Motovun was built on the site of a prehistoric hillfort. Venice took control in 1278 and ruled until 1797, building and strengthening the walls that still ring the oval upper town. The fortifications, gates and towers were developed between the 13th and 17th centuries, and the town's layout has changed little since. Under Venice, Motovun oversaw the oak forest in the valley below, an important source of timber for shipbuilding.

The parish Church of St Stephen dates from the early 17th century and stands beside a fortified bell tower with a crenellated top from the 13th century. The town square also has a Romanesque communal palace and a municipal loggia. Motovun was added to UNESCO's World Heritage tentative list in 2007. It is linked with the folk tale of Veli Jože, a gentle giant, retold by the writer Vladimir Nazor, and since 1999 it has hosted an independent film festival.

Local life & traditions

Inland Istria is a rural world of vineyards, olive groves and forests, quieter and greener than the coast. Truffles are central to local food culture, and Istrian dishes often feature them with pasta or eggs. Many villages have only a few hundred residents, and traditions such as local festivals, harvest work and family-run konobas (taverns) shape daily life. Motovun's independent film festival, founded in 1999, adds a contemporary cultural note to the old town.

Things to do

Experience it like a local

Walk up through Motovun's gates, circle the walls and spend time on the main square. Afterwards, drive or cycle the quiet roads of the Mirna valley to the other hill towns: Hum for its tiny streets, Oprtalj for its loggia and views, and Završje on its cliff. Truffle hunting with trained dogs is a local speciality, and many visitors combine a hill-town day with tasting local olive oil and wine.

When to go

Late spring (May and June) and autumn (September to November) are ideal, with mild weather for walking and cycling and green or golden landscapes. Autumn is a popular time for food-focused trips centred on truffles and the grape harvest. July and August are hot and busier, especially during festival time. Winter is quiet, with occasional fog in the valleys.

Plan your visit

Verified information

UNESCO status: City of Motovun is on Croatia's World Heritage tentative list (submitted 29 January 2007). Source: whc.unesco.org ↗
Altitude: Motovun stands at 277 m; Hum is at 331 m and Oprtalj at 378 m. Source: istra.hr ↗
Tourist information: Local tourist office: Trg Andrea Antico 1, 52424 Motovun. Source: istra.hr ↗

Checked against the sources on 27 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.

Travel tips

The walk up to Motovun's upper town is steep; wear sturdy shoes and allow time.
Expect to leave the car below the old town and walk up the final stretch.
A car or bicycle makes it much easier to visit several hill towns in one day; public transport inland is limited.
If you want a truffle-hunting experience, arrange it in advance, especially in autumn.
Bring a light jacket in spring and autumn, as hilltops can be windy.

General guidance from our specialists, not official information.

Around Motovun and the Istrian Hill Towns: food, markets & places to stay

The Mirna valley lies directly below Motovun, with the Motovun forest across the river. Završje, Oprtalj, Grožnjan and Hum are all within a short drive, and the larger town of Buzet lies to the north-east. Rovinj and Poreč on the west coast are roughly an hour away by car.