Istrian Truffle Days

While summer gets the crowds, autumn might be Istria’s best-kept secret. From September through November, the region celebrates truffle season with festivals, tastings, and truffle hunts across the inland villages. If you’re here in autumn, this is unmissable.

When and Where

Truffle season runs September through November, with events scattered across northern Istria:

October is peak white truffle season — and white truffles are the expensive ones (up to €3,000/kg at restaurants, though festival prices are gentler).

The Truffle Triangle

The magic happens in the Mirna river valley, roughly between Buzet, Motovun, and Pazin. This is Croatia’s truffle heartland, where the microclimate and oak forests create perfect conditions.

The landscape is stunning: hilltop villages, vineyards turning golden, morning mist in the valleys. It’s a completely different Istria from the summer coast.

What to Do

Festival tastings. Every event has stands where producers offer samples — truffle cheese, truffle honey, truffle oil, fresh truffles. Bring cash.

Truffle hunting. Join a guided hunt with trained dogs in the Motovun forest. You’ll walk through beautiful woodland, watch the dogs work, and usually find something. Tours can be booked through local agriturismos.

Truffle lunch. This is essential. Restaurants across the region serve truffle tasting menus — fuži pasta with truffles, truffle steak, truffle everything. Prices are reasonable for what you get.

Buy fresh truffles. Festival prices are much lower than restaurants or shops. A small white truffle to take home is a unique souvenir (use within a week, keep in rice).

My Tips

Book restaurant tables. During festival weekends, the good restaurants fill up. Zigante, Mondo, Toklarija — book ahead.

Visit Livade. The Zigante restaurant here holds the Guinness record for the largest white truffle ever found (1.31 kg). The adjacent shop sells everything truffle-related.

Midweek is calmer. Festival weekends get busy. Visiting Tuesday-Thursday still gets you truffle menus and autumn vibes, minus the crowds.

Layer up. Autumn mornings in the hills are cool and often misty. Perfect atmosphere, but bring a jacket.

Getting There

The truffle triangle is about 45-60 minutes from the house, depending on which village you’re heading to. The drive through autumn colors is beautiful.

Suggested route: Ližnjan → Pazin → Motovun → Livade → Buzet → back via Hum.

The Autumn Advantage

Visiting Istria in September-November means:

• Fewer tourists
• Perfect temperatures
• Truffle season
• Wine harvest
• Lower prices everywhere
• The house is often available (peak summer books first)

If summer is fully booked, autumn truffle season is an excellent alternative.

See Also

• Motovun — hilltop town, truffle restaurants
• Grožnjan — nearby artists’ village
• Hum — world’s smallest town, on the truffle route