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 — the famous “dani tartufa” — with festivals, tastings, and truffle hunts across the inland villages. It’s about an hour and a half from the house — a proper day out, and one of the best you can have here in autumn. If you’re with us off-season, don’t miss it.

When and Where

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

Event	Location	Typical Window
Subotina (giant truffle omelette)	Buzet	Second weekend of September
Zigante Truffle Days	Livade	Weekends, early October – early November
Teran & Truffle Festival	Motovun	October
Days of Momjan Muscat & Truffles	Momjan	Early November

Dates shift a little every year — always check the official programme before you go. Buzet’s Subotina falls on the second September weekend; the big one, Zigante Truffle Days in Livade, runs across five weekends from early October into early November (Saturdays and Sundays, free entry).

October is peak white truffle season — and white truffles are the pricey ones.

The Truffle Triangle

The magic happens in the Mirna river valley, roughly between Buzet, Motovun and Livade. This is Croatia’s truffle heartland: the right microclimate, the right oak forest, and dogs that have been doing this for generations.

Hilltop villages, vineyards turning gold, mist sitting in the valleys until mid-morning. 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.

The giant omelette. Buzet’s Subotina is famous for it: a truffle omelette made in a two-and-a-half-metre pan with over 2,000 eggs and around 10 kg of truffles, cooked right on the square and shared with the crowd. It’s a spectacle worth timing your trip around.

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. During Zigante Truffle Days a little tourist train runs from Livade into the forest to a hunter and his dogs; the rest of the year, 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. This is where Giancarlo Zigante and his dog Diana dug up the 1.31 kg white truffle that made Guinness World Records back in 1999 — there’s a replica on show, and the shop next to the restaurant 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 up in central Istria, a good drive from the house — plan it as a day out rather than an afternoon. 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