hilltop walled ancient city of motovun

Spectacular views, but what we enjoyed most was the tranquility of the place off season. We were able to see the place without crowds and took great photos without any people in them. Spectacular 360 degrees views to the surrounding hilltops, wineyards and small settlements way below and far away can be seen from the walk on the castle wall. The square on top and the tiny narrow streets with ancient cobblestone pavement transpose you to the ancient times of when this town was built. I like that people still live in this town, it is alive and preserved. Still, we were hoping to find a local coffee shop but only found one in a hotel and one on the terrace that seemed touristy. I can only imagine that with the film festival, other cultural activities and popular sumemr resorts on the coast nearby, the town must be a magnet in the summer and possibly quite crowded. Now, in the winter, we were able to park on the very top of the town, by the castle wall.

We went paragliding from the walls of Motovun and then had a lovely meal of truffles and pasta. Interesting town - worth a visit

There are many hilltop towns across much of Europe and in the Istria area, few are as well preserved or laid out as Motovun. Yes there is a small parking fee- that is how they raise the money to preserve these villages. You can pass the main lot and take a chance on getting a spot halfway up the hill. Motovun, a medieval village with an oval ground plan, unfolds as you wind ever upward through its' steep streets and squares and imagine life in the middle ages. There are not as many tourist trap shops as in many cities thus you can observe more of history without that distraction. Walk the rough cobblestone streets to the top and the square, the location of St. Stephen, then walk along the top of the town walls. There are coats of arms still attached to many building walls indicating what noble family once owned the building. Independant American and avant guard European files are shown here once a year during the Film festival.

I visited Motovun last summer with my friend and some other people during the Motovun Film Festival. We went from Zagreb on our bicycles on a three day tour to get to the opening of the festival and stayed there for a few days in an improvised camp. The old town was beautiful, situated on a hill top and protected by the stone walls for centuries. The walls and the old buildings are in great shape, view is breathtaking and you can enjoy local cuisine followed by local vine and truffle specialties. And of course you can buy local vines and truffles on the spot, as a reminder of your Istria experience. The only problem I had there was with the local Tourist Board witch was totally indifferent about our problems regarding some local overcharging the fees regarding our sleep arrangements. It was much easier to pay those fees and leave the town 2 days earlier, than to be able to make an agreement. But I would recommend you to visit the old town and even sleep over for one night if you have time - that's more than enough.

Our wonderful tour guide Sini brought my wife and me to Motovun. It's an amazing setting, this ancient, little village surrounded by old castle walls, perched atop a dramatic hill that is so high you feel as if you were walking amongst the clouds. On a clear day you can see for miles and miles. It's worth the walk up! Luckily, we were able to park closer to the top because Sini was waved through by the attendant at the bottom of the hill - special hook-up. Cars are limited because the streets are not wide enough to accomodate traffic. Regarding our tour guide - we HIGHLY RECOMMEND Sini!!! He was respectful, pleasant, and fun. He was flexible with our plan for what we wanted to see, and provided information that helped us decide. He seemed to know everybody! He's knowledgeable about so many things; he told us back-stories about Motovun and the surrounding vineyards and olive groves, and the Istrian peninsula in general. He also gave us a tour of Rovinj, about which I wrote a seperate review :)

A beautiful little town. A great experience when you go up to him. Look around at the beautiful. When the cloudy weather, you feel like you're in heaven. Architecture beautiful. An experience like you're back at the time of the knights. Make sure you visit.

We visited Motovun with a friend who was familiar with the town. Luckily she knew that you could park higher than the parking lots at the base of the hill. Although that parking was initially filled, we were told by the parking attendant that if we waited a short time for other cars to leave, we would be allowed up the hill. Since it was a very hot day and the walk would have been much longer if we hadn't parked closer to the town, we were grateful for that information. Even so, we were parked below the cemetery and still had to walk up steep uneven cobblestone streets to get to the city gates. The city is replete with truffle and wine shops and some cute sidewalk cafes. We enjoyed the view from this hilltop of the surrounding countryside and walked the walls around the city. The walk did not take very long. The town hosts an annual film festival which is quite well known.

Really nice, small and charming place surrounded by old castle walls in the middle of Istria. Great view on the top. Must visit :)

Such a lovely place to visit. Very picturesque and great views. I recommend good walking shoes and please do not miss out of THE best restaurant in town, The Konoba Mondo. Excellent meal, truffles and very good service. Several hiking and biking lanes nearby.We stayed at the hotel Castel. Very good I recommend.

You need to park at the bottom of the hill and walk up, but there are many little shops for you to visit, especially those specializing in truffles. This is a famous area for truffles and the shops are happy to give you samples of black and white truffles and local olive oil. They don't mind if you don't buy anything. They also explain the process where the truffles are found by dogs, not pigs. If you have never seen a truffle in its natural state, then you can here. They have very small bottles of olive oil flavored with truffles and truffle sauce and other delicacies for sale. I bought some for gifts and they were small enough to fit in a toiletries bag. These are gifts for those hard- to -buy -for friends and relatives.At the top of the hill is the ancient walled city with its fabulous views and quaint shops. This is easy to walk around without many steps.We had lunch at a fabulous local restaurant, the Podnapun (see separate review).

If you are visiting Istria, you should not miss Motovun, one of the largest of the hill towns in the centre of the region. Limited parking is available half way up the hill, although I suspect it will fill quickly in high season and at weekends. In that case, there is ample car parking at the foot of the hill, and you can either take a bus – if it is running – or climb the thousand or so steps which begin just beyond the grocery store close by the car park. In fact, if you have the energy, and particularly if you are contemplating a substantial lunch at one of the excellent restaurants on the top of the hill, then climb the thousand or so uneven steps to the top.Walk around the wall close to the summit and you will be rewarded with stunning views in every direction. And do not forget - if you could - that Motovun is close to the heart of Istrian truffle country. There are several shops selling truffles during the season (autumn) and a variety of truffled products all year round. Truffles do not come cheap, but we particularly liked the much more reasonably priced jars of mushrooms and truffles, which are delicious on bruschetta or stirred through pasta, perhaps with some cream. Truffled oil is good too; try a few drops on scrambled egg or mushroom risotto.Stop at one of the bars on the terrace as you approach the top. If you have walked that far, you deserve a large beer and enjoy it while you take in the view. At sunset, the view can be magical, but don’t forget that those steps down will not be easy in the fading light.If you have approached Motovun from the northern side, then make sure that you drive a short way south (towards Pazin) and stop to look back. See the photo.Do go. It really is worth it.

Lovely atmosphere in this hilltop village. Easy to access at this time of year with few tourists. Not over commercialised.

We made a day trip to Motovun while we were staying in Rovinj. We were driving, and you have to park at the bottom of the hill. You have the option of buying a tram ticket for a ride up the hill, or just walking. We walked. We might rethink that decision if there is a next time. It's quite a hike. (If you are staying at a hotel in Motovun, I guess you can drive all the way up.) But, once you get to the top, you look out over the valley on all sides. The town is built on the hillside all around. It's pretty impressive. You can walk around the top of the walls. I wouldn't recommend staying overnight there unless you are with a tour group - it's sort of out of the way - but it's definetely worth a day trip.

I am so glad i visited Motovun. the views from this walled city are stunning. We had an amazing meal at Mondo restaurant. beautiful town in a beautiful hilltop setting.

lovely views from walls we walked down the back streets really steep and old but really interesting nothing is expensive here the area surrounding well worth a visit