July 2026
A Day Exploring the Slovenian Istrian Region
We were lucky enough to spend a whole day exploring the Slovenian Istrian region, and it turned out to be a truly wonderful experience. As Norwegians, we would say that Slovenia is still a rather undiscovered destination, and we really enjoyed seeing several different sides of the country. It was fascinating to learn more about the local culture and the many historical influences that have shaped the region over the centuries.
The day started in Izola, where we met our magnificent guide, Matic. He drove us to the town centre, where we met two local tourist guides, Gregorz and Nina. Gregorz, whom we found to be an energetic and superb historian, led us through an interactive adventure game called The Forgotten Secret of Izola. It was a fun and unique way to discover the town. We wandered through the streets, solved small tasks and riddles, and learned fascinating stories about the area, its architecture, political history, legends, and so much more. It made sightseeing feel incredibly interactive, and Gregorz made sure to share all the interesting tidbits he knew about Izola, from ancient times to the present day.
To round off our time in Izola, Nina joined us for a wine tasting at the local winery Manzioli. We sampled both white and orange wines while learning more about the production process and grape growing in the region.
After that, we met up with Matic again, who drove us deeper into the Istrian countryside. The landscape was beautiful, with rolling green hills, vineyards, olive groves, and breathtaking views. We stopped at Kašler (Kaštelir Korte), an archaeological site overlooking the stunning bay. It was fascinating to hear about the region’s prehistoric history while enjoying the scenery. Instead of e-cycling, we travelled by car due to the scorching heat. Along the way, Matic made several spontaneous stops at viewpoints he knew would amaze us—and he was absolutely right. Throughout the day, he continued to impress us with his extensive local knowledge and was more than happy to answer all our questions and teach us more about the region and Slovenia in general.
For lunch, we visited the tourist farm Residence Gold Istria and its restaurant in Padna. This was one of our favourite parts of the day. The food was authentic and delicious, and it was a pleasure to experience such genuine local hospitality. We enjoyed traditional Istrian dishes inspired by both the land and the sea while taking our time to savour the culinary experience. The restaurant specialises in truffles, and we were lucky enough to taste them in many exciting forms throughout our meal.
From there, we drove through the peaceful Dragonja Valley. The scenery was stunning, with more vineyards, olive groves, and quiet countryside stretching in every direction. It felt incredibly calm and authentic. Staying by the sea while visiting the Istrian coast is a wonderful experience, but exploring the hinterland felt like discovering a completely different world, with an even greater sense of peace and a fairytale-like atmosphere.
Our wonderful day ended in Marezige, where we visited the Wine and Olive Fountain. There, we learned more about the unique concept behind the fountains from Andrej, who works there. Upon arrival, each visitor receives a wine glass to keep and can then choose from a variety of local wines, which are self-served from the wine fountain while enjoying spectacular views over the hinterland and the bays beyond. Later, they exclusively opened their olive oil fountain for us, where we were served fresh bread to sample several different locally produced olive oils of our choosing.
We tasted delicious local products and enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere while admiring the beautiful landscape stretching from our starting point in Izola all the way to Italy. It was the perfect way to end the tour.
Overall, we had a wonderfully varied and enjoyable day, experiencing both the coast and the countryside of Slovenian Istria. The combination of culture, history, nature, and local cuisine made the trip truly memorable. We would wholeheartedly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Slovenia. We hope that reading about our journey inspires you to place Slovenia even higher on your travel bucket list.
Margrete and Ragnhild
Photos by: Margrete & Ragnhild
