Explore Istria
Perhaps the most famous of the Istrian hill towns, MOTOVUN (Montona) is an attractive clump of medieval houses straddling a green wooded hill, high above a patchwork of wheatfields and vineyards. Like so many towns in Istria, Motovun was predominantly Italian-speaking until the 1940s (when racing driver Mario Andretti was born here), after which most of the inhabitants left for Italy. The problem of depopulation was partly solved by turning Motovun into an artists’ colony – the godfather of Croatian naive art, Krsto Hegedušić, was one of the first painters to move here in the 1960s, and several studios and craft shops open their doors to tourists over the summer.
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The Motovun Film Festival
The Motovun Film Festival
All accommodation in Motovun and central Istria is likely to be booked solid during the Motovun Film Festival (w motovunfilmfestival.com), which usually straddles a long weekend at the end of July or beginning of August. Since its inception in 1999 the festival has established itself as Croatia’s premier cinematic event, with feature films (European art-house movies for the most part) premiered on an open-air screen in the main town square. A healthy mixture of Croatian and international actors and directors attend, and awards in the shape of an aeroplane propeller are presented for the best films. Featuring a minimum of segregation between stars and public, the festival is also one of the key social events of the summer, with thousands of celebrants ascending Motovun’s hill – most are here to enjoy the 24-hour party atmosphere as much as the films. Box offices at the entrance to the old town sell tickets to the screenings.
