Get to Know Istria

Istria (Istra) County is the westernmost county of Croatia which includes the biggest part of the Istrian peninsula - 1,089 sq mi. The county administrative center is Pazin. Its coastline is 277 mi long with islands making up 335 mi. The terrain consists of a limestone plateau, much of which lacks water owing to its karst topography. The highest point is Vojak on mount Učka, 4,596.46 ft above sea level while another range of mountains is Ćićarija.

The well-known natural reservations National Park Brijuni and Nature Park Učka are legally protected landscapes. Other interesting localities are Lim Kanal, Motovun Forrest, park woods Zlatni Rt and Šijana near Pula, protected landscape Kamenjak in the extreme south of Istria and the reservation Palud, (ornithology), near Rovinj.

Brijuni archipelago is interesting as the habitat of about 680 plant species, also decorated by the most diverse vegetation and olive groves. Organized tourism in Istria goes back to the Roman times, when the Emperor Vespasian, for the entertainment of that time, built the amphitheater - Arena in Pula.

During the reign of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1866, Austrian and Hungarian royalty and aristocracy started visiting local resorts and discovered Poreč. In combination with the natural beauties, rich history and cultural heritage, investments which have been made resulted in highly developed, competitive service all along the western coast in Poreč, Pula, Rovinj, Umag, Novigrad, and Vrsar.
Istria was and still is the most important tourist destination in Croatia.