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A chance to visit previously unvisited Istria and coastal Slovenia; birdwatching, visiting ancient villages and coastal towns with a little olive oil and wine tasting thrown in. Our leaders were excellent, from skilful minibus driving to bird identification. Good choice of hotel with good food and an amazing view from its hilltop location. All in all a well-organised, quality holiday.
J.H., Essex, Sep 25
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Go Slow in Istria in Autumn
Tour Code: HRV04An 8-day 'Go Slow' holiday to Croatian and Slovenian Istria to enjoy the region's wildlife, gastronomy, wine and a little history.
8 days
from
£2,295
£2,295
Land only price
from
£2,095
£2,095
Highlights
Travel to this tour by train
Travelling by train reduces the carbon cost of travel by up to 90%
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
Istria represents an extraordinary compendium of natural beauty, history and civilization at the crossroads of Europe stretching back beyond the Romans and into prehistory. This Go Slow holiday incorporates nature and culture, history, cuisine and wine in a relaxing schedule of local guided walks in breathtaking Karst scenery in the mornings, and visits to nearby cultural sites after lunch and magnificent Istrian dinners each evening. Based in the comfortable Roxanich wine hotel, just outside of the picturesque hilltop town of Motovun, you can enjoy a dip in the infinity pool, a massage or a glass of delicious local wine with views across the valley.
- Single-centre tour based in a comfortable wine hotel just outside the picturesque town of Motovun.
- Eat at local ‘konoba’ (or ‘trattoria’) some evenings in an area famed for its gastronomy
- Enjoy the first of the wintering wildfowl arriving from the north
- Autumn butterflies may include False Grayling, plus late broods of Heath and Spotted Fritillaries
- Cultural excursions to the tiny “city” of Hum, the Roman arena in Pula, and the church of Hrastovlje, amongst others
- Led by expert naturalist guides
After a short flight to Trieste it is just a 90 minute drive to our hotel, where each of our daily natural history excursions will be within 25km of our base. Nearby are stunning limestone cliffs with Blue Rock Thrush and Black Redstart present all year. If the autumn has not been too cold there should still be some butterflies about including the second and third broods of Heath and Spotted Fritillaries and a variety of blues and skippers, as well as scarce autumn butterflies such as the False Grayling. Whilst the flora of the Karst is largely a spring affair, the woods and meadows will be enlivened by Cyclamen purpurascens, as well as displays of purple Autumn Crocus.
Outline Itinerary
Day 1
Fly Trieste, transfer Motovun
Day 2/7
Morning natural history walks and afternoon cultural excursions
Day 8
Transfer Trieste, fly London
What's Included?
- Flights
- Accommodation:
A comfortable, modern hotel with a wine cellar full of its own wine, with views of the beautiful hilltop town of Motovun.
- Food:
All included in the price, stating with dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 8. Dinners either at the hotel or a local trattoria, and lunches either at a local cafe or picnics.
Reviews
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One highlight was seeing a Middle Spotted Woodpecker for the first time, excellent views of Lesser Spotted and Black Woodpeckers, best showings of Crested Tits to date and beautiful flower filled meadows. The Romanesque church of Hrastovlje was a little gem and the Roman Arena in Pula was quite breath taking when first approached. It was a well balanced week of activities with lots of delights.
B.D. Monmouthshire, Sep 23 -
This was a mix of wildlife, cultural sites and traditional Istrian food. The balance of wildlife in the mornings and afternoon cultural visits was perfect. The leaders were extremely knowledgeable and were able to point out all things of interest and answer all our questions.
C.W. Lincolnshire, Oct 19 -
This was my first 'Go Slow’ holiday with Naturetrek and I enjoyed the chance to visit Istria which was an area I knew little about. The expertise of the tour guides ensured that the group enjoyed a varied daily programme, seeing many parts of the beautiful Istrian peninsular.
L.T. Norfolk, Oct 19 -
Small group holiday with 2 naturalist guides. The mornings were gentle walks looking at wildlife and vegetation and the afternoons visiting places of interest in the region. Transport was good. Evening meeting to check on the day's viewings was helpful. Very well organised trip. Full-board which included a packed lunch for greater freedom and an evening meal in a local restaurant experiencing regional dishes. Both guides were thoughtful and very knowledgeable, ensuring everyone was included and had a chance to see specific birds such as the Golden eagle as it flew past.
F.F. Vale of Glamorgan, Oct 18
Dates & Prices
2026
Departures
Availability
Cost
Mon 28th Sep – Mon 5th Oct
FULL
£2,295
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£2,095
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£495
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Paul Harmes
Tour Leader: Paul Harmes
Paul has always lived in the south of England on the Downs near Brighton in East Sussex. Many of his early years were spent in exploring this area. His interest in the natural world gradually developed from about the age of eight and he began to take a special interest in plants, although reptiles and amphibians, mammals and insects are also a passion. Paul is a Fellow of the Linnean Society, an active member of the Sussex Botanical Recording Society and the Botanical Society of the British Isles, which he represents as the county recorder for East Sussex. In 2003, he took voluntary severance from the National Grid Company plc and started his own botanical and ecological survey company. Paul enjoys sharing his knowledge of the natural world with other like-minded and interested people.
2027
Departures
Availability
Cost
Tue 28th Sep – Tue 5th Oct
SPACES
£2,295
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£2,095
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£495
Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?
For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.
Enquire
Why Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!
