Motovun

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In the northern part of Istria, overlooking the beautiful valley of the fast river Mirna, is situated the most famous Istrian medieval town Motovun. Namely, the reigns over Motovun were constantly changing over many centuries, from Venice, through Austria and finally to Croatia. This magnificent town, built on a hill at a height of 277 meters, is surrounded by vineyards and the Motovun forest known for its numerous truffle sites. Motovun is a place of many legends and old stories, and one of the most famous is the story of a giant named Veli Joža whose character was embodied by the famous Croatian writer Vladimir Nazor in one of his fairy tales. According to old beliefs, in the past, in addition to dwarves, Istria also had many giants, who cultivated fields, tamed wild beasts and did other hard work. Veli Jože belonged to the Motovun people, and every time he felt bad, he would shake the Motovun bell tower. One day Veli Jozhe was sent by a dwarf in a galley to Venice, where he met Elijah, who told him about freedom. In a big storm, the galley ran aground, and Veli Jozhe managed to save himself and swim to the Istrian coast. At that point, he decided to look for all the other giants to free them. The dwarves, however, bought the giants wine and gold and persuaded them to return as servants to their cities. Everyone agreed except Veli Jozhe who decided to enjoy his freedom and never returned to Motovun. In response to all the suffering, the good giant did nothing wrong to the residents of Motovun. And although people have not seen him anymore, some still believe that Veli Jože still sleeps near Motovun and protects its inhabitants. Veli Jozhe thus got its own street in the heart of Motovun, and at the beginning of August 2008, as part of the Festival of Fantastic Literature, a memorial plaque was erected to Nazor and his giant.

№25 in Cities of Croatia

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Reviews

4.6/5
Excellent
Based on 27 reviews
Excellent
15
Very Good
12
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Ivana

Ivana

14/01/2022

For me, the trip to Motovun was the most memorable. I could not sleep at night, becouse I was so much impressed by this town. It is so well preserved, you can go around it from all sides, I went through 2 entrances / exits and I am sure that I did not see everything.
Dmitry

Dmitry

27/10/2021

This town is not only historically beautiful, but also very clean. Almost every house has pots of flowers, there is no garbage on the road, everything is very nice.
Mateo

Mateo

13/10/2021

very good!!!
Neumann

Neumann

19/12/2021

Motovun has some top-quality spa facilities found in beautiful Italian-like buildings. My friends and I enjoyed bathing in Cleopatra milk baths, soothing body scrubs, and warm lavender facials. We had a really delightful time.
De

De

14/12/2021

We had a magical time sightseeing the ancient walls and we took beautiful pictures of the surrounding hills and forests. My family took pleasure in the beautiful views and we look forward to our next trip.
Pichler

Pichler

12/02/2022

I am a certified nature lover and the amazing forests in Motovun had perfect nature walks trails. The perfect oaks and bright purple flowers provided the most amazing feeling.
Hansson

Hansson

16/01/2022

My trip to Motovun developed my deep love of wine. I sampled several locally brewed wines in the wineries around motovun and enjoyed the fresh, crispness of the flavours.
Showing 15 - 21 of 27 total
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