Istria in Autumn and 5 Exciting Days Full of Surprises

First off, Istria in the autumn, you have to like that. Slovenia and Croatia are relatively cool at this time of year. For us, who usually prefer mild Gozo residing there is a small challenge that we gladly accept. If you're from England, you can still look forward to a beach vacation here. You will enjoy it with temperatures around 15 degrees Celsius.

But we also enjoyed Istria in the autumn, because we took great trips, met friends, got to know picturesque little towns, discovered delicious Slovenian food, and had the area almost to ourselves, as there are hardly any tourists here in autumn and winter.

You'll learn about our experiences in Istria and on the Adriatic Sea in the following travel report about Istria and, above all, about beautiful Slovenia.

Let yourself be inspired and feel free to leave a comment below if you'd like to add any sights. We were only in the area for five days and were therefore only able to undertake a very select number of excursions.

Istria and Portorož – A Few Key Facts

The Istria region spans across three countries. In the north, only in the city of Muggia, there is a small Italian part. Slovenia also has the towns of Koper, Izola, Piran, and Portoroz in the northern part of the Istrian peninsula. The by far largest part of the Istria region lies in Croatia.

The Istrian peninsula is 3,500 km² in size. This makes it 52 times larger than Gozo, but 12 times smaller than Switzerland. The entire peninsula is home to 320,000 people, with around 80,000 of them living in Slovenia. In contrast, there are approximately 4.6 million tourists in the summer, with significantly fewer in autumn and winter, of course.

01. Trieste | A Side Trip to Italy

We haven't even arrived in Istria yet, but we're checking out the surprisingly beautiful city of Trieste. Our flight from Malta lands in Trieste, so we're spontaneously stopping here in the city center for a bit of sightseeing and a tasty lunch.

It's just a stone's throw from Portoroz, about a 50-minute drive. Therefore, I definitely want to mention this point in my travel report about Istria.

The Italian port city of Trieste appears very traditional and authentic at first glance. Since we are only spending a short time here and it is also raining, we stroll through the narrow streets of the city at a leisurely pace and find a restaurant called Loop, which serves food to our taste. On top of that, there was a typically delicious Italian espresso.

After lunch, it rained considerably less, so we took a look around the city center. Between magnificent palaces and the now glittering sea again, we strolled more leisurely through the streets. The main square, Piazza Unita d’Italia, is huge, and it was a real adventure for the kids, especially because of the rain.

02. Portorož and Piran | The Picturesque Coast of Slovenia

The small town of Portoroz is the tourist center of the Slovenian coast and belongs to the municipality of Piran. The name translates to „Port of Roses.“ Since we are visiting Istria in the autumn, we have the wonderful promenade almost to ourselves, including a particularly beautiful Mediterranean flair. Besides some magnificent hotel buildings and resorts, such as the Hotel Palace Portoroz*, which lies directly on the sea, there are many small and lovely shops along the promenade.

The location is an ideal starting point for excursions, as you can reach both the Croatian and Italian borders in a very short time. Even the capital, Ljubljana, is only 120 km away, about 1.5 hours by car. Because Slovenia is also called the Switzerland of the Balkans, the drive inland is beautiful. We drove for about an hour from the coast, simply to marvel at the great landscape of mountains, hills, lakes, and dense forests.

By the way, life in November feels down-to-earth here, almost as if someone has slowed down time a bit. Exactly how we're also used to it from home. Therefore, we feel right at home here immediately. However, I must also add that many restaurants and also sights were either closed or had significantly shorter opening hours. The region is designed for tourists.

The coastal town of Piran is within walking distance. This small, picturesque town is an absolute gem. The town lies on a narrow peninsula and is known for its narrow, winding streets and Venetian architecture. Since we visited Istria in the fall, we had the famous Tartini Square almost to ourselves.

We walked to the church, from where we had a brilliant view of the entire Adriatic Sea, well, the part visible from there anyway. In clear weather, you can even see the Julian Alps to the north from here. Afterwards, we had some delicious Italian ice cream in Slovenia and then headed back. This time by bus, as the „kids“ were tired. They are still at an age where we can hold them responsible for that. 😀

To conclude this beautiful day, we stopped at the Stazione Parenzana restaurant. It's a brewery in a disused train station. The food there was delicious, with a great atmosphere. Slovenians are very child-friendly, by the way. There were three families in total, and the six kids were able to sit at a separate table and were on their own.

Muggia and Koper

On Saturday, we headed a bit further behind the Italian border again. The small town of Muggia is the only part of Istria that still belongs to Italy today. Since today is a holiday, everything is closed in Slovenia and Croatia. In Italy, however, most shops are open. We're starting at the Montedoro Shopping Center. It's a small shopping mall right on the highway. Not exactly the "place to be", but it has an indoor playground, and we promised the kids.

Afterwards, we went into town for lunch. We were traveling with friends who showed us the most beautiful spots around here. At a fish restaurant, we had delicious seafood from next door, and afterward, of course, an Italian ice cream again. Yummy!

Istria in autumn is great because there's hardly anything going on. We had some rain on the first day, but the temperatures were quite okay at 14 to 20 degrees, and we were able to do a lot outdoors.

After Muggia, we then went back to Slovenia, to the coastal town of Koper. The modern promenade by the sea is great for kids. There's so much space here to run and play, while we parents can enjoy the autumnal sea breeze. Just like in Portoroz and Piran, we feel the tranquility here that prevails in Istria in the fall.

04. Rovinj | A Croatian fairy tale on the Adriatic

On Sunday, the fourth day of our stay in Istria in autumn, we crossed the border into Croatia. Rovinj is considered the highlight of the entire Istria region. The town with its colorful houses, which seem to grow right out of the glittering water, is simply magical.

A special highlight for all of us was a boat trip. Since it's already November, all providers have already stopped their sightseeing tours. We ask around and actually find someone who is going out for the last time this year today. Together with two other tourists, we drive through the Lim Bay, which is a narrow arm of the sea cutting deep into the mainland of Istria.

Before Roninj lie 22 small islands, or in some cases, just large rocks. We sail past St. Catherine, which lies directly opposite the old town. It was formerly privately owned by a Polish family. They had vast amounts of trees and plants planted to make the island a green oasis.

Next, we continue to Red Island, also called the red island. It actually consists of two islands that are artificially connected. From the boat, we only see the front, larger island. It is called St. Andrew's and was named after a Benedictine monastery. Red Island is the ultimate tourist spot, in the summer and with calm waves. Although the island is uninhabited, there is still a hotel and restaurants, and many activities you can do there.

For us, the islands are a perfect photo backdrop. Our captain takes us back to Rovinj, but makes an outside loop around the small peninsula. This allows us to see the impressive city walls and house fronts. We learn that the actual town center with the church used to be on a separate island. In 1763, the narrow canal to the mainland was filled in, thus connecting it to the rest of Rovinj. The excursion to Rovinj was one of our highlights on our trip to Istria in the fall.

In the evening, we had dinner plans at the magnificent Hotel Palace Portorož. We ate the traditional Fuži there. These are typical Istrian pasta with truffles. Truffles are very well-known in the region. We were able to end this day with enjoyment in a luxurious atmosphere.

05. Planet Koper and Izola | When Work Calls

On Monday, we had to go back to work, so we headed to Koper. In Planet Koper, the largest shopping mall in the region, there is a highly-rated indoor playground. We found it, but it was closed for unknown reasons. Since the kids are used to our lifestyle and know when to entertain themselves for a few hours, we simply bought two books and they both read them.

By the way, I would NEVER have done that before when I was that age. But shhh... I'm incredibly grateful that we have it so easy now. So with that, the morning was over and after work was done, we drove around the countryside for a bit first.

Istria in the fall is beautiful, as you can experience a bit of „The Indian Summer“ here. However, we also drove out of Istria towards the capital. The area here is breathtakingly beautiful. The dense forests in vibrant colors are wonderful. In between, we keep catching glimpses of the Julian Alps, which are already snow-covered. The name „Julian,“ by the way, comes from Caesar. The Romans founded a village at the foot of the mountains and named the mountains after Caesar's family, who descended from the Julian gens.

Enough history. Just in time for sunset, we arrive in the charming town of Izola. We stroll through the harbor, enjoying the last rays of the day. From here, too, we have an unobstructed view of the Alps, but we also see huge tankers and cargo ships on the horizon. That's a huge contrast.

In the evening, we will meet our friends again at a pizzeria and let these wonderful 5 days in Istria in autumn wind down.

Day trip tips Istria with family

Conclusion | Istria in Autumn

Five days, three countries, and plenty of time with family. That's how I imagined this short trip would be, and that's exactly how it turned out. We had a great time in Istria in the fall, and precisely because it was the colder season, we were really able to enjoy the area.

I'm not a fan of crowded tourist spots, so I avoid such gatherings as much as possible. Istria in the fall was ideal for that. Unfortunately, many restaurants, especially in Portoroz, had already closed. Nevertheless, we were able to get to know the country's cuisine and also gain initial impressions of the culture. One of my goals on such trips is always to experience life in a country as authentically as possible.

We've managed to do that quite well in Slovenia in this short time. We also visited some great places and even got to know an impressive city in Italy, which I hadn't planned on at all.

If I were to travel to Slovenia again, I would do so in the fall. The temperatures are ideal for hiking and going for walks, and as soon as the sun comes out, you can also sit outside. Nevertheless, I think we were lucky with the weather. It can also rain here for two weeks straight, as our friends told us.

Have you ever been to Istria in the fall, or in general? What did you like best about it? What should we see there next time? What else is missing from my travel report about Istria? Let me know in the comments.

Photo gallery travel report on Istria

Here are a few impressions from our trip to Istria in the fall.