{"id":21865,"date":"2025-12-21T15:24:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-21T14:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wandernotizen.com\/?p=21865"},"modified":"2025-12-21T15:40:55","modified_gmt":"2025-12-21T14:40:55","slug":"istrien-im-herbst","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wandernotizen.com\/en\/istrien-im-herbst\/","title":{"rendered":"Istria in Autumn and 5 Exciting Days Full of Surprises"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/a><\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Istrien und Portoro\u017e – Ein paar Eckdaten<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"reisebericht
Hafen in Piran – Reisebericht \u00fcber Istrien<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Die Halbinsel Istrien ist 3’500 km\u00b2 gross. Damit ist sie 52-mal gr\u00f6sser als Gozo, aber 12-mal kleiner als die Schweiz. Es wohnen auf der gesamten Halbinsel 320’000 Menschen, rund 80’000 davon in Slowenien. Dem gegen\u00fcber stehen ca. 4.6 Millionen Touristen im Sommer, im Herbst und Winter nat\u00fcrlich deutlich weniger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

01. Trieste | A Side Trip to Italy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"trieste
Trieste Italien – eine positive \u00dcberraschung – Istrien im Herbst<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nach dem Mittagessen regnet es deutlich weniger und so schauen wir uns noch die Innenstadt an. Zwischen prachtvollen Pal\u00e4sten und dem mittlerweile wieder glitzernden Meer schlendern wir nun einen Schritt gem\u00fctlicher durch die Str\u00e4sschen. Der Hauptplatz, die Piazza Unita d’Italia, ist riesig und auch f\u00fcr die Kids war es ein echtes Abenteuer, vor allem aber wegen des Regens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

02. Portoro\u017e and Piran | The Picturesque Coast of Slovenia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"istrien
Hotel Palace Portoroz – Reisebericht \u00fcber Istrien<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Das St\u00e4dtchen Portoroz bildet den touristischen Mittelpunkt der slowenischen K\u00fcste und geh\u00f6rt zur Gemeinde Piran. Der Name bedeutet \u00fcbersetzt „Rosenhafen“. Da wir Istrien im Herbst besuchen, haben wir die tolle Promenade fast f\u00fcr uns alleine, inklusive eines besonders sch\u00f6nen mediterranen Flairs. Neben einigen prachtvollen Hotelbauten und Resorts, wie dem Hotel Palace Portoroz<\/strong>*<\/a>, which lies directly on the sea, there are many small and lovely shops along the promenade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wir sind bis zur Kirche gelaufen, von wo aus wir einen genialen Blick \u00fcber die gesamte Adria hatten, na ja, den von dort aus sichtbaren Teil halt. Bei klarem Wetter sieht man von hier aus sogar die julischen Alpen im Norden. Anschliessend gab es noch ein leckeres italienisches Eis in Slowenien und wir machten uns wieder auf den R\u00fcckweg. Diesmal mit dem Bus, da die „Kids“ m\u00fcde waren. Noch sind sie in einem Alter, wo wir sie daf\u00fcr verantwortlich machen k\u00f6nnen. \ud83d\ude00<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Muggia and Koper<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"muggia\"
Muggia – Zentraler Platz – Reisebericht \u00fcber Istrien<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

04. Rovinj | A Croatian fairy tale on the Adriatic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"rovinj
Rovinj – Ein echtes Highlight in meinem Reisebericht \u00fcber Istrien 2025<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weiter geht es zu Red Island, die rote Insel genannt. Sie besteht eigentlich aus zwei Inseln, die k\u00fcnstlich miteinander verbunden sind. Wir sehen vom Boot aus nur die vordere, gr\u00f6ssere Insel. Sie heisst St. Andrew’s und wurde nach einem Benediktinerkloster benannt. Red Island ist der Touristenspot schlechthin, im Sommer und bei ruhigem Wellengang. Die Insel ist zwar unbewohnt, es gibt aber dennoch ein Hotel und Restaurants und viele Aktivit\u00e4ten, die du dort unternehmen kannst.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the evening, we had dinner plans at the magnificent Hotel Palace Portoro\u017e. We ate the traditional Fu\u017ei 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

05. Planet Koper and Izola | When Work Calls<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"aussicht
Im Hintergrund die Julischen Alpen – Reisebericht \u00fcber Istrien<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Das h\u00e4tte ich fr\u00fcher \u00fcbrigens NIEMALS getan, als ich in dem Alter war. Aber pssst…ich bin unglaublich dankbar daf\u00fcr, dass wir es an der Stelle so einfach haben. Somit war dann auch der Vormittag gelaufen und nach getaner Arbeit sind wir zuerst ein wenig durchs Land gefahren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Istrien im Herbst ist wundersch\u00f6n, da du hier teilweise „The Indian Summer“ erleben kannst. Wir sind allerdings auch aus Istrien rausgefahren, Richtung Hauptstadt. Die Gegend hier ist atemberaubend sch\u00f6n. Die dichten W\u00e4lder in den bunten Farben sind wunderbar. Dazwischen bekommen wir immer wieder einen Blick auf die Julischen Alpen, die bereits schneebedeckt sind. Der Name „Julisch“ kommt \u00fcbrigens von Caesar. Die R\u00f6mer gr\u00fcndeten ein Dorf am Fusse der Berge und benannten die Berge nach der Familie Caesars, die vom Geschlecht der Julier abstammen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Day trip tips Istria with family<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Conclusion | Istria in Autumn<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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?<\/em> What else is missing from my travel report about Istria?<\/em> Let me know in the comments.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo gallery travel report on Istria<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are a few impressions from our trip to Istria in the fall.<\/p>\n\n\n