Where is istrian peninsula

Istria's biggest city is an industrial port town with traffic, smog, and sprawl Between the shipyards and the concrete apartment blocks, you can discover some of the top Roman ruins in Croatia, including its stately amphitheater — a fully intact mini-Colosseum that marks the entry to a seedy Old Town with ancient temples, arches, and columns. Of the dozens of amphitheaters left around Europe and North Africa by Roman engineers, Pula's is the sixth-largest, and one of the best-preserved anywhere.

Throughout the Middle Ages, scavengers scraped the amphitheater as clean as a nice slice of cantaloupe, leaving just the outside standing. Standing inside, though, you can imagine when it was ringed with two levels of stone seating and a top level of wooden bleachers.

You can still see the outline of the actual arena sandy oval grounds with the small moat — just wide enough to keep the animals off the laps of those with the best seats, but close enough so that blood still sprayed their togas. Like most Roman towns, Pula had a forum, or main square. Twenty centuries later, Pula's Forum still serves the same function. When I asked my guide if it was an American bomb that destroyed the temple, he answered sheepishly, "Yes, a little bit.

Most tourists in Croatia focus on the coast. For a dash of variety, head inland to check out the Istria's hill towns. Its stony, leafy, rough-cobbled lanes are lined with art galleries and truffle-and-olive-oil shops. It's the kind of place that invites you to get lost and leave your itinerary on your dashboard. But now several artists have taken up residence here, keeping it Old World but with a spiffed-up, bohemian ambience.

Dramatically situated high above vineyards, Motovun population: about is the best known and most touristed of the Istrian hill towns. And for good reason: Its hilltop Old Town is particularly evocative, with a colorful old church and a rampart walk with spine-tingling vistas across the entire region. It's hard to believe that race-car driver Mario Andretti was born this tranquil little traffic-free hamlet.

As you explore, you'll see frequent signs for wineries, olive-oil producers, and truffle shops. The one thing that Istria does lack, however, compared to more southern coastal regions are many large islands. The Brijuni group of islands near Pula are the exception and great for a day-trip.

Bordering Slovenia and with a maritime border with Italy, this peninsula is easy to reach from the rest of Europe and is also well-connected by air to the UK to the main airport in the region, Pula Airport.

There are numerous other lovely resorts in Istria that are worth visiting. One such place is Liznjan. Located around thermal springs, this resort offers two types of accommodation from where you can arrange a variety of therapy, wellness or even beauty treatments each day.