BRTONIGLA
This little town with a rich history and modern tourist amenities will thrill you with its gourmet food, culture, and well-maintained paths for hikers and cyclists.
Squeezed into the north western corner of Istrian peninsula, some 8 km from the coast, Brtonigla is ideal if you want to hide from the hustle and bustle of the coastal towns, enjoy farm to table food and wine and spend your days exploring the Istrian countryside by foot, bike or your car. Inhabited since the Roman times, the surrounding area is full of ruins and magical, ancient beauty hidden in pristine nature.
If nature and mountain trails are your thing, there are quite a few of those around, some even starting from the centre of the town, like Zenon. If you follow it for 15 minutes, you'll come to the crossroads, leading to Zenon, a 7 km long trail or Škrlinski canyon, a well marked verdant path leading you over two little lakes along the riverbed of Škrline, in whose walls you can see coral and mollusk fossils. As you emerge from the canyon on the other side, you'll be in the middle of an olive grove - there are many of those around, this part of Istria being known for its agrotourism and farm to table taverns serving fruits of the sea and the land often on the same plate.
Families will love the nearby Aquapark Istralandia, where you can let the kids go wet and wild for a day and enjoy the quiet once you get home, only so you could take them to the Adventure park the next day, then the Marine museum in Novigrad or to the Cave Mramornica.
If you've come to this part of Istria for the cycling, the trails are all over and well kept, so you can cycle all over Istria starting from Brtonigla and manage to come back in a day. Ask for a map of cycling and hiking trails at the reception of your campsite.
