Motovun, Buzet, Hum and Groznjan

We began the fourth day of our holiday with a delicious breakfast at a cute little café we discovered on the way to Motovun.

There, we had booked a truffle hunt followed by a truffle tasting.

At a parking lot near Motovun, we met our guide Michael and the other participants of the tour.

In our cars, we followed Michael deep into the forest until we finally left the vehicles behind, swapped our shoes for rubber boots, and, together with Michael’s three dogs, ventured deep into the thick woodland.

It was absolutely fascinating to watch how the dogs detected the truffles. They ran back and forth excitedly, and when they smelled truffles, they began barking—and indeed, their noses were usually right.

We found several pieces, mostly black truffles. For almost two hours, we climbed over roots and rocks, crossed the ice-cold river several times, barely walking on actual paths, rather finding our way through untouched nature.

This excursion was incredibly exciting, and although we were quite hungry by the end, we were still rather sad when it was over.

But another highlight soon followed: we followed Michael to Motovun, where we eventually reached his mother’s house high above the rooftops of the town.

The elderly lady had already prepared a variety of delicious truffle dishes for us.

There was truffle pasta, salad with truffles, truffle bruschetta, and even a dessert with truffles.

The feast was accompanied by chilled wine from the region.

Throughout the entire meal, we enjoyed a breathtaking view of the entire valley, which stretched out picturesquely before us from the terrace.

After the meal, we explored the charming old town of Motovun.

This small medieval town impresses me time and again with its narrow, steep alleys and the perfectly preserved city walls.

At the top, on the main square, are restaurants that all specialize in truffle dishes.

Our next stop was Buzet, the “city of truffles,” where we stocked up on many specialties at the local truffle store.

Then we explored this wonderful medieval town with its romantic old quarter.

Historical buildings line up tightly side by side.

From the large main square, we enjoyed a dreamy view over the surrounding hills with their olive trees and lush green meadows.

Our journey continued toward Hum. On the way, we passed the Glagolitic Alley, a path adorned with several stone monuments. Each monument represents various historical events and figures and honors the Glagolitic script.

Upon arriving in Hum, we first parked in the large lot in front of the town.

Hum itself is car-free, which adds to the special charm of this extraordinary place. Some chickens were roaming around freely, which we found rather amusing.

Hum is considered the smallest town in the world with only a handful of residents and impresses with its medieval architecture, well-preserved city walls, and a historic church.

We stopped at Humska Konoba, a very rustic and cozy restaurant, and once again enjoyed delicious regional specialties—just as we had so often on this trip.

Afterwards, we strolled through the narrow streets of this beautiful town. Many souvenir and artisan shops shape the townscape.

You’ll find lovely, even handmade keepsakes, artistically crafted jewelry, regional specialties like olive oil, cheese, and, of course, truffle products.

I had never been to such a beautiful, romantic, tiny medieval town before.

Unfortunately, the weather hadn’t really been ideal all day, but even the rain couldn’t dampen our enthusiasm.

On the way back, we made a stop in Grožnjan, another town in the inland region known for its artist scene. In the narrow alleys, you’ll find numerous studios where artists present and sell their works.

This town, too, immediately captivated us with its medieval flair and breathtaking views.

We took a break in a small café and watched the sunset, which wasn’t quite as spectacular this time due to the continuing rain.

Back at the apartment, we soon fell into a deep sleep, full of impressions from this exciting day.