A town of rich historical heritage in which each stone has its own story has been an attractive and popular tourist destination for a many years. This medieval Istrian town is situated on a hill with a view of the river Mirna valley.
Numerous events are held in Motovun (the Motovun Film Festival), also interesting for those who love flying hot air balloons as the favourable micro-climate makes flying possible throughout the year. The park-forest Motovunska šuma (the Motovun Forest) is the most famous place for truffles, an exceptionally appreciated mushroom which grows underground. Also, noble varieties are grown in Motovun vineyards.
Istria – The land of giants
According to an old legend, once upon a time, before people populated Istria, giants used to live in Mirna Valley. The main giant was Dragonja (that is the name of the northernmost Istrian river), also called the Plowman Giant because he furrowed the ground from Ćićarija to the sea. Water began to flow through the furrow and giant Dragonja named it Mirna River.
After that, the giants built a series of towns in Istria, such as Motovun, Vrh, Sovinjak, Oprtalj, Završje, Roč and Grožnjan. They were so big they passed each other tools from one hill to another. The legend says they had few rocks left after they built all the towns and that’s how they created Hum – the smallest town in the world. Another one of the Istrian legends says that giant Gorazd, son of Dragonja, still lives, hiding in the forests of Istria.