Why choose Istria for your wedding?
Weddings in Istria are one of the most magical I’ve ever seen. Far from the most popular places in Croatia, Istria offers a magical experience you’ll never forget.
Istria is a truly special Croatian region. With a historic and geographical strong influence from Italy, in Istria, you can see a perfect blend of vintage Italian culture with a touch of Croatian tradition.
What are the best wedding venues in Istria?
- San Canzian
- Meneghetti
- Ribarska koliba
- Castle Belaj
- Villa Poropati
- Motovun hotel Kaštel
- Katalyma – Rovinj
- Island Hotel Istra
- Villa Lav
You can read more about them later on, but let’s get the basics of Istria covered first:
Traditional Istrian food & wine
It’s food, from various meats, pasta and most popular truffles guarantee you won’t leave hungry.
There’s also a wine-making culture that’s present for hundreds of years.
Istria offers a large variety of quality wines that are to die for.
The food and wine are enough to persuade you to consider your wedding in Istria as an option.
There are many vineyards that offer accommodation, and a special experience for you and your guests.
There are many many stunning small towns and villages, some right on the seaside, and some in the inland of the region.
My favorite is Motovun, a town on the hill surrounded by nature.
The town of Pula is especially interesting since it has one of the best-preserved Roman arenas in the world.
And there’s many more to be mentioned, but unfortunately, this is just a blog post and it’s super hard to cover it all.
Locals in Istria
The locals are very warm, welcome and open-minded people.
This is one of the reasons why this region is recommended to everyone that’s looking for a relaxing, beautiful place, where you can forget about technology and enjoy all the hedonistic things in life.
Because of the mindset of the locals, this is a place where everyone is welcome, so it’s perfect for LGBTQ weddings.
Activities in Istria
When it comes to additional activities during your stay in Istria, there’s plenty of things to do and explore. Mostly focused on nature and food/wine tasting you have the whole region on the palm of your hand for your perfect stay.
You can find out more here: https://www.istra.hr/en
Need a tour guide? We can help you out with finding the perfect one!
Weddings in Istria
Commonly known in Croatia as a piece of our country where hedonism is key, it’s beauty and way of life gives us an amazing list of perfect places to plan your wedding.
Weddings in Istria are a mix of elegance and hedonism.
What is great about this region is the fact you can plan your wedding here during spring and summer, but also fall isn’t a bad time either.
The only downside is some of the best places to get hitched aren’t right next to the sea. You may be lacking a sea view. It is replaced by beautiful vineyards, views of forests or olive trees.
It’s super easy to drive to the coast, so when choosing Istria for your wedding you can only win.
Wedding venues in Istria
We created a list of top 9 locations to tie the knot in Istria.
Hopefully, our venue list will inspire you to consider this region while planning your wedding in Croatia:
1. San Canzian
This is a brand new vintage hotel, built on the remains of a small medieval village.
For years it’s been a secret place for locals, and now it’s still a hidden gem but more accessible to the rest of the world.
The hotel is intimate and relaxing. Its interior is a perfect blend of modern design and traditional Istrian style.
The menus are made by the best local produce you can imagine, and the wine list was created to compliment the meals.
In every corner of this hotel, you can see traces of professionals that worked on it.
From architects, designers, chefs, and sommeliers, this is a place where you can create the perfect wedding in Istria for your closest friends and family.
2. Meneghetti – the wine hotel
I’m sure all wine lovers are sold on this location only by its name.
Throughout history, this place was known as one of the most beautiful estates in the Mediterranean.
In the meantime, it became forgotten and in bad shape. Thankfully the new owners saw it’s potential and restored it for the world to see.
When it comes to food, Menghetti offers several locations on the estate where you can find it’s seasonally menu choices.
They change their menu based on the season so they can provide the freshest ingredients in their food.
And of course, the wine needs to match the food, so their staff is here to help you out with that.
Menghetti is a perfect place for a wedding in Istria, many Croatian celebrities tied the knot here because of its beauty.
3. Ribarska Koliba
This would translate as the fisherman’s tavern. But don’t let the name fool you.
This is a luxe place in the town of Pula.
It’s surrounded by a pine tree Forrest and a breathtaking sea view.
As we mentioned, most of the best wedding venues in Istria don’t have a sea view, so this is really special.
Their food is traditional, and their wines local. Their chef is born in Istria, so he has lived through the region’s obsession with food.
This is an intimate looking place in a bigger town, with stunning views and great interiors.
For these reasons Ribarska koliba is a true gem in terms of weddings in Istria.
4. Castle Belaj
Have you ever looked at Vogue living or Elle decor and dreamt of one of those really old, castles, looking interiors that look so interesting you can’t look away?
That’s exactly the vibe Castle Belaj has.
And it’s open for your wedding in Istria as the perfect venue.
This amazing 16-century estate, that’s registered as a Historical Heritage. It is the only chateau in Croatia that offers a long history and traditions of winemaking that are very well preserved to this day.
There’s an inside space that can be used in case of bad weather or fall weddings. Also, there’s outside space that can be used in late spring and summer.
It also has the vineyard that we can’t decide if it looks better in the fall or in the summer.
It’s one of those sceneries that leave you breathless.
5. Villa Poropati
It is built in a traditional style consisting of stone and wood materials.
It resembles those summer villas you can see in old French and Italian movies.
In-villa Poropati you have many options for how you would like to use the outside space for your wedding in Istria.
I like that it’s so spacious and with it’s surrounding nature I can only imagine serious wedding goals here.
The villa doesn’t have a sea view, but it has a beautiful pool with a gorgeous view of the Forrest.
6. Motovun hotel Kaštel
I mentioned earlier this is my favorite place in Istria, and maybe the world.
This charming small town on the hill has this special energy and atmosphere that is really hard to explain.
Its locals, food, wine, hospitality, and nature is something you can’t ever forget.
In the middle of this town, there’s a cute small hotel that has the option of hosting weddings in Istria.
Even though the hotel is in the center of Motovun, weddings are hosted in a hidden garden.
So basically you can be in the middle of it all, with a touch of intimacy in the most relaxing place there is.
We’re also loosing on the sea presence here. But once you see the view from the hill at sunrise or sunset (or if you’re lucky during a foggy morning, and yes fog can be magical). You’ll soon forget about the sea.
And if you still wish to be near the sea, it’s just a short driving distance from Motovun.
A wedding in Motovun would be a personal dream of mine for all the reasons listed above.
7. Katalyma – Rovinj
Built-in a traditional stone style, this venue offers great modern dishes inspired by tradition.
It’s a sweet place for one of those Pinterest weddings in rustic locations, decorated with plenty of fairy lights.
Even though the venue is built in a traditional Croatian style, the details around the venue are quite modern.
Even though it doesn’t have a direct sea view, it’s located in a coastal town. So getting to the beach is easy-peasy.
8. Island Hotel Istra
This place is a real gem. Located on an easily accessible small island of St. Andrew this hotel is truly amazing.
From the Island, you can see the beautiful town of Rovinj that’s only a 10-minute boat ride away.
The hotel offers everything you and your guests could need for an amazing stay.
The wedding venue looks historical and has a direct sea view.
9. Villa Lav
This villa has a long-lasting tradition in the hospitality business.
It offers accommodation, dining and plenty of space for weddings.
They have plenty of experience when it comes to weddings in Istria. There are special wedding menus you can choose from. You have a choice from and outdoor wedding or option b that’s more sheltered in case of bad weather.
It’s also located right next to Rovinj. So you have the presence of a bigger coastal town.
Keep in mind there are always more places to explore, if you have your heart set on Istria, but would like to explore other options, feel free to contact us:
Wedding form: https://www.croatiaweddingplanner.com/form/