Casa Garibaldi

In the heart of green central Istria, underneath the medieval town of Sovinjak there is a small village, Pračana with the beautiful Garibaldi holiday house just perfect for all pure and untouched nature fans. If you want to wake up with the sound of birds chirping or pick asparagus, mushrooms and herbs in the spring, this place is just made for you. Magnificent landscapes and green rolling hills dotted with medieval towns such as Buzet, Roč, Hum, Draguć, Vrh, Sovinjak, Oprtalj, Zrenj, Grožnjan or Motovun are located within the 10 to 15 km radius and offer hidden treasures for you to discover and explore. Bikers, adventurers and hikers can visit wine and olive oil paths nearby where you can savour the beauty and calmness of the area as well as taste the rich flavour of local wines and olive oils. Health resort and recreation wellness centre Istarske toplice spa, has been known as a source of healing thermal waters since ancient times and is located only 8 km away. Golf lovers will enjoy their passion on the ground below the town of Motovun at the distance of only ten kilometres. In case you wish to sunbathe and swim in the sparkling Adriatic Sea, the nearest beach is only 25 minutes’ distance away. Travelling about and discovering central Istria is an unforgettable experience and those who have once stayed there will surely want to come back to this green, hilly paradise. Every village here has its uniqueness, each town its particular restaurants and taverns where you can enjoy various Istrian specialties such as prosciutto, asparagus, olive oil and wine. On top of everything, you can taste the world famous Istrian white and black truffle, the habitat of which is in this very area. Garibaldi holiday house was built in (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) by our ancestors. However, it was completely renovated in (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) Adapted to the needs of a modern traveller, the house provides accommodation for 6 - 8 people. The house was rebuilt with natural materials such as stone and wood which gives the home a special atmosphere. There are 3 double bedrooms with the possibility of using 2 extra beds, 3 bathrooms and a toilet, a spacious living room with the fireplace, a dining room and a fitted kitchen. Furthermore, it has a large covered terrace with a barbecue. Guests can enjoy a private swimming pool which is placed in the courtyard. The house is surrounded by (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) m2 of private land that is available to the guests and there is also a private parking space. The sea and the beach are 25 minutes away Buzet Buzet is situated in the very north of Istria near the border with Slovenia. Its historic core, dating from the Middle Ages lies on a hilltop above a fertile valley of the longest Istrian river – the Mirna. Today, Buzet is widely known as the “City of Truffles” since the forests along the Mirna River are especially rich in this divine tuber. According to some views, the white truffle of Istria is as good as the most famous white truffle from the Italian region of Alba. In honour of this truffle, each year Truffle Days are organized in September and October. On the second weekend in September a large folk festivity also take place in Buzet with a special attraction – a giant omelette (commonly known as “fritada” or “fritaja”) with over 2 000 eggs and 10 kilograms off truffles is prepared in a huge pan. This event officially marks the beginning of Truffle Days in Istria. In the surroundings of Buzet there are some very well preserved medieval towns. PARAGLIDING Man has enviously been contemplating the elegant and light and flight of the birds. Throughout the centuries, he managed to fly up in the sky with the help of an adequate equipment. Istria has the greatest number of the flying days in a year, in the whole European territory thanks to the natural position of the northern Istrian slopes, mountain Ćićarija which stretches from the Slovenian side of Istria to Učka- Istrian eternal guardian; giant on the eastern side. Thermic columns, the power of the wind and the natural relief make perfect conditions for the flight. While flying you can hear the sound of the wind and meet a bird from time to time. …blood is boiling in your veins, you enjoy every second of this unique experience, suddenly you feel relieved and look at the earth from the bird's eye. Meet the area of Buzet from the air! You can fly alone if you are a qualified paraglider. If you haven't got any experience, you can try to fly with a private instructor in a tandem-glider. ''Once you have flown up in the sky, you will be walking with your eyes pointed into the sky because you have been there and you'll wish to come back'' Leonardo da Vinci FREE-CLIMBING The most and attractive way of climbing which is going to keep you body in shape is free-climbing. It can be performed on the cliffs which are a few metres or even a few hundred metres high. Climbing zones are adapted to the professional climbers and amateurs (beginners). Istria is rich with cliffs ideal for every climber. The most impressive places for climbing are: Raspadalica, Istarske toplice, Vranjska draga, pazin- Zarečki krov, Limski kanal, Rovinj itd. SPELEOLOGICAL ADVENTURES ''Radota peć''- Istria Cave Radota near Raspadalica is a classical example of a speleological object which is vertically placed. At the entrance the visitors are given an adequate equipment. The entrance is quite large and easily passable and after the first 20m of climbing down and a pleasant temperature which is lower than the one outside the cave, climbers get into a big chamber which is 25m high and 65 large. The path leads into another chamber which is even higher- 40m and 83m large. After this chamber, a speleological techniques have to be used- that is climbing down using a rope. This same technique has to be used in the two parts of the cave. It is completely safe to climb down when a speleologist is near you and the whole experience gives you a feeling of a real adventure, deep down in the kingdom of darkness. Maximum depth of the cave is 180m and participants (climbers) can visit the first 70m because on 110m one needs another equipment and professional knowledge in order to visit the very bottom. The last part cannot be visited by the tourists. Speleological object Radotova jama is the highest in Ćićarija and extremely rich with stalagmites, stalagtites and other ''decorations''. The entrance to the cave is easily approachable. It is only 200m from the road. The time of visit (duration) is 3 hours. The water-spring Mlini is a cave system with a water channel which is 450m long. Duration: 4 hours. Cave near Slum- its entrance is vertical and the first 60m can be visited. In the first part of the day, participants learn how to use the professional equipment on a cliff and in the afternoon they are ready to visit the cave. Duration: the whole day CYCLING Visit Istrian townlets on a bike. Pass by the canions, meadows, inns and churches and of course learn something about our history. Run away from the busy city-life and relax in the woods. Meet magical and mystic Ćićarija and follow our guides along the road which leads to to peaks of Istrian mountains and hills. If you turn in ''Via Tartufiana'' , you are going to see the places where truffles grow. When choosing one of many roads like ''Glagolitic Road'', you are going to see the cradle of the glagolitic alphabet which is going to remind you of one great part of the history. The road called ''By bike to Roč'' is going to take you directly to Roč ( where everybody plays an instrument). SEA KAJAK If you decide to visit Istrian coast by kajak, you are going to see remote bays, sandy and rocky beaches, cristal and clean sea, numerous isles, caves and hidden lagoons. This programme can make your dream come true by organizing sunbathing and swimming in the attractive and remote lagoons, tasting of different sea-food and other specialities and relaxing in the most desireable way. PAINTBALL Paintball is an exciting game where variegated balls are thrown. The rules are first introduced to the two teams and then they go to a range. Every player gets a rifle, a certain number of balls, a mask, an outfit and the fight between two teams can start. The aim of the game is to win the flag put between various ''obstacles''. The colour which is in the balls is harmless and it can easily be washed away. Car If you are arriving in Istria by bus or car from the west, i.e. Slovenia, you will pass one of the three border crossings; Plovanija - Sečovlje, Kaštel - Dragonja or Požane – Sočerga (this border crossing is recommended since it is not so busy during the heavy traffic in Istria's peak season). Istrian Y (Istarski ipsilon) (Website hidden by Airbnb) Buzet is situated some 50 km from cities such as Rijeka, Poreč, Trieste in Italy, Kopar in Slovenia, and 90 km from Pula. Bus Buzet has very good bus connections with Rijeka, Pula, Poreč, Umag, Trieste, Venice and Zagreb. The bus station is located at the crossing of Riječka street and the road Kopar – Rijeka. LINKS: (Website hidden by Airbnb) (Website hidden by Airbnb) Train About 4 km north of Buzet towards ĆiĆarija is Buzet train station, with trains leaving in the direction of Pula and Slovenia. LINK: (Website hidden by Airbnb) Airplane The closest international airports: Pula (90 km) and Rijeka (Krk island), as well as Zagreb (Pleso), Ronchi dei Legionari near Trieste (Italy), Ljubljana (Brnik). LINKS: Airport Pula Valtursko polje 210 T (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) F (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) E. (Email hidden by Airbnb) (Website hidden by Airbnb) Turistic airport Vrsar GSM (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) You can also arrive at other airports in Croatia or those in neighboring countries. Airport Zagreb (HR) (Website hidden by Airbnb) Airport Rijeka (HR) (Website hidden by Airbnb) Trieste (I) Aeroporto FVG Ronchi dei Legionari (Website hidden by Airbnb) Venice (I) Aeroporto Marco Polo (Website hidden by Airbnb) Ljubljana (SLO) Airport Ljubljana (Website hidden by Airbnb) September and October are the best months to visit the fascinating town of Buzet. It is during this time of the year that the town of Buzet celebrates its rich history of folklore and food. The old town - embraced by protective city walls - steps back in time and old handicraft masters, blacksmiths, peasants with donkeys, soldiers, brass bands, musicians with accordions, bakers and many other forgotten artisans take over. The celebrations of “Subotina” last for the whole weekend (the second weekend of September) and the party goes on till late in the night. October is locally known as the “truffle season” and many events in Buzet and surrounding areas are dedicated to these “magic mushrooms”. You can experience truffle hunting with the professional truffle hunter who is going to show you how to find truffles with the help of the well-trained dogs. The best way of ending the story about truffles would be to order a meal in one of the ''Tartufo vero'' restaurants and buying some in the truffle shops.