The area is renowned for its truffles. The forests around Motovun are saturated with them, and there are plenty of family-run restaurants or ‘konobas’ serving up an array of delights incorporating them.

During the truffle season (October – January), you can go on a guided hunt for them yourself and enjoy them even more for knowing they are the fruits of your own labour! Try the traditional classic; truffle pasta, with the region’s very own pasta variety, ‘Pljukanci’ - the hand-rolled shape providing the perfect surface area to soak up the delicious truffle sauce…

Istrian prosciutto is also very good, especially when paired with the famous Istrian asparagus (an ingredient so vital to Istria’s culinary identity that there is even a local festival dedicated to the vegetable). It is easy to forget just how close to the coast you are here given your pastoral surroundings, but the seafood here is plentiful and delicious.

The olive groves in Istria produce some of the finest oil, a perfect accompaniment to the fresh, local ingredients you can pick up from any number of the village's daily markets.

There are vineyards in abundance too – spend an afternoon sampling the region’s best wines before heading back to your villa with a few bottles of your favourites…

The landscape is so varied and breath-taking, and you can enjoy it at a pace of your choosing, with wonderful walks, guided tours and bicycle routes. Over on the coastline you can explore the area by boat – just a short ferry across from the coastal town of Rovinj is the stunning Katarina island, or even further afield it’s possible to visit Venice for the day – it’s just a 2hr boat away, so if you leave on the morning ferry you’ll arrive just in time for lunch in the San Marco square!

You can wild swim or kayak in the scenic Mirna River, enjoy countless walks soaking in the scenery and many a glorious laid-back lunch in any number of the area's restaurants.

In late July, Motovun hosts its annual film festival - not to be missed if you are in the area. The main square of this medieval hilltop town is transformed into an outdoor theatre, and screenings take place throughout the day and into the evenings.

Potter around the daily produce markets in Rovinj and marvel at the delights on offer - with colourful fresh fruit and vegetables, providing the perfect refuel after a day spent exploring any one of the country’s 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, unrivalled museums or cultural festivals.

The nightlife in Istria can be described as laid-back and relaxed - the local restaurants are fantastic and there are a few bars open late. Nights here are more about long, candle-lit suppers under the stars. If you had something more upbeat in mind, head to the coast for more of a lively scene, with nightclubs and bars open much later.

The area is so beautifully tranquil, this is the perfect chance to switch off completely and succumb to your rural surroundings. In the summer months, have dinner on the terrace and enjoy watching the spectacular sunsets turn to stargazing...

If you can avoid the school summer holidays, June and September are wonderful times to visit. Temperatures average in the mid to high twenties (centigrade) - the evenings are still warm enough not to need a light jacket and the local attractions are much quieter in the best way, not that its ever overly crowded here. September is also the start of the truffle season!