Where we are
Jurcanija 2 N, Gamboci · 52460 Buje · north‑western Istria
That part of Istria where every place has two names.
The area
Both Croatian and Italian are spoken here, often in the same sentence. Above us are Buje, a medieval hill town enclosed by walls; the Venetians called it the sentinel of Istria, because from its bell tower you can see the sea on both sides of the peninsula. Umag is below, fifteen minutes down the slope.
Around us are olive groves and woodland. A few kilometres further, around Brtonigla and Momjan, the vineyards begin. In Momjan grows the Momjan muscat, a sweet wine made nowhere else and drunk here at sunset. The local taverns are known well beyond Istria, with good reason.
Arrival
Villa Nocturno is in Jurcanija, a hamlet near Gamboci, on the slope between Buje and Umag, at the north-western tip of Istria. The Italian border is thirty kilometres away, Trieste an hour's drive, Venice 160 kilometres. Koper is forty-five kilometres, Ljubljana an hour and a half. Croatia is in Schengen, so the border is crossed without stopping.
Umag is fifteen minutes away, Savudrija twenty. It takes less time to drive to the sea than a song lasts.
Oil, wine, truffles
Istria has been named the world's best region for extra virgin olive oil nine times (Flos Olei guide, most recently 2026, with 68 Istrian producers). Bujština is at the heart of it.
In Momjan, about ten minutes from here, the Momjan muscat is grown. The vineyards around Brtonigla and Momjan produce malvasia, teran and refosco; Kozlović, Kabola and Cattunar are known beyond Croatia, and in the same circle there are about ten smaller families that do not manage to export. None of them are visited without prior notice, and you will not leave any of them within half an hour.
Motovun forest and Livade are about forty minutes away. The white truffle appears from the end of September and lasts until January; the black truffle is available year-round. In Livade it is sold by the kilogram, in the taverns it is shaved over fuži while you watch.
Istrian prosciutto is cured on the bora wind, without smoke. In spring, along the same paths ridden by cyclists in summer, wild asparagus is gathered. Boškarin has returned to the menus. And the tavern here is an institution, not a style of décor.
So the pavilion
All of that is within a half hour's drive and all of it ends up on the grill beneath glass walls. Oil and wine are bought on the way, from the producers, and dinner is prepared at home, because that is a better plan than a restaurant here, especially when you know what the view from the terrace looks like in the evening. And if you do go out, a tavern is ten minutes away.
What is nearby
- Umag: the ATP tennis tournament at the end of July, a long promenade and restaurants by the sea
- Grožnjan: a hilltop town where every other house is an atelier, full of musicians in summer
- Motovun and Livade: truffles, the Motovun forest and one of the most famous views in Croatia
- Buje wine route: Kozlović, Cattunar, Kabola and Momjan muscat
- Savudrija: the westernmost point of Croatia, beaches and a promenade by the sea
- Golf Adriatic in Savudrija: a PGA National course, twenty minutes
- Dog-friendly beaches: about fifteen minutes
When to come
July and August here are what they are everywhere: hot, crowded and pleasant. September and October are the reason people return. The sea is warmer than in June, the roads are empty, young wine ferments in the cellars and doors are open, and at the end of October the white truffle season begins and Livade smells for a kilometre. Evenings are mild and long, just right for the terrace.
Spring arrives early. In March and April the olive trees leaf out, wild asparagus is gathered along the paths, and the pool is already warm while the beaches are still empty. Winter has its own merits: the bora clears the sky to a bright blue and you can see to Italy, the fire burns in the hearth, the pavilion is roasting, the sauna works, and the pool is still at twenty-seven degrees. For a couple who want a week without anyone else, that is the best week of the year.
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