In the center of Istria lies Motovun, an acropolis known for its melange of mysticism, mystery and magic. Months later, it holds me in a magnetic grasp.
The hot wind of August blows dry in Istria, flinging dust devils to interrupt the sun. Motovun shimmers and undulates in the distance. It’s a medieval mirage, atop the hill the Venetians could only take by force instead of politics in the 13th century. Natalia has brought me here on a whirlwind of her own. As we careen through the countryside in her powerful black Mercedes, Natalia’s Croatian consonants scatter over me, tempered with the lilt of Italy. Anastasia rides shotgun, translating her mother. They’re proud that Venice had to work so hard to capture Motovun, the acropolis of Istria, one thousand and fifty two steps up a staircase to the sky.
Motovun – the acropolis of Istria
Where other mortals set forth to begin the climb on foot, Natalia is waved on through. Our engine purrs as we pass, and I sink in my seat as we ascend, simultaneously guilty and grateful. It pays to know someone, as I’ve already learned this day. We’ve come from a visit with the finest winemaker in Istria. His malvasia still lingers on my taste buds in notes of acacia and pear.
Now we’ve arrived in mystical Motovun, the walled city in the clouds where ley lines intersect in a so-called dragon’s furrow of positive energy. Mysterious Motovun, where giants whose bones have recently been uncovered once walked among men. Mesmerizing Motovun, where we want to trade the taste of malvasia for the loamy white truffles of Istria, which are hunted with dogs and dug from the forest aside the River Mirna below, to be mixed with honey and cheese.
Motovun – Medieval walled city in the center of Istria
———
“If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” – Nikola Tesla
“Can you feel anything?” asks Anastasia, looking around nervously, as if we’re embarrassing her. Arms outstretched, her mother and I are espaliered against the cool stucco exterior of the Church of St. Stephen’s. We each have one ear to the wall, listening spread-eagled for what we’re not sure, but something. New Age thinking holds Motovun is a significant crossroads of ley lines called a “dragon’s furrow,” and St. Stephen’s is built upon it.
St. Stephens anchors the city square
Ley lines, called dragon lines, fairy lines and dream lines across cultures worldwide from Celtic to aboriginal, are thought to be energetic meridians between holy places. Ley line theorists claim the ancients built their monuments along these conduits, with spiritual vortexes or psychic portals corresponding at their intersections. These intersections positively affect humans in their state of wellness and creative practices. I’d been introduced to the concept when we lived on Kaua’i, an island similarly rich in spirituality. Now I am on the opposite side of the globe and flabbergasted the subject of ley lines pops up again in a conversation I only partially understand. Is this a sign? Of what, then?
St. Stephen’s dates from the late Renaissance, but the water cisterns in front of it in the city’s main square are a couple hundred years older. We’ve arrived via a Fibonacci-like spiral from the base of the hill to the city’s main gate, where the Venetian lion’s book is closed, signifying the city was conquered by force.
The Lion of Venice’s book is closed in the gateway to Motovun
The church is said to be designed from 16th century sketches attributed to Palladio, whose name was given to him by his employer, the Humanist poet and scholar, Gian Giorgio Trissino. Trissino wanted his young protege to appreciate art, science and classical literature; “Palladio” means “wise one.”
-
- Entering the square
-
- The classically proportioned interior of St Stephens
The ancient cisterns in the square
Widely considered, according to Wikipedia, to be the “single most influential individual in architecture throughout history,” Palladio’s designs incorporate classical symmetry, perspective and values harkening back to Roman temples. In his churches, two interlocking architectural orders can be seen, representing the hierarchy Catholicism assigns to divine and earthly worlds.
Surrounded by all this symbolic richness, Natalia and I strain for some sort of grounding, to feel a pulse, or perhaps a low-pitched hum signifying we share a universal connection with these elements. But there is nothing. Sheepishly, we lower our arms and laugh.
———
“The old woman smiled. ‘Past tears are present strength,’ said she.” – George MacDonald, Phantastes
In Motovun, the medieval wall is now a pathway upon which you can walk the ancient city’s circumference. In the heat of the day, we amble slowly, taking in the views.
View of the new city and countryside from the wall
Vladimir Nazor commemorative plaque
Our pace is perfect for storytelling and the most famous story Motovun can boast is one revered in all of Croatia: the legend of Veli Joze. The story begins with traditional Croatian lore that many giants once lived among the little people, but eventually every locality poisoned theirs save for one. The town giant they kept would do heavy lifting, protect against bears and wolves, and farm their cropland. Motovun didn’t treat its giant, Veli Joze (“Big Joe”) very nicely. When he felt particularly disrespected, he would furiously shake the St. Stephen’s bell tower in an ear-splitting, retaliatory racket.
The story of Veli Joze was put in written form in 1908 by Croatian poet, Vladimir Nazor. Nazor, who fought as a partisan with Tito during WWII, is revered as a national hero: Croatia’s first post-war Parliamentary speaker and head of state. Veli Joze was seen as a symbol of the Croatian struggle against German and Italian nationalistic influences at the time it was written. Today, the tale of a gentle giant who railed against humiliation resonates as an allegory against oppression and enslavement.
Mural of Veli Joze sweeping enemies away with an oak from the forest below Motovun
We turn on the top of the wall to look back on the tower, imagining Veli Joze silhouetted against the sky, ringing its bells in anger and anguish. Natalia points to an oversized effigy leaning rather casually on a whitewashed wall. “You know they’ve dug here and uncovered giants’ bones,” she tells me. It’s unclear in translation whether “here” means Istria or Motovun itself. We are looking at an open plot, marked by boundaries of stone. It’s easy to imagine this as Veli Joze’s resting place in the shadow of the bell tower.
Bell tower, effigy of Veli Joze, and possible grave site? Who knows?
“It’s sad,” I say, thinking of other tales and allegories of the mistreated and misunderstood: Hugo’s Hunchback of Notre Dame, Beaumont’s Beauty and the Beast, Grimms’ Frog Prince. “Yes, but Veli Joze lives in our hearts,” says Anastasia. “So sad, yes, but maybe he’s happy we love him now.”
———
“The most learned men have been questioned as to the nature of this tuber, and after two thousand years of argument and discussion their answer is the same as it was on the first day: we do not know. The truffles themselves have been interrogated and have answered simply: eat us and praise the Lord.” – Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870)
Below the wall of Motovun are hillsides planted with vines. These give way to the banks of the River Mirna and the 4-mile square Motovun forest, which has just under 700 acres protected. While most of Istria is karst with little topsoil, the loam in this forest contains treasure. The black tartufe (truffle) and its rare white cousin thrive hidden deep in this ground, and the locals use specially-trained dogs to hunt them.
View toward the River Mirna of the oak forest and Livade from the city wall of Motovun
Bronze replica of *the* truffle
It is said in the myth of Medea that Jason and the Argonauts traversed Istria on the Mirna via a subterranean passageway. Later, Venetian vessels sailed it from the sea past Motovun to Buzet. Thus, empires from Rome to Austria-Hungary, ancient to modern day, feasted on Istrian truffles. But in today’s truffle realm, a restauranteur claims the crown. It was here in the Motovun forest in 1999 that Giancarlo Zigante found the biggest truffle in the world. Ever. All 1.3 kilograms of it. Rightfully, a bronzed replica of this monster truffle is enshrined at Restaurant Zigante, in the crossroads of Livade below Motovun.
Zigante’s menu, entirely based on truffles, is served with old-school, white-gloved, understated flourish to gourmands from around the globe, pilgrims who have reached the Holy Grail of truffle-dom. The big truffle? Served to 100 guests in a promotional dinner. Just because you go tromping through muddy woods in your Wellies with your favorite truffle-hunting dog doesn’t mean you can’t be a good marketer. Some might say this is what makes you one.
Danijela Hodzic, the sales and marketing manager for Restaurant Zigante and its ancillary businesses, is waiting to oversee our tasting. Her operations include truffle hunting demos with the famous truffle dogs, tastings in two locations, factory tours, four-star rooms in a refurbished stone house adjacent to the restaurant, seasonal menus designed by award-winning chef Damir Modrusan, and a Truffles Days Fair and Exhibition event in the autumn of each year.
Interior of Restaurant Zigante
Eagerly, we learn how truffles are transformed into traditional Istrian products. And we taste them: truffles in oils, truffles mixed with sheep’s milk cheese, truffle honey, truffle butter, minced black and white truffles. Each is more intoxicating than the last. The taste is unmistakeable, earthy and rich, alternating in intensity, rolling on our tastebuds in the sweet suspensions and textural blends for which Zigante is famous. Danijela and her assistant stand bemused as we argue good-naturedly which is best. It doesn’t matter. I want every kind of truffle product there is in this room.
Black gold – the truffles of Istria
I load up without considering logistics. These truffles are so superb, I throw baggage overage potential to the wind, and select from glass jars filled with Zigante’s various truffle elixirs. I get the pot of truffle cheese, and the jar of truffle honey. I choose a large container of minced black truffles, and a tiny one of white (whose flavor is twice as strong). I grab a booklet of recipes, knowing full well it’s more likely we’ll just eat all this magic straight out of the jar. I want to taste this day again and again in these incomparable flavors.
Want to hunt for truffles yourself with an expert and trained dog? Click here to book a marvelous experience with famous guide Nikola Tarandek, who was featured in the New York Times, and then enjoy a two course lunch with featuring truffles and other local flavors.
Truffle deliciousness for the tasting
———
At certain times of the year, as I am shown in photographs, Motovun becomes a city in the clouds, rising from a ring of fog like an apparition.
Motovun in the clouds. Photo Credit: dorotheeinternational.wordpress.com
Bell tower pointing toward the heavens, anchored in the mist, ancient legends of giants and dragons set within its walls, the citadel has a compelling magnetism even without the New Age vibration we listened and felt for in vain. Maybe, I think now with the clarity of distance, I didn’t have to actively seek the magic of Motovun at all. Instead, like Anastasia said of Veli Joze, it settles in the heart on its own. The mystique of Motovun still lingers these months later.
Top 10 Things To Do in Motovun, Croatia
Pinnable Image:
Tips and Practicalities:
Your personal visit to Motovun and other Istria experiences can be arranged by Natalia Marcelja or one of her colleagues at Solen Travel Agency, Strossmayerova ul. 2, 51000 Rijeka Croatia. Tel. +385 51 371 587. Email solen@solen.hr.
Restaurant Zigante, Livade 7, 52427 Livade, Croatia. Tel. +386 52 664 302. Danijela Hodzic, Marketing Manager, email: info@livadetartufi.com. More from Zigante on truffle hunting, production, gastronomy and culture in this video:
Tips for Trip Success
Book Your Flight
Find an inexpensive flight by using CheapOAir, a favorite of ours because it regularly returns less expensive flight options from a variety of airlines.
Book Your Hotel or Special Accommodation
We are big fans of Booking.com. We like their review system and photos. If we want to see more reviews and additional booking options, we go to TripAdvisor.
You Need Travel Insurance!
Good travel insurance means having total peace of mind. Travel insurance protects you when your medical insurance often will not and better than what you get from your credit card. It will provide comprehensive coverage should you need medical treatment or return to the United States, compensation for trip interruption, baggage loss, and other situations.
PassingThru is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
To view PassingThru’s privacy policy, click here.
Your descriptions evoked a sense of immediacy and I felt like I was with you in your opening paragraph. Magic! Croatia keeps moving up our list of places to see and Motovun, with its history, legends and New Age mysticism is indeed a magnet. Loved your phrase, ” I want to taste this day again and again…” Sounds like the perfect day that will be long remembered!
Hi Anita – Thank you so much. It was a very memorable day.
Where to begin? I love this post so much! Stories, feelings, flavors, images. It’s all there: the perfect whetting of an appetite I did not know I had. Istria has just jumped the queue on my to-go list 🙂
Hi Anita – You and Tom would adore Istria. The wine, the olive oil and the truffles. The mysterious history and the legends. It’s all that!
Wow! I certainly felt the magic of Motovun while reading this. I’d love to visit some day. I’ve not heard of ley lines before, but I will now be watching for them to pop up in my travels.
Hi Donna – I googled several maps that show them over the Americas as well as the “old world.” It’s all an old world, evidently. 😉
I would go to Motovun to learn about the ley lines, and stay for the views and awesome truffles. I know my bag would be filled with everything truffle by the time I left. I did that in Spain a few year ago with olive oil, and in Budapest it was the fois gras! 🙂
Hi Nancie – Food items tend to be our souvenirs, too! 🙂
Thank you for allowing me to tag along on this incredible adventure!
Hi Dianne – Glad you enjoyed it. 😉
What a fascinating place! I so look forward to exploring more of this area someday…
Hi Anne – It’s definitely high on our list to return.
Beautiful writing! I felt like I was there experiencing it with you guys!
Hi Karilyn – So glad you enjoyed it.
Firstly, such an impressive use of alliteration in describing Motovun. All jokes aside, this shows the power of telling a story and involving the reader in the experience. I feel like I am a part of the magic of Motovun myself.
Hi Paula – Ha ha! Yes, sometimes I doth alliterate entirely too much. Glad you liked this. 😉
Stunning photos and you’ve added another spot to my ‘must see’ list. Love that magic of Motovun.
Hi Jackie – Not too far for you to come from Greece, for sure!
This post was beautifully written. You have quite a way with words, it seemed to almost match the beauty and mystique of Motovun. This city looks like it’s straight out of a fairytale.
Hi Madi – Thank you very much. It really is a fantastic place.
Croatia is definitely making a quick ascent up m bucket list. Your descriptions make it sounds really amazing!
Hi Prianka – Croatia is so wonderful and Istria is an awesome place to get to know it.
Motovun sounds like a mystic place indeed – the ley lines concept is one I believe in completely. They tend to be transformative places that somehow imprint themselves on your soul. Your photos are stunning too
Hi Michele – I am fascinated by the ley lines theory as well. Spiritual energy is so strong in many places.
Thanks for this tour of what looks like a wonderful hilltop city. How lucky that you were there during truffle season!
Hi Irene – Yes, very fortunate to have made this visit.
“Ley lines, called dragon lines, fairy lines and dream lines across cultures worldwide from Celtic to aboriginal, are thought to be energetic meridians between holy places.”
I never knew this but I absolutely love the idea – ideal. What a beautiful place, Motovun, to visit, don’t you just love places that are not only beautiful to see but also teach you something?!
p,s, Have I ever mentioned how much I love your header image on your blog? Such a great design! Really captures what you’re all about.
Hi Patti – Thank you so much for mentioning our header. Our graphics designer will be so pleased to know it resonated with you. And yes, ley lines popping up in front of me all over the world. Gotta be something to that!
Hi Patti! Betsy’s designer here. Thanks so much for your compliments. This header was so much fun to do and it really does reflect what Betsy and Peter are all about. If you’d like to read about the story behind the picture, check out the post we did about the redesign.
And Betsy? Fantastic pics. You always visit the most interesting places.
Thanks, Deb!
Lovely place and lovely “you are there” writing and photography to share it with us. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted a real truffle—other than the chocolate variety. I obviously haven’t lived. Croatia is creeping up my list of places to visit. Other traveling friends have also shared their enthusiasm for the place. I’ve pinned this to my “Travel Bloggers Finest” Pinterest board. https://www.pinterest.com/worldtravelfam/travel-bloggers-finest/
Hi Suzanne – Don’t feel bad. I only tasted them for the first time a couple of years ago in Vienna. They were offered as a “pay by weight” garnish at breakfast, so I very gingerly stopped the server after he’d shaved a minuscule amount on my eggs. The bill for my fearful experience came to about $1.10USD. 😀 Thank you so much for pinning this post. I will follow your board on Pinterest.
You continue to amaze me with the most unusual places in the world. How do you find them all? Istria? Motuvan? Wow!
Hi Vicki – It’s really interesting, the finding of these wonderful places. They seem to come to us, rather than us seeking them. Thanks.
What an amazing place, I’m drooling at all those huge truffle balls, wow! Walking through all those cobblestone streets looks amazing!
Hi Noel – You’d love all the different truffle products, and the atmosphere in Motovun is wonderful.
What a tale you weave. I think it is called poetic prose. You lift destinations and activities to higher heights. I will visit Croatia some day. So many like you have told of its beauty. But none of them like you did.
Hi Carol – Wow, humble thanks. Nicest comment ever! Truly appreciated.
I’m so excited to read this, particularly now as we try to squeeze a visit to Istria in before December. The Ley Lines are fascinating, and I know we’d love all the history of and walking around Motovun, even (maybe?) in inclement weather.
Hi Kristin – Somehow I think Motovun would be wonderful in any season. We have another blogging friend who is living there this month, and her photos have been amazing.
Hi Betsy,
What makes your posts so enjoyable is your superb writing skills. So fun and enchanting! Thank you for this lovely walk through Motovun with you.
Warm regards,
~Josie
Hi Josie – Thank you so much! More fun and enchantment on the horizon for us both, my friend! 🙂
The truffles sound amazing! I could travel there just to eat at that restaurant! The picture of the town in the clouds is magical.
Hi Elizabeth – Yes, we could justify a return visit to eat at Zigante, most definitely!
Betsy,
I always love your writing, but I think you’ve outdone yourself this time! I’m not particularly fond of truffles, so they’d be wasted on me, but Motovun looks delightful, with or without ley lines!
Hi Rachel – Don’t worry, there’s plenty of wine and olive oil to taste in Motovun. You’d love it! (And all the more truffles for me!) 😀
Mystical, magical, and magnetic indeed. I’ve been coming across Croatia posts a lot lately and I feel like it’s calling out to me. By the looks and sound of it, I know I’m definitely gonna fall in love.
Hi Erica – Oooh, sounds like you’d better get there!
Beautiful writing and stunning photos as always. I am forever amazed at the knowledge you share in every post! Those truffles looked amazing too!
Hi Suzanne – Thank you so much! Yes, the truffles are world-renowned!
Lovely writing, thanks for sharing your journey. Those truffles look and sound amazing!
Hi Natasha – So happy you enjoyed it! Yes, they are!
The more I read about Croatia, the more I want to visit. Your photos and descriptions are gorgeous, and you had me at truffles!
Hi Lois – Make it a priority! You’ll have a wonderful time in Istria and all of Croatia.
Beautiful area. I have never even heard of this area but with the stunning pictures I can see why you loved it! Such a great tale you weave, thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Mary – Yes, Istria recently appeared on our radar and boy, are we ever glad it did.
I had to laugh when I read this – I was told I would feel vibrations touching the stones in Machu Picchu (not so much). Your tales of truffle tasting made me quite jealous!
Hi Jennifer – Machu Picchu is heavy ley line country, too. Whatever is wrong with us? 😉
Motovun is absolutely stunning! I love how you captured it from every possible angle — looking up to it, looking down on it, looking straight across, etc. It wasn’t on my radar, but now I want to go!
Hi Patti – You’d love Istria and Motovun. We didn’t want to leave.
What a great post! Every time I read about Croatia, I am amazed by how much this country has to offer. Truffle hunting would be right up my alley, although I’m not sure how many would make it back! I’d actually love to see how the dogs work to find them. I’m usually not a big fan of the word magical but it is completely appropriate in describing Motovun.
Hi Jackie – Yes, we would love going hunting with the dogs, too.
Your words literally took me to Motuvun, with its mysticism and magic. What a wonderful town to visit! Velli Joze’s mural and effigy didn’t at all match what I imagined in my head. I thought he would be an ogre of a giant, but he instead looks gentle and kind. I will make it a point on going to visit Motovun during truffle season. When do you think is the best time to visit?
Hi Brenda – As soon as you can would be the best time to visit, I think! But specifically, Zigante’s truffle days event is held weekends in September. I’d really like to attend that!
Looks so pretty. Never been and would like to see it.
Hi Holly – It really is. Natalia told me “Tuscany copied Istria.” hahaha
This article was immensely well written! I loved to read it, very good storytelling. Keep up the great work 🙂
Hi Kathrin – Thank you so much.
Fabulous post! We just left Istria after living there for two months. We stayed in Rovinj, but I loved driving to the hilltop towns and Motovun was one of my favorites!
Hi Andrea – We stayed in Rovinj as well, in an apartment in Natalia’s home, and loved it. I can’t imagine anyone not loving Motovun.
Another terrific story Betsy! I’m fascinated with the ley lines in your tale. I’ve visited several places that have these types of feelings of spirituality. Cappadocia and Sedona come to mind. I’ve always described them as special places on earth. I’ll have to learn more about ley lines thanks for putting that together for me.
Hi Sue – It’s one of those concepts that, once you’ve learned about it, keep popping up unexpectedly but too frequently and specifically to be random. You’re right about Cappadocia and Sedona.
Brilliant post! Really enjoyed reading this
Hi Amanda – Thank you!