A large, triangular peninsula pointing down into the northern Adriatic, Istria (in Croatian, "Istra") represents Croatian tourism at its most developed. In recent decades the region's proximity to Western Europe has ensured an annual influx of sun-seeking package tourists, with Italians, Germans, Austrians and what seems like the entire population of Slovenia flocking to the mega-hotel developments that dot the coastline. Istrian beaches – often rocky areas that have been concreted over to provide sunbathers with a level surface on which to sprawl – do tend to lack the appeal of the out-of-the-way coves that you'll find farther south in Dalmatia or the Adriatic islands, yet the modern hotel complexes and rambling campsites have done little to detract from the region's essential charm: development has left many of the Italianate coastal towns relatively unspoiled, while the interior, with its medieval hilltop settlements pitched high in the mountains, still preserves an off-the-beaten-path feel despite its rising popularity.

Istria draws on a rich cultural legacy. A borderland where Italian, Slovene and Croatian cultures meet, the region endured more than four hundred years of Venetian rule before its incorporation into first the Austro-Hungarian Empire, then Fascist Italy, the Yugoslav Federation, and finally independent Croatia. Historically, an Italian-speaking population lived in the towns (most of which still bear Italian names – or at least Croatianized versions thereof), while Croatian-speakers occupied the rural areas. Despite post-World War II expulsions, there's still a fair-sized Italian community, Italian is very much the peninsula's second language, and the local dialect of Istria's Croats contains a liberal sprinkling of Italian words.

With its amphitheatre and other Roman relics, the port of Pula, at the southern tip of the peninsula, is Istria's largest city and a rewarding place to spend a couple of days – rooms are relatively easy to come by and many of Istria's most interesting spots are only a short bus ride away. On the western side of the Istrian peninsula are pretty resort towns like Rovinj and Novigrad, with their cobbled piazzas, shuttered houses and back alleys laden with laundry. Poised midway between the two, the mammoth resort of Poreč has much less in the way of authentic Mediterranean charm, but offers everything in the way of tourist facilities. Inland Istria couldn't be more different – historic hilltop towns like Motovun, Grožnjan, Oprtalj and Hum look like leftovers from another century, half-abandoned accretions of ancient stone poised high above rich green pastures and forests.