Motovun rises out of the Mirna valley like a stone crown on a green hill, a walled town at about two hundred and seventy metres with a church tower on top and a ring of ramparts around it. From the road below, as you approach through the vineyards and oak woods, it looks almost too neat to be real, and you are very likely to stop for a photograph before you even reach the gate. It is one of the best known of Istria's hill towns, and for good reason.
The town's history is Venetian. The ramparts and the loggia date from the centuries when Istria belonged to the Republic of Venice, and the lion of St Mark appears on the gate and the walls. A walk around the top of the walls gives a long view over the valley, with its patchwork of vines, olive groves and fields, and on a clear day you can see the hills of the Učka range and even, far off, the glitter of the Adriatic. Every summer the town hosts a film festival, which fills the streets with visitors for a week or so.
The area is known for truffles, which grow in the oak forests of the Mirna valley, and a huge white truffle found here in 1999 made headlines around the world. Truffle dishes appear on every menu, from pasta and eggs to steak and cheese, and the local wines, Malvazija, a crisp white, and Teran, a dark and tart red, go well with them. Restaurants around the town serve them, with prices that reflect their fame, and a simple plate of fresh pasta with truffle is a classic Istrian lunch.
The ride up to Motovun is a pleasure, with a winding climb in a series of bends through the trees, and the roads in the valley are quiet, smooth and well kept. Cars are not allowed in the centre, and visitors park below the walls, so you walk the last stretch. Buzet, about fourteen kilometres away, is the nearest town with a proper range of services, including fuel, while Karojba, a few kilometres off, is a smaller option. Summer is hot and busy, and spring and early autumn are the best times to visit.