Spacious & peaceful holiday home with a large landscaped garden and private pool

Villa Vittorina is located in Krnica, a small village in South East Istria, 24km from Ancient City of Pula.

This airy and peaceful 5 bedroom villa offers spacious accommodation arranged over 2 floors and set within a large private hedge-lined landscaped garden (1270m2 / 13670 sq ft). The villa also features a beautiful eight meter sunken pool (32m2 / 345 sq ft ranging in depth from 1.15m (45 inches) to 1.5m (59 inches), making it perfect for children and adults alike. The garden offers a tranquil oasis, with its aromatic Mediterranean plants, grapevines and with a BBQ pit and large outdoor dining table makes it ideal for alfresco dining and relaxing with family and friends.

The ground floor (107m2/ 1152 sq ft) features a kitchen, a living/dining room with direct access to the front and back verandas and the garden, two bathrooms, two double bedrooms and one twin room. On the second floor (123m2/ 1324 sq ft) there are two further double rooms, a spacious living room, a second kitchen and bathroom, two balconies and a large terrace. Guests have full use of both kitchens, well-equipped with a dishwasher, stove, microwave and oven. A washing machine and iron are also provided. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property, including the garden and swimming pool. Entertainment facilities include a flat-screen TV, stereo with a CD player and USB port as well as family favorite board games..

Just a few minutes from Villa Vittorina is a charming village square with two cafes/restaurants, a bakery, grocery shop and post office. A picturesque fishing port (Krnicki Porat) with a superb local restaurant and beaches is a short 5 minute drive away.

The house has a lot of character and is a perfect place to create some wonderful holiday memories.

Istria

Istria (in Croatian, “Istra”) is the biggest Croatian peninsula located in the northern Adriatic. Istria gets its name from the Histri, an Illyrian tribe conquered by the Roman legions in 177 BC. It is an area of rare natural beauty, characterized by its mountains, hills and meadows, rolling vineyards and olive groves, which border the perfectly blue sea.

Istria has an indented coastline with beautiful bays, pebbled beaches, islands and clear waters with sea temperatures averaging between 23 and 24 C (73 and 75 F) in July and August. The Istrian coast offers Mediterranean charm, with its pretty towns beautiful beaches and abundant Mediterranean vegetation. On the western coast you will find resort towns such as Rovinj, Porec , Novigrad, the Lim Fjord – an estuary valley with a canyon-like appearance as well as the Brijuni National Park; a group of fourteen islands famous for their scenic beauty. As you travel inland, the scrubby vegetation and olive groves gradually give way to wooded hills and fertile valleys with stone-built medieval hilltop villages to explore, one of the most attractive being Motovun, located in the middle of truffle territory. Make sure not to miss the art-filled town of Groznjan and Visnjan, a town known for its wine. Other historic towns like Oprtalj and Hum look like leftovers from another century, made of ancient stone poised high above rich green pastures and forests.


Pula

Pula is a three thousand-year-old city in the southern tip of the Istrian peninsula. Its origin is linked to the Argonauts, ancient Greek mythological heroes. Pula evolved along a ramified sea bay, and rests on seven hills whose peaks are crowned with old forts. It is steeped in history with a tradition of hospitality and is a rewarding place to visit. Italian poet and writer Dante Alighieri visited Pula at the beginning of 14th century, while Michelangelo made a drawing of the Sergii Arc during his visit in the 16th century. Irish author James Joyce lived in Pula for a short time teaching English, back in 1904.

The city has some of the finest ancient Roman cultural monuments, which have made it a candidate for the UNESCO list of the world's natural and cultural heritage. The most popular Roman site in Pula is the amphitheater, known as 'Arena' to the locals. Built in 1st century AD it is the 6th biggest in the world. The home of gladiator fights in the past, today it is primarily a setting for various cultural events whilst the museum in its basement holds many exhibits from the Roman period. Other noteworthy Roman sites include the Arch of the Sergii (1st century BC) and the ancient temple dedicated to the first Roman Emperor, Augustus (1st century AD). You can enjoy a wonderful view of the city from the old fortress 'Kastel', which features an amphitheater used for cultural events and open-air film screenings.

Pula also has many galleries, family-friendly restaurants and an eclectic range of shops as well as a rocky coast indented with numerous turquoise bays with pebbled beaches close to the city.


Wining and Dining

Istrian cuisine is varied and rich due to its many influences and Istria has a reputation of being a great culinary destination. An excellent standard of food is served in most modest konobas (taverns) and haute-cuisine restaurants alike. Ingredients are usually first class, locally sourced and organic.

Regional delicacies include appetizers such as Istrian prosciutto (pršut), wild asparagus (šparoga), black truffles (tartufi) and local goat and sheep cheeses. On the coast, you will find premium quality fish and seafood, while inland the focus tends to be more on meat. Popular Istrian meats include kobasice (sausages), ombolo (smoked pork loin) and lamb. These delicious meats are often combined with cabbage or freshly made fuži (pasta twists) and njoki (gnocchi).

Istrian olive oil is produced by regional producers, with a high degree of quality and has a very distinct flavor. Istria also offers quality wines produced all over the peninsula from a variety of grapes including the famous white malvasia, pinot and muscat, the red borgonja, merlot and a characterful indigenous teran.

A typical Istrian spirit is biska, an aphrodisiac mistletoe brandy associated with the region around Buzet and Hum.