Motovunska šuma /Motovun forest

Just outside Motovun, near the natural spa waters of Istarske toplice, Motovunska šuma is a small area of forest protected by Natura Histrica, the same body responsible for Brijuni National Park and Učka nature reserve. The Venetians were the first to single out this particular pocket of woodland in Istria’s verdant hinterland, partly because of its particular beauty, partly because the European oaks so prevalent here provided such perfect wood for shipbuilding and wine barrels. Fed by a tributary of the Mirna, the forest here also features white poplars, hornbeam and lowland ash. From mid-summer until autumn, the best time to visit, the bright purple blossoms of clematis viticella provide vivid colour and attract hosts of swallowtail butterflies.