Side by side
The same coast, two very different ways to spend a week.
Istria
Landscape: green hills, vineyards, forest, hill towns.
Food: truffles, olive oil, pršut, Malvazija and Teran.
History: Roman, Venetian, Austrian, Italian; bilingual signs in places.
Pace: wandering from village to village.
Getting around: a car makes the inland towns easy.
Dalmatian islands
Landscape: white karst stone, scrub, lavender, open sea.
Food: fish, olive oil, island wine.
History: Greek and Venetian, with walled harbour towns.
Pace: slow, set by the sea and the ferries.
Getting around: ferries between islands, then local roads and boats.
What they share
Both are on the Adriatic, both have stone old towns, olive oil and good wine, and both have a Venetian chapter in their history. The difference is mostly one of ground and rhythm: green hills on one side, white stone and water on the other.