#Croatia #FullOfOpportunities – Ideas for Incentive Programs in #Rovinj and #Istria

On the way to Rovinj in Istria (about 3 hours drive from Zagreb) a stop can be planned in Fužine — a small resort-like village in the mountains with family hotels and restaurants, specialities from the forest as e.g. mushrooms, cured game meat, risotto and many more. A perfect spot to start team building activities and competitions. With a large accumulation lake nearby where a walk in the sun is a simple and relaxing pleasure. More info on https://croatia.hr/en-GB/eden/fuzine

In Rovinj, event planners will be struck by the variety of really nice and contemporary design hotels owned and operated by the Maistra Group, like the Lone Hotel, which can make it into any design magazine — completely materialized by Croatian architects, designers, brands, furniture see www.maistra.com/hotel-lone-rovinj.

From the hotel and the tropical park around it there is a comfortable, freshly renovated promenade leading around the bay to the old town of Rovinj — along the also newly redone Marina and Yacht harbour with shops and bars and restaurants. Majestically and very modern situated on the hill above the Marina is the new Grand Park Hotel Rovinj, also owned by Maistra group.

Rovinj has a very interesting historic background and a strong Italian community — it is a bi-lingual place — official languages there are Croatian plus Italian. And does it look Italian…. Yes. Very much so — like from the picture book with narrow streets, laundry hanging over your heads, tightly assembled houses and restaurants like the Brasserie at Hotel Adriatic, located at the waterfront: contemporary and urban in looks but cosy and serving fresh and delicious fish! www.maistra.com/hotel-adriatic-rovinj/sub/brasserie-adriatic

No time to enjoy more of Rovinj — the tour must go on to the mountains of Istria, where the famous truffles and olives are grown. And — what a great coincidence — it is peak season for truffles! In Istria grow both, black and white truffles. Black can be harvested year-round, but white ones are only available at this time of the year. They cannot be cultivated — contrary to the black ones — and any truffle bigger than 100 grams is called a “joker”. The truffle farm visited on the famtrip in October, had just succeeded to hunt one of these — value around 700 Euros!

And yes, you hunt them and this is done by cute dogs which are trained to love truffles and snuff them when they are ready, as it is only then they release the typical scent. As the dogs are fast — both in running and in digging — it seems like a good training to hunt truffles. The hunter must run as fast as the dog, as otherwise the truffle ends up in the doggies belly.
Of course, you may taste the truffles — there are family owned truffle farms which are very efficient and smart in running their business. You find modern venues with a view over the mountains, a nice shop where you can indulge in picking up truffles in different home-made preparations, like truffles in olive oil or truffle butter — to be used over fresh potatoes, with a steak or in scrambled eggs. Have you ever enjoyed fresh black truffles with scrambled eggs? It is to die for — damn good….
Please check the family Karlic farm www.karlictartufi.hr for great options for incentive groups including truffle hunting, truffle tasting and truffle shopping!

During the famtrip, the group also visited the International truffle fair at Livade Zigante, including a Zigante wine & olive oil tasting and tasting of the famous pasta with fresh white truffles. For more information see www.sajamtartufa.com/zigante-truffle-days/