Truffle Hunt | Cheese Trail

This full-day gastronomic experience takes you through the landscapes of Istria, Croatia, for a deeper look at two of the region’s best-known food traditions: truffles and cheese. The day begins with pick-up from your accommodation, followed by a drive into central Istria for a visit with a truffle-hunting family near the Motovun forest. After a welcome drink, you head into the woods for an interactive truffle hunt with specially trained dogs. The experience continues with a three-course brunch centered on truffles, accompanied by a short introduction to truffle hunting and the products connected to it. From there, the journey continues to a free-range goat farm, where you learn about cheese production and goat herding, meet the animals, and sample seasonal organic cheeses. Lasting around 7.5 hours, the day offers a rich introduction to Istria’s culinary heritage through a combination of landscape, local knowledge, and regional food.

This experience involves an authentic and immersive approach to Istria’s truffle-hunting and cheese-making traditions – you engage directly with the people and practices behind them. Guided by local experts, the truffle hunt gives you first-hand experience of finding these elusive delicacies in the forests of central Istria, while the brunch places those flavors in a culinary context. Before departing, you visit the family’s shop, where a wide assortment of truffle-based products extends the story of the ingredient beyond the hunt. The visit to the goat farm adds a second dimension to the day, highlighting organic production, free-range farming, and the care behind Istria’s renowned cheeses. It brings in the principles of slow food, grounding the tasting in a broader understanding of how the animals are raised and how the cheese is made. Together, these encounters combine hands-on activity, generous tastings and educational insight, creating a day that is informative and flavorful.

You’ll be guided by an experienced local expert with deep knowledge of both truffle hunting and the region’s rich history. At the cheese farm, you’ll be welcomed by a member of the family with firsthand expertise in traditional cheesemaking. Together, their passion and insight bring Istria’s culinary heritage vividly to life.

Comfortable hiking shoes, a camera, a water bottle, and an appetite for discovery.