Truffle Day in Istria — Festival in Livade and Motovun 2026

From October 3 to November 1, every weekend in Livade, the Zigante Truffle Days take place — the largest truffle festival in Istria. Admission is free, and it is open from ten in the morning to seven in the evening.

This is the place where, in 1999, a white truffle weighing 1.31 kg was found — it made it into the Guinness World Records, and Livade became the world capital of truffles.

How the day goes
We leave in the morning from Koper or Škofije; the drive through inner Istria takes about an hour. At the festival there are tastings, a fair of truffles and truffle products, an exhibition of Istrian wines, and a demonstration of truffle-hunting dogs at work.

After the festival, we have lunch in a konoba, where truffles are shaved over homemade fuži pasta right in front of you. On the way back, we drive through Motovun — a medieval town on a hill above the Motovun Forest. By evening, there is the light that people come here to photograph.

Why you can’t get here without a car
Buses in inner Istria hardly run, and Livade is a village of 200 people. It is 50 km from Koper and 57 km from Trieste. On your own, it would be a whole day of transfers, if it works out at all.

What’s included
Transport from your accommodation and back, accompaniment all day, entrance to the festival (it is free), help with choosing and translation. Lunch and purchases at the fair are at your own expense: there you choose for yourself.

What to bring
Cash in euros — not everyone at the fair accepts cards. Comfortable shoes: Motovun stands on a hill, and the last two hundred meters are on foot only. In October, Istria is cooler than the coast — a jacket will come in handy.