App Franci Parenzana

Four apartments along the former Parenzana rail corridor in Istrian hill country, App Franci Parenzana takes its name from the narrow-gauge line that once linked Trieste to Poreč — the converted trackbed now serves as a cycling and hiking trail passing directly below the property.

Grožnjan, the medieval hilltop arts colony 2km uphill, draws painters and musicians each summer; its galleries and jazz workshops are reachable without a car via the trail path. Materada sits lower on the slope, quieter, with valley vineyard views from the terrace.

A 9.4 rating across 59 reviews points to well-maintained self-catering rather than hotel formality. Poreč on the Adriatic coast lies roughly 20km west; Motovun, another walled hilltop town, is 15km east.