Free tour of Motovun on 18 January 2026 at noon: costumed guiding, wall walkways and a story of the Venetian past
The Motovun Municipality Tourist Board has announced a free tour of Motovun on Sunday, 18 January 2026, starting at 12:00, intended for local residents as well as all visitors who want to get to know the historic old-town core of this Istrian town with expert guidance. According to the organizer’s announcement, the tour is part of the national project “Get to Know Your Country”, in which free guided tours are held at noon on the same day in numerous places across Croatia.
Motovun, even in winter when the crowds recede, remains a town best “read” on foot: through stone alleys and squares, under arches and along ramparts, in encounters with history that does not hide behind a museum display case but is inscribed in the ground plan and the panorama. That is precisely why the announced tour is conceived as an interpretive walk that takes visitors through the most recognizable points of the old town and opens questions about the periods that shaped Motovun, from its medieval beginnings to the time of Venetian rule and later changes.
For those planning a weekend trip, Motovun is also a practical starting point for exploring central Istria, and visitors who wish to stay overnight in the town or nearby are generally advised by organizers and hosts to plan in good time, especially during event and festival dates:
[accommodation offers in Motovun].
Costumed guiding with a “Venetian captain”: who is Sebastian Venier and why his character is being brought to life
The central interpretive element of this year’s free tour is costumed guiding in which visitors join a walk with the Venetian captain Sebastian Venier, portrayed by the tour guide Mate Mekiš. The organizers say that, through such a format, questions from Motovun’s past will be addressed, including the one posed in the announcement as an invitation: who was Sebastian Venier and in what way did he “earn” Motovun such that his character is being revived today.
It is important here to distinguish between two levels of the story that often overlap in public. The name of Sebastian (Sebastiano) Venier in European history is best known because of the Venetian doge and admiral from the 16th century, associated with the period of major conflicts in the Mediterranean. However, the announcement of the Motovun tour places the emphasis on Venier as a “Venetian captain” in a local context, and details about his role in relation to Motovun are presented as part of the walk’s content and expert interpretation on site.
This approach, in which a historical figure is introduced as a narrative guide, has been used increasingly often in heritage interpretation in recent years: visitors do not receive only a list of dates and buildings, but a story that connects places, decisions and the everyday life of a given time. In Motovun, this model has already been applied through interpretive walks which, according to earlier announcements by the Tourist Board, opened visitors’ view of the Venetian period and its influence on the town’s present-day appearance.
If you plan to come from another part of Croatia or stay longer than a one-day trip, it is worth considering arrival and overnight logistics, especially as the gathering is planned by the entrance to the old-town core:
[accommodation near the meeting point in Motovun].
Project “Get to Know Your Country”: why tours are held on the same day and at the same time
The free tour of Motovun is organized as part of the project “Get to Know Your Country”, launched by the Association of Tourist Guide Societies of Croatia. According to official statements, the project has developed into a tradition of marking the Day of International Recognition of the Republic of Croatia, observed on 15 January, and free tours and programs are held on 18 January 2026 starting at 12:00.
The idea is simple but effective: at the same time, in a range of cities and towns, guides lead citizens and visitors through their own streets and monuments, creating a symbolic “hour of Croatian heritage”. This emphasizes the role of professional tourist guiding in the interpretation of cultural heritage, strengthens awareness of the value of local identities, and also opens space for discussion about the challenges of the tourist guide profession and sustainable tourism, which is stated in the releases as one of the project’s goals.
Motovun, according to the Motovun Municipality Tourist Board, regularly takes part in the project at the national level, with an emphasis on educating citizens about the “treasures hidden in our towns” and on supporting professional guides who are, as the organizers stress, key ambassadors of culture and tradition.
In practice, this means that free tours are not conceived only as a tourist product, but also as a social event. Local residents get the opportunity to view their own place from a different perspective, and visitors to experience the destination through a guide who knows the context and can convey it clearly, without simplification and mythologizing.
What the tour includes: the old-town core, squares, alleys and the Motovun walls
According to the announcement by the Motovun Municipality Tourist Board, the tour includes a walk through the picturesque alleys and squares of the old town, as well as a visit to the Motovun walls, described in the announcement as the best-preserved fortification system in Istria. The walls are precisely one of the elements for which Motovun is recognizable: not only as a visual frame of the panorama, but also as a “stone chronicle” that shows how towns on strategic hilltops defended themselves, expanded and adapted through the centuries.
According to tourist descriptions of Istrian destinations, the earliest preserved Motovun walls date back to the 11th and 12th centuries, and the fortifications were over time expanded, strengthened and adapted to new circumstances. In later periods, especially in the era when Motovun was under strong influence of Venice, the ramparts were reinforced and the town’s defense gained new elements.
What makes the Motovun walls especially attractive to visitors is the experience of space: from the ramparts, views open toward the Mirna valley and the rolling hills of central Istria, and a walk along the stone edges of the town often becomes the moment when history is most easily “felt” – because one can see why the town arose precisely there and how it controlled the surrounding area.
For visitors who want to combine a walk with a longer stay in the area, Motovun is also a good choice as a base for exploring Istria in the quieter part of the year:
[accommodation for visitors to Motovun and the surrounding area].
Meeting point and practical information: where the walk starts and how parking is handled
The organizers state that the tour is in Croatian and free for all participants. The meeting point is set by the upper cemetery in Motovun, right at the entrance to the old-town core, next to the movable bollard. It is also highlighted that free parking is provided for visitors in the immediate vicinity of the meeting point, which is important information given the traffic regime and restrictions in the old core.
For those visiting Motovun for the first time, it is worth remembering that the town is situated on a hill, so the walk includes an ascent and movement along stone streets. Comfortable footwear is recommended, especially in the winter months when mornings are colder and certain parts of the old town can be damp. At the same time, the noon time slot is often the most pleasant for sightseeing, because the light is best and temperatures are more stable than early in the morning or toward evening.
Motovun and the Venetian heritage: why this layer of history is at the center of interpretation
In Motovun interpretive walks, the Venetian period is often in focus because, according to the Tourist Board, the Republic of Venice had the greatest influence on the development and present-day appearance of Motovun, and ruled Motovun from 1271 to 1797. This fact is not merely a historical note: it explains why in Motovun’s urbanism, symbols and defensive structures one recognizes patterns typical of the Venetian space of the northern Adriatic.
Understanding that layer also helps in reading everyday details – from the position of town gates and wall rings, through the organization of space, to the way local communities fit into a broader system of power, trade and administration. In the tour that includes a “Venetian captain”, this layer of history is not presented as abstract geopolitics, but as a series of decisions that affected how the town was built, defended and represented.
At the same time, the project “Get to Know Your Country” reminds that heritage is not only a backdrop for photographs, but also part of the community’s identity. That is precisely why the organizers in their releases emphasize national identity, cultural heritage and the importance of tourism professionals for Croatia’s international reputation. In that sense, the free walk through Motovun is not only a “tourist offer”, but also a public invitation to citizens to become active participants in preserving and understanding their own environment.
The role of tourist guides: expertise, interpretation and “ambassadors” of the destination
One of the key emphases of the project “Get to Know Your Country” is the visibility and valorization of the tourist guide profession. According to the goals stated by the organizers and the institutions supporting the project, professional guides are not only an “escort” for a group, but mediators between heritage and visitors: they interpret complex historical processes in understandable language, verify facts, direct attention to details that a visitor can easily miss on their own, and ensure that stories about a place are conveyed responsibly.
In Motovun, this aspect is further emphasized through costumed guiding, because the guide conveys content not only through information but also through performance. Such a format can be especially attractive to families and visitors who want to experience heritage “live”, without giving up expertise. At the same time, interpretation through a character allows complex topics, such as the relationship between the local community and Venetian administration, to be brought closer through a concrete perspective and narrative.
In the winter part of the year, when Istria seeks a balance between local life and tourism, such programs also have a broader effect: they encourage outings, enliven public space and remind that a destination is not valuable only at the peak of the season. In that context, Motovun gains additional visibility, and visitors often combine sightseeing with gastronomy and a short break in the area:
[accommodation for a weekend in Motovun].
What is currently known, and what will be learned on site
The announcement by the Motovun Municipality Tourist Board specifies the key elements of the event: date and time (Sunday, 18 January 2026 at 12:00), format (free professional costumed guided tour), language (Croatian), meeting point (by the upper cemetery, next to the movable bollard) and information about free parking nearby. It is also stated that the tour includes a visit to the old-town core and the Motovun walls.
On the other hand, questions about the historical figure of Sebastian Venier, as well as the explanation “in what way he earned Motovun”, are presented as part of the content of the interpretive walk itself. This means that visitors will get the answers through expert guiding and narrative, with the possibility of additional questions on site. Precisely that element – that the town’s history is not reduced to a single release, but opens up as a conversation – is often what makes such programs valuable also for local residents who think they “already know everything”.
Motovun is, in this regard, a destination best experienced without haste, and winter dates often provide exactly that opportunity: a slower rhythm, more time for conversation with the guide and a calmer walk through a town accustomed to thousands of visitors, but just as well discovered when it is quieter.
Sources:- Motovun Municipality Tourist Board – announcement of the free tour of Motovun on 18 January 2026 at 12:00 ( link )
- Croatian National Tourist Board – release about the project “Get to Know Your Country” and the time of free tours on 18 January 2026 at 12:00 ( link )
- Istra.hr (official tourism portal) – information about the Motovun town walls and the development of fortifications ( link )
- Motovun Municipality Tourist Board – earlier announcement of an interpretive walk with data on Venetian rule over Motovun (1271–1797) and an emphasis on the fortification system ( link )
- Treccani (Enciclopedia Italiana) – biographical data on the historical person Sebastiano Venier (Doge of Venice 1577–1578) as broader context for the name used in interpretation ( link )
Find accommodation nearby
Creation time: 2 hours ago