Motovun in the sign of asparagus and Malvasia: a month of top Istrian flavours
This spring, Motovun is further strengthening its status as one of the most recognisable Istrian eno-gastro destinations. From 3 April to 3 May 2026, the first edition of the event
“Month of Asparagus and Malvasia in Motovun” is being held in this medieval little town, conceived as a month dedicated to two elements for which Istria is especially recognisable in the spring part of the year – wild asparagus and Malvasia. It is an event that combines seasonality, local production, restaurant creativity and the tourist identity of a place that has been attracting visitors for decades precisely because of its blend of landscape, tradition and gastronomy.
For Motovun, such a concept is neither accidental nor only seasonally appropriate according to the calendar. The place has long grown into a symbol of inland Istria, not only because of its visually striking old town core and views of the Mirna Valley, but also because of its strong connection with viticulture, local ingredients and gastronomy based on Istrian terroir. Within that framework, asparagus and Malvasia impose themselves almost naturally: one as a seasonal, springtime and authentic ingredient that marks the Istrian table every year, and the other as a wine that in the regional and national context has become one of the most important hallmarks of the Istrian wine scene. For guests planning to tour the old town core, restaurants and wine points, the
accommodation offers in Motovun also have additional practical value, especially for weekend visits and shorter spring getaways.
Spring menus as the main asset of the event
The central part of the event consists of promotional menus in hospitality venues in the Motovun area. According to the organisers’ announcement, each of them has been shaped with an emphasis on the asparagus season, with a mandatory wine element – a glass of Malvasia from local winemakers. In this way, not only an individual dish or wine label is promoted, but also the idea of pairing food and wine as a complete experience of the area. This is precisely where one of the more important potentials of this event lies: the guest does not come only “for lunch”, but enters a much broader Istrian narrative in which the local ingredient, the glass of wine, the view of the hills and the location itself complement one another.
According to the available information, the event includes
Konoba Fakin,
Konoba Pod voltom,
Restaurant Pod napun,
Restaurant of the Boutique Hotel Kaštel,
Konoba Ressel within
Casa Rossa Motovun and
Tomaz winery. Such a list shows that the aim is not a single, uniform model of offer, but a diverse gastronomic range – from more traditional tavern interpretations to restaurant plates that bring the Istrian base into a more contemporary style. For visitors, this means that within the same event they can choose between more rustic and more refined approaches, without losing the main idea of the event.
The offer of dishes is not reduced to one formula either. Classic spring dishes are announced, such as asparagus frittata, homemade fuži and pljukanci, but also more ambitious interpretations such as ravioli with cheese and asparagus, sea bass fillet with wild asparagus or fresh tagliolini with Istrian prosciutto and Malvasia emulsion. That range shows that the event is also conceived as a kind of presentation of the breadth of Istrian cuisine: it is not reduced only to preserving tradition, but also to its contemporary reading. In practice, this means that someone coming to Motovun for familiar flavours will get what they expect, but also that a visitor inclined toward newer culinary interpretations will get an additional reason to come.
Why asparagus is so important in the Istrian spring
Wild asparagus in Istria is not merely a seasonal trend, but part of the local food culture that year after year has an almost ritual status. The spring months on the Istrian peninsula have long been associated with the harvesting and preparation of asparagus, and it appears on tables in a wide variety of forms – from a simple frittata to pasta, risottos and fish dishes. That is precisely why the event in Motovun also has a strong symbolic dimension: it takes one of the most recognisable spring ingredients of Istria and places it at the centre of the tourist and restaurant story.
The importance of asparagus is not only gastronomic. It also carries the value of locality, seasonality and recognisability, which today are three concepts without which it is difficult to build a serious tourist offer. The visitor is increasingly less often looking only for “a good meal”; they are looking for an experience that has a clear connection with the space in which they are located. Asparagus provides exactly that. It is tied to the landscape, to the season and to the habits of the local population. When it is included in an event such as this one, it is no longer just an ingredient, but also a signal of authenticity. For those planning to stay longer and explore the wider surroundings, the
accommodation options near the event venue may also be useful, especially if they want to combine gastronomy with a tour of the Motovun Forest, wine roads and the surrounding hills.
Motovun also has an additional advantage because spring gastronomy here naturally corresponds with the setting. The view of the Mirna Valley, the proximity of the Motovun Forest, the vineyards and the old stone urbanism create a stage on which the plate and the glass of wine have a much greater effect than in a neutral space. This is also the reason why such events cannot be viewed only as a restaurant campaign with promotional prices. They are also a form of territorial branding, in which every ingredient and every wine label become ambassadors of the place.
Malvasia as the logical partner of Motovun cuisine
If asparagus is the seasonal sign of spring, Malvasia is in this case the logical wine counterweight. In recent decades, Istria has built a large part of its contemporary wine identity precisely through Malvasia, and Motovun and its surroundings have long been recognised as an important wine area. Malvasia is not perceived only as a “safe choice” with lighter dishes, but also as a variety that can carry different styles – from fresher and fruitier to more complex interpretations. That is why the inclusion of local winemakers in this event is not a mere addition to the gastronomic part, but one of its fundamental elements.
For Motovun, this is especially important because the tourist identity of the place is not built only on heritage, but also on wine. The Motovun area is already promoted as a micro-location of strong terroir, with vineyards that give wines a recognisable character. In that sense, the event tells the visitor that Malvasia here is not merely “wine with food”, but an integral part of the local landscape and economic tradition. This is especially significant at a time when enogastronomy is no longer a secondary tourist offer, but one of the main reasons for travel.
At the same time, the broader marketing potential of the event should also be noted. By introducing Malvasia as a common denominator of several hospitality addresses, Motovun gets the opportunity to build a recognisable spring identity similar to the one Istria has already developed through other seasonal and wine-gastronomic programmes. In other words, the event has the capacity to outgrow the local calendar and become an occasion that will be expected year after year, especially among guests who travel deliberately for food and wine.
How much the event costs and who it is intended for
According to the published information, the prices of the promotional menus range from
27 to 46 euros. In today’s conditions, this positions the event in a range that is accessible enough not to be reserved only for a narrower circle of guests, and at the same time serious enough to clearly communicate that it is a complete restaurant experience, and not merely a symbolic tasting. This price range leaves room both for day visitors who want to try one menu and for guests who come to Motovun deliberately, with the intention of visiting several locations over the weekend and comparing the approaches of individual restaurants.
This is precisely where the event can gain additional tourist value. Motovun is otherwise one of the places that attract day-trippers, but such a format encourages a longer stay. When several hospitality venues simultaneously offer special menus, and when it is a period of a full four weeks, the likelihood increases that some visitors will plan a weekend or a short holiday, and not just a short excursion. In that sense, the
accommodation offers for visitors to Motovun are particularly relevant, because eno-gastro weekends in spring are increasingly being chosen as a form of short break without long travel.
It is also important that the event is not addressed exclusively to wine connoisseurs or the most gastronomically informed audience. The concept is clear and broad enough to be attractive to different groups: couples looking for a weekend trip, domestic guests from other parts of Croatia, foreign tourists touring Istria in April and at the beginning of May, but also the local population who know the value of seasonal asparagus and regional wines. In other words, the event has the potential to cross the boundary of a narrowly specialised event and become a spring motive for coming to Motovun.
Motovun as scenery and content, not just a location
In tourist materials and official descriptions, Motovun is regularly presented as one of the symbols of the Istrian interior: a medieval little town on a hill, with a preserved urban core, views of the Mirna Valley and a strong identity linked to wine, nature and gastronomy. That is precisely why such an event has additional strength. It does not try to “invent” a theme that would be foreign to the place, but uses what already exists and turns it into a clearly structured spring event.
This is also important for understanding why Motovun remains attractive outside the peak of the summer season. While a large part of tourist traffic on the Adriatic is still concentrated in the summer months, Istria has for years been building a stronger model of year-round tourism in which the interior of the region, wine, local ingredients, cycling, walks and smaller events play an ever greater role. “Month of Asparagus and Malvasia in Motovun” fits precisely into that pattern. Spring proves to be an ideal period: nature is in full swing, seasonal ingredients are at their peak, and the weather is pleasant enough for staying outdoors and touring the place without summer crowds.
An additional advantage is that the gastronomic motif very easily connects with other contents. Visitors can combine lunch or dinner with a tour of the walls, a walk through the old town core, panoramic views, exploring the wine offer and trips to surrounding villages and wineries. In this way, the event does not remain closed within the restaurant table, but naturally spills over into the broader experience of the destination.
What this event means for the local offer
For local restaurateurs and winemakers, such a project has several levels of importance. The first is immediate – it creates an additional reason for guests to come during a period that is touristically active, but still not burdened by the peak pressure of the season. The second is promotional – participants receive a common framework within which their offer is more easily communicated to the domestic and foreign market. The third is more long-term – if the event takes hold, it can contribute to creating a recognisable spring tradition connected precisely with Motovun.
Such events are especially important today because tourism rests less and less only on the “general attractiveness of the destination”, and more and more on concrete reasons for coming. The traveller wants to know why they should come to a certain place right now, and not at some other time of the year. In this case the answer is clear: because of fresh asparagus, Malvasia, seasonal menus and the experience of Motovun in a spring atmosphere. If the existing reputation of the place as a wine and gourmet address is added to that, an event is obtained that has realistic prospects of lasting and developing.
Motovun has, in short, gained an event that organically builds on its identity. At a time when many destinations struggle for recognisability with programmes that are not always connected with local character, here the approach is significantly different: it starts from what that area truly is. That is why “Month of Asparagus and Malvasia in Motovun” does not seem like a passing promotional campaign, but like a natural continuation of the story that this Istrian place has already been building for years through wine, seasonal ingredients, landscape and the experience of staying on one of the most recognisable hills in Croatia.
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