L'Ortolano in Brtonigla brings a fair of authentic flavours, local products and sustainable gastronomy
On Sunday, 3 May 2026, Brtonigla will host the fair of authentic flavours “L'Ortolano – garden of the future”, an event that from 10:00 to 20:00 brings together local producers, craftspeople, restaurateurs, educators and visitors around a shared idea: that the value of a region is best recognised through the land, work, knowledge and products that arise from the immediate surroundings. According to the announcement by the Municipality of Brtonigla-Verteneglio, the event is conceived as a combination of a market, themed spring menus, workshops, lectures and socialising, with an emphasis on local food, sustainability, wild plants, gardening, healthy nutrition and products with a clear sense of place. For those planning to come and stay longer in the town, it is useful to check in advance
accommodation offers in Brtonigla, especially because of the all-day programme that starts already in the morning hours.
An event grown from a story about the land and local identity
L'Ortolano is not presented only as a one-day fair, but as a continuation of Brtonigla’s broader destination story. The official descriptions of the project point out that Brtonigla, once associated with the name Ortonegro, or “black garden”, has for centuries been shaped by agriculture and a harmonious relationship between people and nature. The distinctiveness of this area is often explained by the fact that four types of soil meet on the hills of northwestern Istria: black, red, white and grey earth. It is precisely this diversity of soil that is used in the public presentation of L'Ortolano as a starting point for understanding local wines, olive oils, vegetables, fruit and other products that bear the imprint of the climate and landscape. In that sense, the event is not reduced only to tasting, but tries to show how, from the land, through knowledge and work, a product is created that can have economic, tourist and cultural value.
According to information from the Tourist Board and the destination pages Colours of Istria, L'Ortolano is conceived as a shared brand that connects local producers, restaurateurs and the wider tourist offer. The aim is to make it easier to place local products on the market, to help restaurateurs obtain fresh ingredients from the immediate surroundings, and to offer guests and visitors a more authentic experience of local tradition. This concept often emphasises the principle “From our hands, from our land”, which connects the work of producers, the recognisability of products and the story of sustainable destination development. Such an approach is also important for small communities that build their visibility not through mass appeal, but through quality, recognisable content and the involvement of the local community.
Market, exhibitors and spring menus
The central part of the fair will be a market with a varied selection of products. According to the organisers’ announcement, visitors will be able to find herbal teas, jams and other spreads, strawberries, freshly squeezed juices, coffee, organic cosmetics, flowers and plants, cured meat products, olive oil, honey, reishi, maitake and shiitake mushrooms, hemp products, hot sauces, handmade vases, craft beer, wines, ice cream and other products. Such a selection shows that the event does not rely only on a classic gastronomic offer, but also on a broader concept of life close to nature, handcraft, local production, healthy nutrition and small producer niches that are increasingly becoming an important part of the identity of tourist destinations.
As part of the event, restaurateurs will prepare themed spring menus. This connects the local market with hospitality, and the product does not remain only on the stall, but also receives a culinary interpretation. This is precisely one of the important ideas of L'Ortolano: producers, craftspeople and restaurateurs appear as part of the same value chain, and visitors can see how a local ingredient is transformed into a dish, a souvenir, educational content or an experience. Such a model is especially important for places that want to profile themselves as destinations of sustainable tourism, because it reduces the distance between the place of production and the place of consumption and strengthens the recognisability of the local offer. Because of the all-day character of the fair and the programme that includes morning, daytime and afternoon activities, visitors coming from outside the town may find it practical to look for
accommodation near the event venue in Brtonigla.
Morning programme: yoga, brunch and a slow discovery of nature
The programme of workshops and lectures begins before the official opening of the fair section, already at 9:00. One of the morning activities is “Morning Yoga + Brunch”, conceived as a gentle awakening of the body through movement and breath under the guidance of YoShi studio. After yoga, there is a lecture and a shared brunch with simple, healthy combinations of ingredients, with Maja Brekalo, a healthy nutrition ambassador known through the project Delicious and Healthy by Maya. The departure is planned from Brtonigla, from the Primizia car park, and the programme lasts two hours. According to the published information, the participation fee is 25 euros, the programme is intended for ages 12+, capacity is limited to 30 people, and yoga, brunch education and tasting are included.
At the same time, at 9:00, the programme “Goran Blažević 4 km/h” also begins, led by traveller and slow travel promoter Goran Blažević. The concept of a walk through the Škarline Nature Park is based on a slower rhythm of movement and observation of space, so nature is not experienced as scenery, but as content. Accompanied by Leonora Surian Popov, known as Vilin Lončić, participants create their own herbarium. The programme lasts three hours, is intended for ages 12+, has a capacity of 50 people, costs 20 euros, and includes a walk, a herbarium and an L'Ortolano lunch. This part of the programme is important because L'Ortolano presents nature not only through products on stalls, but also through a direct experience of the landscape, plants and paths that shape the space of Brtonigla.
Workshops for children and families
Workshops for children and families have a special place in the programme. At 9:30, “Herbarium walk with Aunt Zvjezdana” begins, a programme in which the youngest participants will get to know wild plants in nature, learn to recognise them and make their own small herbarium. The workshop is intended for children aged six and older, capacity is 15 people, duration is an hour and a half, and the price is 10 euros. A walk, their own herbarium, L'Ortolano lunch and elderflower juice are included. In this way, the educational part of the programme is brought closer to children through play, exploration and practical work, which is especially important at a time when the need for earlier familiarisation with nature, seasonal food and biodiversity is increasingly emphasised.
At 12:00, the workshop “My Paper”, led by Ana Cvitić, takes place. Participants will learn how paper was once made by hand and, through practical work, go through the entire process of making their own sheets. At the end of the workshop, they receive a seed card that they can take home. The programme is open to children from the age of six and adults, lasts one hour, has a capacity of 30 people, and the price is 10 euros. At 14:00, the workshop “Bug Hotel” follows, led by teachers from the Kalimero-Calimero Brtonigla Kindergarten. Through play, children get to know the world of insects, their role in nature and make a hotel for insects. The workshop is intended for ages 4+, lasts an hour and a half, has a capacity of 20 people, and the participation fee is 10 euros. For families planning to spend a larger part of the day at the programme, it is practical to consider
accommodation for visitors to L'Ortolano in Brtonigla.
Lectures on the microbiome, seeds and a healthier relationship with food
The educational part of the programme opens at 12:00 with the lecture “Microbiome”, led by master of nutrition Sandra Zugan. The lecture is dedicated to the role of the microbiome in the body, the differences between microbiota, probiotics and prebiotics, and foods that can support balance in the organism. The organisers state that the lecture is free, intended for adults, lasts 45 minutes and accepts up to 30 participants. Such content fits into the broader theme of the event because it connects local and seasonal food with the question of health, eating habits and understanding what is on the plate.
At 13:00, the lecture “Community Seed Bank” is held, led by Izabela Novaković, an agroecologist and oenologist. Participants will learn about the importance of preserving biodiversity and native varieties, as well as the role of seeds in the relationship between people, soil and food. A seed exchange is also planned as part of the meeting. The lecture is free, intended for adults, lasts 30 minutes and is limited to 30 people. The topic of seeds is especially important in the context of sustainable agriculture because it opens the question of the long-term resilience of local production, crop diversity and the preservation of knowledge that is often passed down from generation to generation.
Gardening, natural cosmetics and a spring reset
At 13:00, the workshop “The Gardener”, led by Kornelija Benyovsky Šoštarić, also begins. Through practical work, participants will get to know different types of Istrian soil and learn how to adapt them to growing vegetables and herbs. The programme includes concrete examples of planting, combining plants and avoiding common mistakes in the garden, and ends with joint planting. The workshop is intended for people older than 15, lasts an hour and a half, has a capacity of 50 people, costs 25 euros, and includes the workshop, one’s own pot with herbs and an L'Ortolano lunch. In the context of Brtonigla, where the identity of the event is strongly linked to four types of soil, this workshop directly connects theory, practice and the local landscape.
The afternoon programme continues at 15:00 with the lecture “Ayurveda in spring: reset of mind and body”, led by holistic therapist Ana Benčić. Participants will get to know simple Ayurvedic principles that, according to the programme announcement, can support digestion, restore energy and bring more ease into everyday life. The lecture is free, intended for adults, lasts 45 minutes and has a capacity of 30 people. At 16:00, an organic cosmetics workshop is held with Helena Brana from HERBA phytoaromatherapy. A calendula hand cream and a lavender balm will be made from natural ingredients and local olive oil, along with an introduction to the basics of natural care and the medicinal plants of Ćićarija. The workshop lasts an hour and a half, is intended for adults, has a capacity of 12 people, costs 25 euros, and participants receive the cream, balm and L'Ortolano lunch they have made.
Istrian vegan cuisine and the broader concept of local gastronomy
The lecture programme ends at 17:30 with the promotion of the book “Veganistra”, at which author Sanja Bilas presents Istrian vegan cuisine and her experience of working as a vegan chef in Istria. According to the published programme, the promotion is free, intended for adults, lasts 30 minutes and accepts up to 30 participants. The inclusion of this topic shows that the event does not view local gastronomy exclusively through traditional patterns, but also opens it towards contemporary dietary practices. A vegan interpretation of Istrian ingredients can be important for expanding the audience, but also for further reflection on seasonal vegetables, olive oil, aromatic herbs and other ingredients that naturally fit into the Mediterranean dietary framework.
In this way, L'Ortolano presents itself as an event that simultaneously preserves and reshapes gastronomic heritage. On the one hand, it relies on local soil, producers, oils, wines, honey, plants and gardens; on the other hand, it includes topics such as the microbiome, the community seed bank, organic cosmetics, Ayurveda, vegan cuisine and slow travel. Such a combination of the traditional and the contemporary can be attractive to a wider audience because it does not offer only nostalgia for past times, but also answers to current questions: how to produce locally, how to eat seasonally, how to reduce the distance between producers and consumers, and how to make tourism more connected with the space in which it takes place.
Brtonigla as the stage for a sustainable destination story
According to official destination information, the L'Ortolano project was created with the aim of connecting local producers and restaurateurs, better placement of local products and strengthening the recognisability of Brtonigla as a place where tradition, gastronomy and tourism are closely intertwined. This concept also mentions marking products with a visual identity and a “km 0” label, in order to further highlight the local character of the offer. For small producers, such a joint appearance can be important because an individual product receives a stronger framework, and visitors receive a clearer message about the origin, freshness and identity of what they buy or taste.
The fair of authentic flavours therefore has a broader meaning than a one-day event. It is a continuation of the development of a destination that is trying to present itself through sustainability, local production and community involvement. In practice, this means that the value of Brtonigla is not sought only in a beautiful landscape or individual attractions, but in the network of people who cultivate the land, produce food, prepare dishes, pass on knowledge and create content for different generations. It is precisely this connection of producers, craftspeople, restaurateurs, children, educators and visitors that makes L'Ortolano a platform that tries to position Brtonigla as a place of authentic experience. Visitors who wish to stay after the end of the programme or explore the surroundings can look in time for
accommodation in Brtonigla and the surrounding area.
Registration and practical information
Workshops and lectures have limited capacities, and participation fees are planned for part of the programme. The morning programmes begin at 9:00, the fair section has been announced from 10:00 to 20:00, and part of the workshops and lectures is scheduled from the forenoon to late afternoon. According to the published programme, individual activities include an L'Ortolano lunch, tastings or crafted items that participants take with them. Since the programmes differ by the age of participants, duration, price and capacity, it is recommended to check the details before registering, especially for workshops intended for children and programmes with a smaller number of places.
The organisers have published an online form for registrations, and the contact of the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Brtonigla is listed in the official information about the event. Thus, on 3 May 2026, L'Ortolano will turn Brtonigla into an all-day meeting place of local flavours, sustainable ideas and practical knowledge. At a time when tourist and gastronomic events are increasingly expected to offer content with identity, this kind of programme shows how a small community can connect its own past, agricultural present and development vision based on the land, people and products created from the immediate surroundings.
Sources:- Municipality of Brtonigla-Verteneglio – official announcement of the “L'Ortolano” fair with the programme of workshops, lectures, times, prices and capacities (link)- Tourist Board of Istria County / Istra.hr – event calendar for L'Ortolano, location, date and description of the event (link)- Colours of Istria – description of the L'Ortolano project, goals of connecting producers and restaurateurs, and the concept of local products and sustainable development (link)- EuroStar Umag – announcement of activities within the L'Ortolano project and highlighting of the central event at the beginning of May (link)- Naša Bujština – local announcement of the L'Ortolano fair in Brtonigla and an overview of basic information about the event (link)
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