Maneštra and boškarin: Istria's farms open in November

Eight family farms in Istria cook for guests on four weekends in November: 7 and 8, 14 and 15, 21 and 22, and 28 and 29 November 2026. Dani otvorenih vrata agroturizama Istre, DOVAI for short, are the open days of Istria's agritourism farms, and the food is home cooking made from their own produce. The 16th edition is organised by AZRRI, the Istrian rural development agency (dovai.eu), and the Istria tourist board lists the dates in its events calendar (Istra.hr).

Menu, times and booking

The promotional menu costs 30 euros at every farm. It includes an aperitif, a starter, a main course, a side, a salad and a dessert. Meals are served at set times: Saturdays at 14:00, Sundays at 13:00 and 16:00. Giovanna Allegra in Šumber is the exception and cooks on Sundays only.

Seats are booked with the farms themselves, by phone. The numbers are on each farm's page at dovai.eu. Children aged 2 to 18 must be booked too. Every visit includes a tour of the farm, and several farms offer tastings and sell wine, olive oil, jam and produce from neighbouring smallholdings.

The 2026 edition adds a photo workshop: on Saturday 14 November the Sia farm near Vodnjan shows guests how to photograph dishes and village details with a phone (dovai.eu, Sia). You sign up when you book. For children the organiser is planning a treasure hunt called "Grandma Marija's lost recipe".

The eight farms and their main courses

Most ingredients come from the farms themselves. The Cetina family in Guran keeps Istrian sheep and makes award-winning sheep's cheese from their milk. Buršić in Vodnjan produces pršut, pancetta, sausages and ombolo. The Radićanin family in Sveti Martin raises goats, sheep, rabbits and horses. Štefanić sits in the Kaldir valley near Motovun, where the farm says 60 percent of Istria's fruit is grown, and fruit turns up in its savoury dishes too.

What it means for visitors

• Pick by region: In the south, Sia and Buršić are near Vodnjan, close to Pula and Fažana. In central Istria, Ondina cooks in Bričanci near Svetvinčenat. In the Mirna valley you find Štefanić near Motovun and Montižel near Grožnjan. In the Labin area, Cerovac, Giovanna Allegra and Pineta are around Nedešćina.
• Call early: There is no central booking; each farm keeps its own list. If you want a particular weekend, phone as soon as your travel dates are fixed.
• With a dog: Only Buršić allows pets, and only on the terrace. The other seven farms do not admit animals.
• Plan a driver: The farms are in hinterland villages. Every menu starts with a home-made aperitif, and Montižel, Štefanić and Ondina make their own wine. If you drink, arrange a driver or a taxi.
• Combine weekends: Buzet holds its truffle festival on 7 and 8 November. 11 November is Martinje, the day of the young wine. On 21 and 22 November Vodnjan hosts its Young Olive Oil Days, on the same weekend that Sia and Buršić cook there.