On the curvy road in search of liquid gold
OPG Valenta
- Trošti bb, Pazin
- Phone: +385 52 688 003
- Phone: +385 91 7233372
- GPS: 45.323759,13.877277
Do you like curvy roads with vertiginous views and beautiful panorama on Butoniga Lake? And want to taste some delicious extra virgin olive oil on your way? Take the road Pazin-Motovun, after Beram follow signs for Zamask and your adventure may start. Steep slopes covered with olive groves and vineyards will take your breath away.
Here in the central Istria you will find indigenous olive variety Črnica which gives a sweet oil with a typical nuts flavor. Our favorite was a monovarietal oil from Ascolana Tenera olives produced by OPG Valenta from Zamask. It is an incredibly fruity and sweet oil perfect for some funky dessert based on dark chocolate. Produced by a young guy who got the gold medal at “Maslina 2010″ competition in Split.
We made just for you a detailed map with this road marked in blue.
Here is the list of olive oil producers around Zamask:
OPG Valenta
Trošti bb, 52000 Pazin
phone +385 52 688 003, +385 91 7233372
OPG Lušić
Lužer 24, Zamaski dol, 52424 Motovun
phone: +385 52 682 128, +385 98 172 94 81
OPG Paoletić
Petehi 16, Zamask, 52000 Pazin
phone +385 52 682 066, +385 99 684 2941
…and a few pictures to see for yourself how beautiful the hills around Butoniga Lake are.
That area is extraordinary. Even most Istrians probably never see it. Last week I was at Beram. Just before the road from Beram reaches the Pazin-Porec road just by the snack bar, there is an inauspicious road going off to the north west. I decided to see where it went, as whilst I’ve a reputation for knowing everywhere in Istria, I’d not been up it before. It eventually takes you to the Cerovlje-Buzet road and thence to Buzet, where I checked out the new hotel up in the old town.
The route from Beram is astonishing. The initial flat single track road across the valley gives no inkling of the amazing twisting and turning road over the hills that follows, from which are the most wonderful views in Istria. I didn’t see another car for several kilometers. The views were breathtaking. Istra Magicka at its best !