About us
Bolara 60 – Bolara Šešanta in local dialect – is a c. 250-year-old stone farmhouse nestled in inland Istria, in the northwest corner of Croatia.
We came across this beautiful building and stunning location while visiting Istria in 2012. The original house and walled vegetable garden had been abandoned for 30 years and fallen into ruin, but its natural beauty remained, and we absolutely fell in love with it.
Set in a peaceful, rural location surrounded by gentle rolling hills, vineyards, olive groves and forests, nature lovers will find it the epitome of rustic escapism. Just a few other houses dot the nearby landscape, and only a couple, our friendly and knowledgeable farming neighbours, are in view.
Bolara 60 is not your average holiday villa. It is a destination for anyone looking for an idyllic, nature-lover’s paradise, where guests mingle and great food is celebrated. Within easy reach, you will find remarkable medieval hilltop villages, numerous walking and cycling routes, and restaurants serving local specialities; and only 20 minutes away is the Adriatic coast with its crystal-clear water, secluded coves, Venetian towns and fresh seafood.
Getting here is simple! Simply click here to view a helpful map and discover nearby airports, along with some valuable travel tips to ensure a smooth and easy journey.
Meet your hosts
Anna
Anna, known to many as the Culinary Anthropologist, is a cook, writer and anthropologist with a profound love for food in all its forms. Originally from the UK, she spent several years in San Francisco, where she trained as a chef and gained invaluable experience at Alice Waters’ iconic restaurant, Chez Panisse, in Berkeley.
Anna not only enjoys growing, preserving and cooking delicious food, but she is also endlessly curious about how food connects to history, politics, culture and everyday social life around the world. She holds both an MA and a PhD in the anthropology of food from SOAS, University of London, where she is now a research associate. Her doctoral research examined how “local specialties” are understood and created in Istria, where what is “local” and “special” is not so straightforward. She is co-editor of the book Food Beyond Terroir.
Matt
Matt plays a vital role in keeping the farm productive. He maintains the buildings and machinery while also taste-testing many of Anna’s culinary creations. If there’s a problem, he’s usually already fixed it or is busy coming up with a clever solution. With a genuine passion for the land, Matt has fully embraced farm life. Whether he’s dealing with endless bureaucracy (which truly tests his patience), cutting firewood like a pro, repairing broken items, or perfecting his latest batch of home-cured charcuterie, he’s rarely idle.
By day, Matt works as a computational linguist and academic. He speaks Croatian, German, French and Italian, as well as his native English. When he’s not managing rural life, he’s likely mixing a delicious cocktail for our team and guests.
Our team
Every season we are joined by several more team members. Without these wonderful people Bolara 60 would not be what it is. They work really hard to make our guests feel right at home, keep the house beautiful, nurture the vegetable garden and transform its produce into delicious meals, preserves and drinks. Over the years they have come from near and far – including the UK, USA, Croatia, Canada, Ireland, Denmark and New Zealand – sometimes returning year after year, to be a part of Bolara life and gain valuable skills and experience. For employment opportunities at Bolara 60 see here.
What our guests say about us
Our ethos
A place made for food lovers
At Bolara 60, our love of food is at the heart of everything we do. We’ve created spaces for growing, cooking and gathering, starting with a walled vegetable garden for our own seasonal produce, happy chickens for fresh eggs, and both indoor and outdoor kitchens for hands-on cookery throughout the year.
There are also plenty of welcoming corners to sink into, share a meal and soak in the beauty of our surroundings.
Rooted in nature
Being surrounded by such natural beauty makes us all the more committed to caring for the environment. We do our best to keep our energy use and footprint as light as possible.
The house is heated and supplied with hot water through a combination of solar power and a high-efficiency wood-burner. We collect rainwater from the roofs in underground tanks to help nourish the vegetable garden. Our cleaning products are eco-friendly (many homemade), and our laundry dries naturally in the breeze rather than using an energy-guzzling dryer. We operate a policy of "reduce, reuse, repair, recycle", prioritised in that order, so you won't find straws or other single-use plastics here.
Staying cool, naturally
During the hot summer months, the guesthouse stays cool enough without the need for air-conditioning. Thick stone walls insulate against the heat, while wooden shutters keep the sun out. In the evenings, we open up the windows to let the breeze flow through—simple, quiet and effective. All bedrooms are also equipped with fans.
Outside, we breakfast in dappled sun under the grape and kiwi vines sprawling over the main terrace, seek the deep shade of the roofed summer kitchen and Kućica terraces when it's really hot, and enjoy early evening drinks under the large walnut tree, watching the sun go down.
Cosy winters
Like many old farmhouses, Bolara 60 can feel a little crisp in the colder months, but we’ve made sure there’s plenty of warmth and comfort in the pension.
Bedrooms are fitted with cast-iron radiators—and in some, their own wood-burning stoves. A spectacular open fireplace keeps the main living area snug, where we gather for pre-dinner drinks, play board games or simply hunker down on wet days. You’ll also find cosy touches throughout the inn, from soft blankets to traditional copper bed warmers for that old-fashioned winter glow.
More than just an address
We chose the name Bolara 60 - the property's address - because this place is woven into the fabric of local life, not a separate holiday retreat like so many tourist villas. The hillside once hosted over 60 homes, but many were left empty as families moved away over the decades.
Today, we’re proud to revive the land with a flourishing vegetable garden, fruit trees, free-ranging chickens and our own nearby olive grove, while caring for surrounding woods and meadows. Our food scraps feed the compost and also the hens, whose mucked-out hay returns more nutrients to the land, along with manure from a nearby farm and our homemade comfrey fertiliser. As the soil has improved we've watched our crops thrive.
Part of local life
Though the forest around us feels wild and free, we’re committed to being part of inland Istria’s community. We’ve forged connections with neighbours, local farmers, food and wine producers and chefs—supporting their work, building friendships and enjoying their exceptional products.
We love encouraging our guests to explore these local treasures, sharing insider tips on where to shop, eat and meet the people behind the produce. Our village, Bolara, is at the heart of what we do, and we’re always happy to help out neighbours, whether it’s with the grape harvest or olive picking. Guests at our bed and breakfast are welcome to join in and experience the rhythms of village life.
Renovating Bolara Šešanta
Our vision
Originally a humble working farm, Bolara 60 had been left vacant for decades, with nature slowly reclaiming the house and grounds. Bringing it back to life was a monumental challenge, but our whole-hearted intention was simple: to create a home that could also be a warm, vibrant destination to share with fellow food lovers. Those who, like us, find joy in discovering, preparing, and savouring good food while also learning about the stories and people behind it.
A thoughtful restoration
We approached the restoration of Bolara 60 with care, aiming to honour the traditional style of local buildings and the surrounding landscape. Wherever possible, we used natural and reclaimed materials: old oak beams, roof tiles, doors and shutters from the original house, traditional lime plaster, and limestone quarried from our own garden.
We were fortunate to work with some of Istria’s most skilled craftsmen—stonemasons, carpenters, and ironworkers—all led by the talented Branko Orbanić of Kapitel.
Each space in the Kuća (main guesthouse) and adjoining Kućica (little house) has been finished with characterful vintage touches: cast iron baths, wood-burning stoves, butler sinks and enamel lampshades, sourced from Croatia, nearby Slovenia and the UK.
Bolara 60 today
Take a virtual tour of Bolara 60 today! You can navigate through each floor and room of the house, as well as explore our grounds and check out attractions in the area.
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