Bolara 60 is a destination for those seeking rural tranquility and culinary adventure. We invite guests to soak up the surrounding greenery, explore the hilltop villages, walking routes, wineries and traditional restaurants of inland Istria, and join us for dinner, one of our culinary activities or perhaps in the vegetable garden!
A stay at Bolara 60 includes accommodation in one of our individually furnished rooms in the Kuća (main house), with breakfast served communally each day; or the whole use of the Kućica (small house, attached), which is self-catering. Either way you’ll be able to book in for dinners or culinary activities (subject to availability).
We encourage you to explore Istria, or simply relax and enjoy the abundance of animals, birds, wild flowers, and butterflies (and many other bugs for the entomologists among us) that can be found all around us.
Getting here is easy. Click here for a map and information on nearest airports and travel in the region.
The Kuća (“house” in Croatian) has 3 beautiful guest bedrooms available for bed & breakfast bookings (our 4th room, Nocciole, is usually reserved for staff). The Kuća is alongside the Kućica – click the button below for more information, images and prices.
The Kućica (“small house”) is a self-contained 2-bedroom house with its own kitchen/living area and covered terrace, next to the main house – click the button below for more information, images and prices.
Bolara 60 is available for private group bookings for up to 10 people hiring up to 3 rooms in the main house plus 2 further rooms in the Kućica. Please note for group bookings we must usually make a surcharge, usually 1 night’s accommodation in the Kuća rooms, since we do not have the capacity to turn around all rooms within a day. For such group bookings we may be able to arrange a bespoke schedule of cooking classes and activities according to your preferences (dependent on seasonal availability). Email us to discuss prices and availability for a group booking at anna – at – bolara60 – dot – com.
We have several communal areas at Bolara 60 where guests are welcome to relax and where we hold our cooking classes and dinners.
The large open-plan stone-walled “konoba”- formerly the cow-shed – features a long oak dining table, kitchen and two large traditional fireplaces for grilling, roasting, baking and getting cosy in colder months. The room is dug into the hillside and opens out to a large southwest-facing terrace at the back of the main house with lovely views across the Mirna valley.
In warmer months we also cook in the “ljetna kuhinja” or summer kitchen, the small building alongside the main house. This contains our teaching area, fully equipped kitchen, covered terrace and sizeable larder!
In the open courtyard area between the main building, summer kitchen and vegetable garden you will find a wood-fired pizza oven, charcoal grill and large stone table for communal cooking and dining.
The Kućica has its own indoor kitchen and outdoor grill on its own terrace for guests of the Kućica to use.
Our large walled vegetable garden and a small orchard allow us to grow and harvest produce for our dinners. Guests are very welcome to lend a hand weeding and picking! We also have an olive grove so we can cure our own eating olives, and chickens for daily fresh eggs of superb quality.
Take a look at the cooking classes and dinners we offer.
As well as the meadows and gardens, Bolara 60 has its own small patch of forest that guests are free to explore. The usually dry rocky stream bed down into the valley is particularly pretty, and full of wild asparagus in springtime (once you learn how to recognize it!).
There are also several walks to try directly from Bolara, including a 45 minute walk up through olive groves and forest to the ridiculously pretty medieval “town” of Grožnjan; from there you can also access the Parenzana – a beautiful walking and cycling route which winds its way through the hills, once the Austro-Hungarian railway between Trieste and Poreč.
Our neighbours run a working farm growing olives and grapes to make their own delicious olive oil and wine, both of which you can try, and buy, directly from them. And you may even be able to join in with the grape harvest (September) or olive harvest (late October-November) if timing and weather permit. Like many others here, they also keep dogs for truffle hunting.
Over the coming year or two we hope to build a cold-smoker for smoking meat and fish, and nestle one or two wooden hot-tubs by the edge of the woods for misty wintertime soaking. If Anna’s sister has anything to do with it, there will also be a yoga platform in the forest. In the meantime we have been resuscitating an old abandoned olive grove further up the hill, and hoping for our first oil soon…
“Bolara 60 is a peaceful, beautiful, happy and welcoming home. The rooms are delightful and the food was excellent. Looking forward to trying the winter fare! Matt and Anna are great hosts and seem to love sharing their home. Top star rating!”
Cambridge
“Bolara 60 is a true sanctuary. We had a wonderful and very relaxing week here. The house is set into the hillside surrounded by beautiful countryside, well away from any main roads so there’s just the sounds of the birds for company. It’s dreamy! Anna & Matt are very knowledgeable about the local area and gave us lots of great suggestions for local towns to visit and more importantly local restaurants to try. The food was fab, the area full of history and character. We look forward to returning.”
Ashbourne
“The rooms are elegant and simple. Everything is beautifully thought through, both as to its appearance and purpose, with a strongly independent taste. The house is so well arranged without being precious and fits in perfectly to the landscape. We were there for just three days – but left feeling deeply rested and well fed, and already planning a return.”
London
“Truly outstanding. The hosts have created the perfect setting to enjoy Istria, the house is wonderful, fantastically renovated showcasing the expert craftsmanship of the locals and has a warm, welcoming and relaxing atmosphere. I would say the house is even nicer in reality than the photos suggest. The surrounding area is equally beautiful and locals are delightful. It goes without saying the food is amazing. I can’t wait to return.”
Hove
“We loved staying at Bolara 60, picking (and eating) plums straight off the trees in the garden, and cooking with Anna. There is a special scorpion bashing mallet (just in case!) but sadly we didn’t see any – maybe next time.”
Age 8 & 6, London
“Everything about Bolara 60 is exquisite: the beauty of the building, the use of wood and stone, and its unique character. Everything has been designed and maintained with such care and attention. The surrounding area has much to appeal to your every whim, whether that’s indulging in local truffles or wine, hillwalking, swimming in the Adriatic, or visiting medieval hilltop towns nearby. Bolara 60 is a true find for food lovers in particular. You will be rewarded with culinary delights at any time of the year. I can’t wait to return.”
Cork
“Stepping out of the car and seeing Bolara 60 for the first time pretty much took my breath away. It oozed character, warmth and authenticity, and this feeling lasted the entire stay. The local cuisine is so, so delicious (fresh olive oil and wine right on the doorstep), whether we ate out or were cooked for by Anna & Matt. The house has clearly been so lovingly restored, every detail thought out meticulously, and many original features brought back to life. It was such a perfect escape from my life in London; I left feeling like I’d had a big chunk of the true ‘good life’ cake!”
London