Markets, fairs, shopping offers

Every Thursday, the Fair of Istrian Indigenous Products is held, while regular events such as Gušti Merkata take place every third Friday. For shopping, there are also boutiques, souvenir shops, and outdoor equipment stores, and during the season, pop-up stalls with local delicacies and handicrafts are often organized.

Markets here are not just places of exchange of goods, but cultural hubs; fairs serve as platforms for the valorisation of authenticity, while the shopping offer ranges from modern retail parks in urban centres to boutique stores of indigenous products in rural areas.

Poreč

As the administrative and economic centre of the region, Poreč dictates the rhythm of commercial life in the Poreština area. Its offer is divided into three clearly defined segments: a traditional city market that hosts local producers, modern shopping centres that meet the needs of the mass market, and high-profile fairs that attract an international audience.

Market

Located in a strategic position in close proximity to the historic core, the market offers a symbiosis of fresh food and indigenous handicrafts. Infrastructure-wise, the market is supported by a city parking facility located just a few steps away. The offer is seasonal, with an emphasis on freshly caught fish, Istrian wild herbs, olive oils, and ceramic souvenirs. Opening hours are adapted to the morning rhythm, starting as early as 06:00, ensuring that fresh products are available before the highest daily temperatures.

Address: Mlinska 1 (near Peškera), 52440 Poreč
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 06:00 - 14:00
Non-working days: New Year (01.01.), Easter, All Saints’ Day (01.11.), Christmas (25.12.)
Operator: USLUGA POREČ d.o.o., Peškera, 52440 Poreč
Phone: +385 (0)52 431 003
E-mail: usluga@usluga.hr
Web: www.usluga.hr

Within the market, specialised shops also operate, such as the Biomarket "Dietetica", which focuses on healthy food and dietary supplements, thereby adapting the market to contemporary healthy living trends.

Shopping centres

The modern shopping offer in Poreč is concentrated in three key facilities that differ in format and target group. While the old town core is home to small boutiques and galleries, these centres offer a wide range of international and national brands.

Riva Mall is positioned as an urban centre focused on everyday shopping and fashion. Its anchor tenant is the Spar supermarket, which operates longer than the rest of the centre in order to meet grocery needs. The centre is known for no longer operating on Sundays as of 15 September 2024, in accordance with new regulations on retail working hours in Croatia.

Galerija Poreč and the nearby Shopping Park represent an open-format retail park model, located in the industrial-commercial zone of Mate Vlašića. These facilities are designed for customers who arrive by car, with a large number of parking spaces and direct entrances to stores from the open space.

Shopping centre: Riva Mall
Address: Rade Končara 1a, 52440 Poreč
Opening hours: Mon-Sat: 09:00-21:00; Spar: 08:00-21:00; Sun: Closed
Contact details: +385 52 255 344; info@rivamall.com; www.rivamall.com

Shopping centre: Galerija Poreč
Address: Mate Vlašića 46, 52440 Poreč
Opening hours: Mon-Sat: 09:00-21:00; Sunday: According to the schedule of working Sundays
Contact details: info@galerijaporec.hr; www.galerijaporec.hr

Shopping centre: Park Poreč
Address: Mate Vlašića, 52440 Poreč
Opening hours: Mon-Sat: 09:00-21:00; Sunday: Closed (mostly)
Contact details: info@galerijaporec.hr; www.galerijaporec.hr

The dynamics of shopping in Poreč are strongly connected to the tourist season. During the summer months, the centres become refuges for tourists seeking air-conditioned spaces, while the local population uses these locations throughout the year as primary supply points for clothing, footwear, and technical goods.

Fairs and events

Fair activity in Poreč has a long tradition and serves as a key driver of tourist traffic in the pre-season and post-season. Vinistra, as the most important wine fair in the region, gathers top Istrian and international winemakers every May in the Žatika hall. This fair is not only a place of sale, but also a prestigious platform for evaluating the quality of wines and olive oils.

Giostra, the Poreč historical festival, represents a specific type of fair event. Based on historical records from 1745, the festival revives the Baroque period of the town. During the festival, the streets and squares of the old town core turn into a fair of old crafts where products made using traditional methods are sold, from replicas of historical jewellery to forgotten sweets.

In the winter period, Advent Poreč takes on the role of the central fair event. Matija Gubec Square becomes home to numerous Advent houses offering indigenous gastronomic offerings and holiday souvenirs. This Christmas fair is characterised by a high level of involvement of the local community, with a free ice rink and concerts by well-known performers.

There are also fairs such as Promohotel, a fair of food, beverages, and equipment for tourism and hospitality, as well as the Istrian Products Fair with direct sales of family farm products such as honey, oil, wine, and lavender.

Vižinada

Vižinada, located on a hill overlooking the inland of Poreština, represents a contrast to urban Poreč. Here, the shopping offer is based on the principle of "directly from the field", and the shopping experience is more intimate and deeply connected to agricultural cycles. The municipality's development strategy strongly relies on the tourist valorisation of wine and traditional desserts.

Market and local supply

In Vižinada, there is no classic covered market as found in large cities. Instead, the role of the market is taken over by local grocery stores that function as collection points for products from nearby family farms, as well as periodic stalls during events. The ELA Market in the very centre of Vižinada is the primary supply point for residents and visitors, offering basic groceries along with a selection of local wines and oils.

ELA Market Vižinada
Vižinada 19, 52447 Vižinada
Mon-Sat: 07:00 - 19:00
+385 52 694 043

Market Vižinada
Vižinada 19
Mon-Sat: 07:00 - 19:00
e-usluga.hr

Fairs

The most significant event in Vižinada, which combines elements of a fair and a cultural event, is "Slatka Istra"(Sweet Istria). It is held every 14 August, on the eve of the Assumption, in the old town square next to Battistella’s well. This fair is dedicated to traditional Istrian desserts such as fritule, kroštule, cukerančići, paštini, and pince.

The fair has a humanitarian character: the displayed cakes, prepared by housewives from all over Istria, are sold to visitors, and the collected funds are directed to social purposes, such as the procurement of school supplies for local students. This gives the event additional ethical value and ensures a high level of engagement of the local community. During the fair, the entire Vižinada smells of freshly baked delicacies, and the accompanying programme includes tastings of wines and olive oils from local producers, creating a comprehensive fair experience.

Shopping offer

Shopping in Vižinada is inseparably linked to wine tourism. Wineries here are transformed into modern retail spaces where the purchase of products takes place in the authentic ambience of a cellar or tasting room. This model of shopping enables direct interaction with the producer, which customers value more than the classic shelf selection in supermarkets.

Winery Rossi in Bajkini offers a wide range of wines and distillates (gin, rakija), while Winery Deklić in Mekiši attracts visitors with modern architecture and top-quality Malvasia wines. Winery Franc Arman in Narduči is known for preserving tradition while applying the most modern technologies in production. These facilities operate throughout the year and represent the most important segment of the shopping offer in the municipality.

Winery and distillery Rossi
Bajkini 16, Vižinada
Every day: 11:00 - 19:00
+385 91 335 5604; info@vinarossi.com

Winery Deklić
Mekiši 22, Vižinada
Mon-Sat: 13:00 - 20:00; Sun: Closed
+385 91 504 3605; @deklic_winery

Winery Franc Arman
Narduči 5, Vižinada
Summer: 08:00 - 20:00; Winter: 08:00 - 16:00
+385 91 574 0498; info@francarman.hr

Funtana

Funtana, a small coastal town south of Poreč, fully adapts its commercial activity to nautical and camping tourism. The retail infrastructure here is linearly distributed along the main road and the coast, while fairs are focused on the primary economic branch, fishing.

Fairs

In Funtana, fishermen's festivals (ribarske fešte) are traditionally held, functioning as specific open-air seafood fairs. They are held every second Friday during the summer months in the port and marina of Funtana. These events allow visitors to purchase and consume fresh fish and seafood specialties prepared by the fishermen themselves, often using the daily catch directly from their own boats.

In addition to fish, these feasts also feature stalls with other local products such as honey, lavender, and olive oil, thereby connecting the fishing tradition with the agricultural offer of the hinterland. The programme lasts from 18:00 until one hour after midnight, creating a dynamic fair atmosphere accompanied by folklore performances.

Fishermen's festivals Funtana
Every second Friday (June-September)
Port and marina Funtana
TZ Funtana; info@funtana.com; www.funtana.com

Shopping offers and markets

The shopping offer in Funtana is dominated by large supermarkets that serve as central supply points for numerous camps (such as Bijela Uvala campsite or Istra Premium Camping Resort). The Plodine supermarket represents the largest facility of this kind, with opening hours extended to the maximum during the season in order to meet the needs of tourists.

Although Funtana does not have a separate market building, during the season, numerous stalls are set up along the coast and the main road selling domestic fruit, vegetables, and beach equipment, which in practice functions as a dispersed market.

Supermarket Plodine
Istarska 1, 52452 Funtana
Mon-Sat: 07:00 - 22:00; Sun: Closed
www.plodine.hr

Tourist Board Funtana
Bernarda Borisija 2
Mon-Sat: 08:00 - 20:00 (summer)
+385 52 441 158; info@funtana.com

Tar-Vabriga

The municipality has developed innovative models for the sale of indigenous products, combining public oversight and private initiative.

Market

"La Botega" in the centre of Tar is a municipal tasting room and shop that serves as a central exhibition and sales space for all local family farms. This format enables small producers who do not have their own retail spaces to place their oil, wine, cheese, or honey on the market in a professionally managed environment. It is a kind of "permanent market" of authenticity that guarantees origin and quality to customers.

Additionally, "DeguStazione" offers a more modern approach to shopping through the concept of tasting. Here, customers can try products before deciding to purchase, which is crucial for products of high added value, such as premium extra virgin olive oils.

La Botega
Centre of Tar, 52465 Tar
tar-vabriga.com

DeguStazione
Istarska 17, 52465 Tar
+385 91 443 0054; degustazione.tar-vabriga.hr

Fairs

The fair offer in Tar-Vabriga is highly seasonal and thematically diversified. Instead of one general fair, the municipality organises a series of smaller, focused events that celebrate individual ingredients. These "micro-fairs" attract visitors with specific gastronomic interests, such as: Fešta od sardoni (sale of blue fish and local wines), Fešta od angurije (promotion and sale of domestic watermelons), Fešta od pedoći (gastronomic fair of mussels/pedoći), Tourist Fest (large final fair of agriculture and culture), Večer u Santa Marini (fishing evening and handicrafts fair).

These events significantly contribute to the sales results of local family farms, as they provide direct access to thousands of tourists staying in the municipality area during the summer months (primarily in Lanterna).

Shopping offer

In addition to specialised shops, the shopping offer also includes standard markets that are essential for the functioning of the community. The Tourist Board of the Tar-Vabriga municipality acts as an information centre directing customers to specific addresses of oil producers and wineries that offer direct sales at the doorstep.

TZ Tar-Vabriga
Istarska 8a, 52465 Tar
Mon-Fri: 08:00-18:00; Sat: 08:00-14:00
+385 52 443 250; info@tar-vabriga.com

Local oil tasting rooms
Various locations in Tar and Vabriga
By arrangement / Seasonal
Information available in La Botega

Kaštelir-Labinci

Kaštelir-Labinci have in the last decade positioned themselves as innovative leaders of rural products. Their shopping offer is compact but of exceptionally high quality, with an emphasis on products bearing the label "Original Kaštelir-Labinci".

Market and Butiga

Kaštelir does not have a classic market, but this function has been taken over by "Butiga", a shop exclusively with local products located in the centre of the place. This model is unique in Istria as it functions as a collective store for dozens of local producers. In Butiga, fresh products can be found, such as potatoes, for which the area is known, as well as processed products such as olive oil, honey, jams, and lavender-based cosmetics.

The opening hours of Butiga are adapted to the needs of the local population, but also to tourists who spend their afternoons exploring the hinterland. This space also serves as a showroom where authentic souvenirs can be purchased, including the character of the official mascot, Gramperko.

Butiga
Kaštelir 30 B, 52464 Kaštelir
Mon-Fri: 09:00-12:00 & 17:00-20:00
info@kastelir-labinci.com

Market Labinci
Labinci, 52464 Kaštelir
Mon-Sat: 08:00 - 20:00 (estimate)
+385 52 463 115

Fairs

Gramperijada is the main fair in Kaštelir, dedicated to potatoes, which are here called "gramper". The event, held in July, transforms the square in front of the Church of St. Cosmas and Damian into a large fair of food and entertainment. The main attraction is the sale and tasting of potato dishes, including the branded "Broštulani gramper s orihi".

Numerous local family farms, the Pensioners’ Association, as well as sports and agricultural associations (such as the Vitis Association) participate in the fair, creating an atmosphere that combines commerce and social activism. During one evening, up to 600 kilograms of potatoes are consumed, making Gramperijada one of the most successful gastronomic fairs in Istria per capita.

Shopping offer

In addition to Butiga, shopping in Kaštelir includes visits to renowned wineries such as Vina Cossetto, located in Roškići. The agricultural association Vitis plays a key role in coordinating sales and ensuring quality standards for all members, making Kaštelir-Labinci one of the most organised rural commercial ecosystems in the region.

Vina Cossetto
Roškići 10, Kaštelir
Top-quality wines and a tasting room
+385 98 366 464; alfredo.cossetto@pu.t-com.hr

Agricultural association Vitis
Kaštelir
Coordination of family farm sales
FB: Poljoprivredna udruga Vitis