Photo by Lili Basic
Meet us in the rolling green hills of the Croatian countryside.
We invite you to join us in the heart of Istria for a five day retreat designed to inspire, nourish and refresh. Istria is a true Land of Plenty, blessed with incredible beauty and bounty, including exceptional wine, olive oil, seafood, cheeses, cured meats and truffles.
Days will be spent exploring charming seaside villages and medieval hilltop towns. Come evening, we’ll gather around the outdoor hearth of our ancient stone villa to cook meals together, then sit down to share al fresco feasts paired with local wines.
This is a slow food and lifestyle retreat for cooks of all levels who love food, travel, community, nature, culture, and adventure. We’ll couple fun excursions and hands-on lessons with plenty of leisure time to rest, relax, or take a dip in the infinity pool.
Photo by Lili Basic
INCLUDED
The retreat price of $3250-$3800 includes the following:
Accommodations | We’ll stay at a private hamlet of beautifully restored stone villas tucked into the enchanting Istrian countryside. The grounds include lush gardens, infinity pools with breathtaking views, and an outside kitchen complete with central hearth. All guests will enjoy private or shared bedrooms, most with en suite bathrooms. See below for more details about accommodation options.
Meals + Refreshments | All snacks, meals and beverages will be provided. A light breakfast, tea and coffee will be provided in your villas. Each day will bring a new excursion or experience with lunch. Dinners will include snacks and a fire-cooked feast, paired with local wines and spirits.
Excursions | Curated day trips to charming villages. local producers and restaurants.
Lessons | Each day we will explore flavors and techniques, highlighting the bounty of the region and sharing our seasonal farm-to-fire approach to cooking. The lessons will take place in an outside kitchen, focusing on open-fire cooking techniques such as grilling, ash-roasting, string-roasting, and using our favorite unique Croatian cooking tool/method: the peka. Together we’ll prep and cook dinner each evening, then sit down to share the bountiful meal we’ve created.
Materials | All cooking materials will be provided. You are welcome to bring an apron and your own culinary knives if desired.
Fire Cooking Handbook | Attendees will receive a digital handbook outlining live fire cooking fundamentals, techniques and recipes to put to use for their own gatherings with friends and family.
SCHEDULE + SAMPLE ITINERARY
Tuesday, September 30 | Guests arrive at the hamlet of villas near the village of Livade, arriving between 4-5:30pm. Gather at 6pm for welcome drinks, introductions, dinner, wine and merriment, then a good night’s rest.
Wednesday, October 1 | Excursions to an historic hilltop village and a seaside town for lunch overlooking the bay, then return to villa to prepare and enjoy dinner together.
Thursday, October 2 | Excursions to historic hilltop village and a local wine tasting experience, then return to villa to prepare and enjoy dinner together.
Friday, October 3 | Olive oil tasting, pasta making lesson and lunch at the villa (or choose to adventure out on your own), then prepare and enjoy dinner together at the villa.
Saturday, October 4 | Farewell open fire brunch and departure by 11am.
Note: Itinerary is subject to change based on weather, availability and group preferences.
TRAVEL
Guests are responsible for all travel to and from the workshop location, including airfare and ground transpiration to the villa, located in a small hamlet near the village of Livade.
The airports nearest to the villa are Pula and Zagreb in Croatia, and Trieste and Venice in Italy. Approximate drive times are Pula: 1 hr, Trieste: 1.5 hrs, Venice: 2.5 hrs, and Zagreb: 3 hrs.
We recommend flying into one of the nearby airports and either renting a car or arranging a car share with a fellow workshop attendee (we’ll connect guests prior to the trip) for the drive to Istria.
POLICIES + SUGGESTIONS
Insurance | We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance to cover unforeseen circumstances such as illness/injury, natural disasters or flight cancellations. Cover the unexpected and protect your investment by exploring plans from Allianz, Insure My Trip or Travelex.
Cancellation | Due to the nature of this retreat, we must adhere to a firm no refunds policy. By registering for this retreat, you acknowledge and agree to this policy. Should you need to cancel and have chosen not to purchase travel insurance, it is your responsibility to sell or gift your spot(s) accordingly.
Payment | To reserve your spot, you may pay in full or spread over two installments - half now and the other half 60 days before the retreat, payable on or before August 1, 2025. To choose the 50% deposit option, please use the code TOURNANTDEPOSIT at check out. If you reserve after August 1, the full payment will be due upon checkout.
Fine Print | All guests must be 21 or over. Local mask, health and safety mandates will be observed. Pets are not permitted on this retreat. Due to the considerable cost and effort that goes into planning a retreat such as this, we will require a minimum guest count in order to proceed. If retreat is cancelled by organizers, a full refund will be issued to all attendees; in all other cases, tickets are nonrefundable. Menus for this retreat will be omnivorous, though we’ll do our best to accommodate food allergies. Photos and/or video from this event may be used by Tournant and its partners for marketing purposes.
Phone | WiFi is available at the villa but may not be reliable. We suggest contacting your service provider for options when traveling outside the country.
Acknowledgements | Registering for this workshop assumes acknowledgment of all the conditions contained within this retreat description.
Communications | Rest assured, we will be in regular contact with all retreat attendees over the coming months to answer questions and discuss everything from travel recommendations to packing suggestions to logistics. Feel free to contact us with any questions.
Photos by Lili Basic
INSPIRATION + TESTIMONIALS
Enjoy scenes from a previous Croatia retreat in the slideshow above and read the testimonials below for some thoughts from our guests.
“I’m still talking about this trip as if it were just yesterday, the memories are that vivid. The ambiance and tenor of the trip were such that, even if the other participants weren’t as colorful and fun as they were (boy, howdy!), the dynamics of the Tournant staff, the setting, and the bounty of the area would still have coalesced into a magical event.”
“The meals, the location and the overall setting combined with fun mini day trips were spectacular.”
“Can’t give enough warm, appreciative kudos!! Spectacular trip.”
“A magical experience - the Tournant crew is amazing as was the food, wine and other attendees. Having the flexibility of participating in the activities or just hanging out at the villa was very much appreciated.”
“Beautiful location. Amazing food. Unforgettable people. Hvala!”
“Thanks for a wonderful vacation. The food education and hospitality was top notch. I had a blast spending time with everyone!”
PRICING + RESERVATIONS
Retreat prices are per person, based on double occupancy or single occupancy in a shared room. The reservation options are outlined below:
ROOMS WITH QUEEN BED, ENSUITE BATHROOM & BALCONY | $3800/person, double occupancy | These ensuite rooms include a balcony or balconette with stunning views of the hilltop village of Motovun. PERFECT FOR: Couples who want to share this memorable experience together.
ROOM WITH QUEEN BED & ENSUITE BATHROOM | $3600/person, double occupancy | Spacious ground floor room featuring rustic wooden beams and ensuite bathroom. PERFECT FOR: Couples who want to share this memorable experience together.
ROOM WITH QUEEN BED & ENSUITE BATHROOM | $3450/person, double occupancy | Comfortable room featuring rustic wooden beams and ensuite bathroom. PERFECT FOR: Couples who want to share this memorable experience together.
ROOMS WITH 2 SINGLE BEDS | $3250/person, shared room | Cozy rooms featuring ancient stone walls or rustic wooden beams. IDEALLY: Shared amongst friends or booked individually by those open to making new ones.
Come feast, learn and explore with us in this enchanting place.
Photos by Eva Kosmas Flores and Lili Basic
