Word: istria
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...center of the Croatian boom is Istria, a Mediterranean peninsula that was spared the fighting. The local government anticipates 22 courses by 2012, and the region has attracted interest from major names in design, including Jack Nicklaus and Robert Trent Jones Jr. Largely driven by growth in Istria and buzz around Croatia's imminent accession to the E.U., the World Travel and Tourism Council last year listed Croatia as the world's fastest growing tourist destination, a mantle to which the government responded by swiftly laying out 50 potential golf sites in a nation of 4.5 million...
...nothing is easy in a country with such a complicated past. Developers have struggled to obtain contiguous plots of land, and regional officials have been slow to grant building permits because of concerns over unscrupulous practices and environmental impact. The only course in Istria is the oldest in the Balkans. The 18-holer on the Brijuni Islands is located on Marshal Tito's former private playground, where the Yugoslav dictator once hosted dignitaries and Hollywood stars. As if evoking Tito's fleeting and superficial glory, the course is left untended, and the greens are manicured by grazing deer...
Golfers are not an easily dissuaded bunch. Brijuni still has a full tee sheet, and tractors and other land-moving equipment swarm Istria's hills like nest-building insects. The Croatian assistant minister for tourism, Robert Pende, told Time that investors are bidding to develop a 36-hole site in the small town of Skradin near the city of Sibenik in Dalmatia, despite having to hire ordnance experts to clear mines before laying down turf, giving an entirely new meaning to lift and place...
This region isn't the only great truffle turf--white truffles can be found in Croatia's Istria region too. But the Langhe hills have it over Istria in one major respect: they're home to the Nebbiolo grape, which produces some of the best wines to complement your truffles. These red and noble Barolos and Barbarescos match beautifully with the musky truffle. This is a pleasant trip any time of year, but the late fall and early winter are the only times you can experience this gustatory extravagance. Even if you have never eaten a truffle...