First rental after a change of ownership! Previous rating on FeWoDirekt 4. 9/5. We usually rent Villa Zelena for whole weeks from Sunday to Sunday. Exceptions are possible after consultation! :) Villa Zelena is surrounded by olive groves and vineyards together with three other stone house villas in a similar style 300 meters away from the small idyllic village Bajkini near Vizinada in Istria. The villa is approx. 12 km from the sea (linear distance approx. 6 km). Porec and Novigrad are 15-20 minutes by car. Villa Zelena (Bajkini 33) was newly built in 2007 by Munich contractor Dussmann in traditional Istrian stone house style in an ensemble with two other pretty stone villas and has been family-owned ever since. We acquired the villa from the first owners in spring 2019. Villa Zelena is modernly equipped and has air conditioning in all living rooms and bedrooms as well as underfloor central heating so that it can be used at any time of the year. On the ground floor there is a large living / cooking / dining area and an open fireplace. Two spacious, two-leaf glass doors lead to the covered terrace with a brick coal grill, dining area and plenty of seating. Two steps lead from the natural stone terrace to the beautifully landscaped pool area, which is surrounded by further terraces with sun loungers. Behind the house are the table tennis table and a garden with lawn and various ornamental plants. The garden is regularly maintained by the gardener. The terrace and the pool face south, with the adjacent oak grove providing shade. From the balcony you can enjoy the sunset over the sea in the west (with a clear view the view extends to Venice) and a wonderful view over the Mirna valley. A small separate anteroom leads to a bedroom with double bed (160x200) and a bathroom with shower and toilet on the ground floor. In addition, on the ground floor there is a separate guest toilet, a pantry, the technical room and a small shed with a washing machine. The wonderfully lit staircase in the spacious entrance area leads to the first floor, where there are two further bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. Each of the bedrooms can be reached through a separate small anteroom, from which there is also access to the bathroom. One bedroom is furnished with a double bed (160x200) and veranda. The associated bathroom has a toilet, a shower and a bathtub. From the balcony of the bedroom you can enjoy the view over the Mirna valley to Groznjan. In the second bedroom there are two single beds, the associated bathroom is equipped with a shower and toilet. The villa has a unique atmosphere. There is absolute tranquility and the idyllic surroundings invite you to relax, go for walks or bike rides. The Mirna Valley is famous for its white truffles, excellent wine and olive oil, and the unspoilt mountain villages of Motovun, Buje and Groznan with breathtaking views of the Istrian coast. The coastal towns of Novigrad and Porec are 15-20 minutes away by car, and Vrsar and Rovinj are 30-45 minutes away. The nearest shop is in Vizinada, 4 km away, where there are also restaurants, cafes, a post office and a tourist office. Due to the stone stairs and the not delimited pool area, the villa may not be suitable for small children or only under constant supervision. We acquired Villa Zelena from an English family in spring 2019. The villa had been rented until then and almost all of the tenants gave it a top rating of 5/5. Here are some of the original reviews from the past (which are unfortunately not automatically adopted by the FeWoDirekt software): Justin G. (5/5) The house is undersold in the images. It is a beautiful villa, in an amazing location. The pool is perfect for cooling down and playing in with the many inflatables. The air con is almost instant and very quiet. The local town of Porec has spectacular sea swimming off rocks with manmade entry points, excellent snorkelling with great wildlife. It is a busy tourist port but a ten minute walk gets you away from the crowds. Istria is relatively small so many treats are an easy car journey away. But in truth the villa is so brilliant we spent a lot of time just hanging around the pool, with the odd walk to a wine tasting. We had a brilliant stay, thank you so much. 03 August 2016 - 08:46:00 Kristoffer W. (5/5) We - a family of five - stayed for two weeks and were sad to leave. Catherine's house was a great experience, easy to find, great surroundings and the house itself was perfect for us; we loved the pool, and our two girls (14 and 11) had no trouble looking after their brother (5). Great to have aircon in the heat, and to have Caroline, our local host, a phonecall away. We truly loved our two weeks, and were especially happy with all of the great suggestions in the house manual - cudos to Catherine for these; many were followed. Extra cool to have several wineyards a short walk away; we fell for Inez at Franc Arman's. The renting process was easy and secure; everything went as planned. All in all; a super stay in a great house and area. 08 August 2016 - 10:54:00 Fil D. (5/5) Villa Zelena had everything we needed during our week long stay in Croatia. After a busy 10 days traveling around, arriving here was great, especially as the welcome pack included some great provisions for the first evening and following morning. The villa included all mod-cons, was clean, spacious and was in a lovely setting for a relaxing week. Our kids spent the whole time in the pool which was the perfect temperature and they had lots of fun with the inflatables provided. We enjoyed some delicious barbecues and great games of table tennis. The handbook from the house explains everything you need to know as well as providing excellent ideas for days out. We couldn't recommend this villa highly enough and hope to one day return! 02 September 2016 - 15:49:00 Alexandra S. (5/5) We had a great time at this lovely home. It's like the pictures showed and it was spotless clean. You don't miss the crowded ocean, because of the pool where you can fully relax. A very nice area with delicious wine. 07 September 2016 - 09:25:00 Maximilian M. (5/5) We were in the villa with our baby for three weeks. The decor, rooms, beds and even towels were perfect. It was nice and quiet and we had a relaxing time. The owners were always available to us via email. The location was great as all the interesting places were no more than 20 minutes away by car. We would love to come back. 27 September 2016 - 18:03:00 Marianne F. (5/5) Villa Zelena is spacious, well equipped and tastefully funitured. The terrasse and garden is totally enjoyable, and the pool and surrounding sun bed area is superb. The surrounding landscape is beautiful, with vineyards, olive trees and small farms. There is nothing going on nearby, but with a car you can reach the sights of Istria within an hours drive. We went on car trips every day, and still had time to enjoy the house and pool. To get to the ocean, you we spent appr 25 minutes in the car. Be ware that, at least in July, there were quite a few bugs around, so you can't be too afraid of those if you want to stay in the countryside. The owner Catherine is very helpful and friendly, and answers quickly if there are questions, both beforehand and during the stay. Last, I must say that this is the cleanest place we ever rented, both indoors and outside. The pool and garden was kept clean while we were there, and every equipment available was nice and tidy. We recommend the place warmly! 05 August 2017 - 13:02:00 Jon M. (5/5) Villa Zelena is a lovely, well-equipped property with a great pool and a spacious verandah for relaxing and alfresco dining. The villa, grounds and pool were all really well maintained and spotlessly clean. The villa is in a quiet location, surrounded by vineyards and olive trees and made an excellent base for exploring both the coastal resorts and hill towns of Istria. Highlights for us included visits to Porec, Groznjan, Hum and Motovun with its incredible views - all within easy reach. We enjoyed fabulous food, both on the villa's barbecue and in nearby local restaurants as well as an entertaining visit to the local Rossi winery which was only a short walk away. The house manual was detailed and had great suggestions for places to visit; and the welcome pack of food was much appreciated and enough for an evening meal and breakfast the following day. We would highly recommend Zelena to anyone looking to stay in a great villa with a fab pool for relaxing and exploring Istria. 22 August 2017 - 14:22:00 Rene S. (5/5) If you want to go from stress, this is 100% right! Very quiet location. Beautiful surroundings! We enjoyed the stay very much, and are thinking about whether we will book the beautiful object of Catherine again next year. The house has a high standard, and I could most preferably spend the whole year there. A car is needed, because of the freedom, shopping, bays, Istria get to know! Within a radius of about 40 km are wonderful coves to be found! I, we, can recommend the accommodation to everyone at 100% who do not always want to stay under loud tourists! We could unfortunately book for one week only. I would book for two weeks in the future. Thanks for the great accommodation and the exemplary handling! 29 August 2017 - 16:23:00 Rainer U. (5/5) We really liked the holiday home in Bajkini. It was very clean and spacious and we felt very comfortable all the time.