Meneghetti: The Venetian Estate That Once Supplied the Austrian Army, Now a Relais & Châteaux
In Bale, in the heart of inland Istria, a beautifully restored 19th-century stone estate with its own winery, olive mill and Michelin-recommended restaurant—where almost everything is produced on site.
Valle / Bale, Istria
In the early 19th century, a man named Meneghetti—most likely from Venice—bought a stretch of land near Bale and built a self-sufficient estate to supply the Austrian garrison. Nearly two centuries later, it was rediscovered, abandoned among the vineyards, and transformed into Istria's first luxury boutique hotel.
The story begins around 1813, when a man named Meneghetti—his surname unmistakably Venetian, and likely Venetian by origin—purchased a stretch of land near Bale, not far from an Austrian military fortress. There he built a self-sufficient estate in Istrian limestone, complete with vineyards, olive groves, stables and everything needed to supply the nearby garrison. An Istrian country estate in the truest sense of the term.
For almost a century, the estate lay abandoned. In 2000, lawyer Miroslav Plišo and entrepreneur Romana Kajfež discovered it and began a meticulous restoration, preserving the original stonework while replanting the vineyards and olive groves. Four years later, it reopened as Istria's first luxury boutique hotel. Today, Meneghetti is a member of Relais & Châteaux, home to a Michelin-recommended restaurant, and produces award-winning wines and extra virgin olive oil—all within its 12-hectare estate.
The rooms are housed within the original stone farmhouses, with exposed wooden beams and timber floors. The restaurant relies almost entirely on ingredients produced on the estate and in the surrounding countryside. The winery is open for guided visits and tastings. It's the kind of place that shows what Istrian rural architecture can become when it's restored with care—not quite an agriturismo, not exactly a resort, but something far harder to define.
This is an independent editorial feature.
Photo ©meneghetti.hr
Practical Information
Location: Valle / Bale, Istria
Duration: Overnight Stay
Estimated price: From €250 per night
