In a time when tourism is becoming increasingly standardized; the same interiors, the same check-in protocols, stays where you often don’t even need to meet anyone, the same “Instagram-ready” shots, there are fewer and fewer places that have character. This is exactly what guests are increasingly looking for today: authenticity, personality and the feeling that they have truly arrived somewhere, and not just staying.
In this context, the story of Villa Branko in Istria comes as a kind of response to the uniformity of modern tourism. Its owner, M.Sc. Klara Grahovac, belongs to a generation of hosts who do not play it safe, but build experiences with a clear attitude.
– I believe in tourism with a human face, in honest contact, a slower pace, authenticity without pretense, and a space where everyone can feel natural and welcome. I’m not interested in copying trends. Tourism is like fashion, and fashion doesn’t like uniformity. What we offer must have character – says Grahovac.
And that’s exactly what you feel at first sight.
For the love of family
Villa Branko is not just another vacation home. It is part of a personal and family story. It is also, we learn, the first categorized vacation home in the interior of Istria since 1995 – created out of love for the space in which one lives and the vision and courage of Klara’s parents.
– It’s our family heritage. I named the villa after my father Branko, who built the house on my mother Ruža’s land. It had a soul from the beginning, and I believe that can still be felt today.
When my father passed away in 2002, I took over running the house, and in the same year I enrolled in postgraduate scientific studies at the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb, because the world of work and the world of learning are not two separate worlds. I received my master’s degree in 2007, and I implemented my newly acquired knowledge on the family farm, combining theory and practice – says Grahovac.
This family connection was also translated into the visual identity of the villa itself. In designing the logo, she was guided by her love for her parents, so the symbol of the red rose represents love and the name of her mother, Ruža.
– The slogan “The love of rural tourism” actually describes everything I want to offer my guests; a romantic experience of Istria that you simply fall in love with – explains the urban woman who loves the rural.
LOCAL HOST – Discover Croatia through the eyes of its hosts
Travel has changed. We are increasingly choosing places for a feeling, not just for a location. This is where the Local Host label comes in as a simple guide to hosts who offer guests a real experience of a destination, not just a place to sleep.
https://accommodation.croatia.hr/hr-hr/local-host/?utm_campaign=HR_DN_local_host_non_2026&utm_medium=cpm&utm_source=slobodnadalmacija.hr&utm_content=HTZ_2026_HR_Local_host_article
These are hosts who combine the best of local tradition with a modern, responsible approach to tourism. They emphasize personal relationships, authenticity, and connections with the local community and the recommendations they provide.
Staying with a Local Host means that you get more than just a tidy apartment or vacation home: a warm welcome, first-hand advice, stories about the area you’re staying in, and experiences you won’t find on tourist maps. It could be a drive through vineyards, a tasting of local specialties, a small workshop, or simply a conversation that reveals a place to you from a different perspective.
Ultimately, the difference is simple; you’re not coming somewhere, you’re coming to someone. And that’s where the real travel experience begins.
You can find Local Hosts all over Croatia, from the coast to the islands and continental regions, where every journey gets its own unique story through the people who shape it.
A home with a story in the heart of Istria
Located in the peaceful Istrian hinterland, on a spacious 7,000 m² plot, in the village of Pusti, Svetvinćenat municipality, surrounded by greenery, orchards and lavender, Villa Branko offers what is almost a luxury today: peace, privacy and space for a real vacation.
It is precisely such places that represent the core of the Local Host label: a stay in which the guest receives not only the key to the apartment, but also a sense of welcome, first-hand recommendations, and an experience of the destination through the people who actually live there.
– It was conceived as a place to meet, relax and return to simple things. I wanted to create a place where guests would return not only because of the surroundings, but because of the feeling of home that is naturally created here – she explains.
The space itself communicates sustainability, tradition and thoughtful design. Renovated during the pandemic with an emphasis on natural materials and the work of local craftsmen, the house bears a strong author’s stamp.
The furniture and details, Grahovac tells us, were custom-made, handmade, with respect for the space, thus maintaining the original character of the house and creating harmony between tradition and modern comfort.
An oasis for family vacations with children
A true oasis for a family vacation, it offers a rare combination of privacy, nature and facilities for all generations.
On a fenced and spacious property, surrounded by untouched nature and a forest, the stay is designed to provide families with what is rarely found on trips today: peace, space, and the feeling that they are not just guests, but a welcome part of a home and the local community.
Istria, as our interlocutor tells us, is not a destination for a quick vacation. It seeks a slower pace: a return to nature, a return to oneself, to the essence of one’s being. Istria connects green and blue Istria and therein lies its uniqueness. A comparative advantage that turns into a competitive one.
Creator of an authentic experience
Klara Grahovac is today recognized as the creator of a personal and authentic approach to family accommodation and is the first winner of the “Best Host of the Year – Local Host” award of the Istrian County.
https://accommodation.croatia.hr/hr-hr/local-host/?utm_campaign=HR_DN_local_host_non_2026&utm_medium=cpm&utm_source=slobodnadalmacija.hr&utm_content=HTZ_2026_HR_Local_host_article
This is a new national award that, for the first time, specifically recognizes the role of locals in family accommodation, a segment that, as Grahovac points out, is the foundation of Croatian tourism and one of its most recognizable symbols.
– I’m so happy. I didn’t expect it, but I think I deserved it. Tourism is my calling and profession. Tourism is a calling for me. We host guests in our home as friends, offer a local experience, authenticity, and promote local tradition and culture, and we operate with environmental awareness – she emphasizes.
This is precisely the difference between classic accommodation rental and the Local Host approach. Here, the guest does not just get a place to sleep, but an experience of the destination through a personal relationship, local recommendations, culture, tradition and a sense of belonging to the area in which they are staying.
– What we offer to guests is actually our home, our tradition and our Istria. We are the trademark of Croatian tourism – he will say sincerely.
‘I welcome guests as friends’
– I welcome guests as friends, not as reservations. I want to provide them with a rich local experience, while respecting tradition and culture, but also constantly improving quality – not only of the facility, but also of the quality of the service. I believe in responsible and environmentally conscious business, but above all in authenticity, and that is something that cannot be learned or copied – emphasizes Grahovac.
It is precisely this personal touch that guests most often highlight after their stay and that has earned her the trust of guests, recognition in the media, and the status of one of the faces of modern, more humane tourism in Istria.
– I have guests coming from countries where people live alienated, everyone for themselves. Here they feel a personal approach. I really love people. I do it out of love and passion, I don’t do a job. I’m happy because the world comes to my home and I’m happiest when they leave me reviews saying: “Thank you. We felt at home.” – says Grahovac.
This sense of closeness, warmth, and genuine hospitality is one of the fundamental values that the Local Host label seeks to recognize and highlight, along with a personal approach to the guest, an authentic experience of the destination, nurturing local traditions, and creating a stay in which the guest does not feel like a passing visitor, but rather a welcome part of the place they have arrived at.
You don’t come here to ‘do’ the sea.
In a world that increasingly resembles itself, places like Villa Branko and hosts like Klara Grahovac remind us that tourism can still be personal. The difference is not in the square footage or the pool, but in the approach.
If you’re looking for a sterile experience, this might not be for you. But if you want to feel the place you’re traveling to, meet people, and experience something real, then this is the right address for your next trip.
This is exactly why the Local Host label is becoming more and more important, as it helps guests recognize hosts who offer more than accommodation: a real experience of the place, people and lifestyle of the destination they come to.
Content created in collaboration between Native Ad Studio Slobodna Dalmacija and the Croatian Tourist Board.
https://croatia.hr/?utm_campaign=HR_DN_local_host_non_2026&utm_medium=cpm&utm_source=slobodnadalmacija.hr&utm_content=HTZ_2026_HR_Local_host_article
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