Motovun is in the central part of the Istrian Peninsula, on the south side of the Mirna River Valley. The local economy is based on agriculture, wine production and animal husbandry.
The oldest core of the town is girdled by well-preserved city walls from the 13th and 14th centuries. Today they are used as a promenade (a place for walking). Within the fortress, several Romanesque and Gothic houses are still intact. The three sections of the town are connected by a system of external and internal fortress walls, towers and city gates. The main square is dominated by a Romanesque-Gothic bell tower with a scalloped parapet at the top (18th–19th century). There is also a Renaissance palace-castle here. Below the main square is the public water reservoir and a stone plaque with the town’s coat of arms from the 14th – 15th century.
Motovun’s valuable heritage sites include the Parish Church of St. Stjepan (St. Steven). The construction of this Late Renaissance church began in the early 17th century. It contains a number of remarkable works of art, such as the fresco in the sanctuary depicting the Last Supper, the marble statues at the main altar, the carved Baroque chair, the neo-Classical paintings on the ceiling, the organ, the gilded movable altar, and many other valuable objects.