Exploring Istrian villages

On the first day we visited the beautiful, less-known Istrian villages, which are so adorably mysterious. On the second day we wandered in the ancient Pula, explored Kamenjak and visited the famous Safari bar, and in the evening we joined in the nightlife of this cosmopolitan city. We spent the third day in Fažana, enjoyed a real holiday break and the hot sun. On the last afternoon, when we were returning to Slovenia, we took the time for a quick stop in Vodnjan and (my favourite Istrian seaside town) Rovinj.

In the morning we headed from Ljubljana to the border crossing Dragonja. Immediately after the border, we visited town Momjan. It is a small town with the ruins of the castle (which was just being renovated during our visit) and the church, to which there is a paved road, on which we walked in the morning sun rays, which are fairly warm despite the early hours.

We continued to Mediterranean village of Buje, which is about 6 kilometres away and is full of vineyards and olive groves. We parked the car on the edge of the city and walked to the centre on foot. A typical Istrian architecture of the old city centre awaited us: white stone houses, the orange roofs, narrow paved streets leading to the churches of St. Servula (protector Buj) on one side and St. Mary on the other end. Between the windows of the houses, ropes are drawn and fresh laundry is hung on it. You can still smell the fabric softener in the air. In Buje, there is the highest belfry in Istria. Renovated wooden stairs lead to the top, which are routed around the bell. The view from the top is magnificent, I checked! It's a pity that the wind was blowing so much that our hair was all messy so the group picture didn't turn out that well. In front of the church of St. Mary of the Merciful we met an elderly, very chatty gentleman. It was quickly obvious that he knows how to speak Slovene, Croatian and Italian. He also knew a lot about the history of Istria that once belonged to the Venetian Republic. It was like listening to a live lexicon.

Only 12 km from Buje, after a little more than 15 minutes’ drive to the southwest and the heart of Istria, we reached the village called Grožnjan. This is a village in which we fell in love at first sight. We parked outside the city and continued on foot. The centre of the village is preserved so you can only visit it on foot. The houses here are made of stone and are decorated with green and blue wooden shutters and doors. Grožnjan is a mecca for artists, lovers of olive trees and good wine. While exploring the streets, we have found countless boutiques, galleries, studios and small, cute shops. In the second half of the 20th century, Slovenians brought fine arts in the village, which was later joined by musicians.

We took the regional road through Oprtalj (and quickly saw this historic town, its lodge with beautiful frescoes and a bell tower, surrounded by typical Istrian houses full of artwork) and set off towards the town of Motovun. Cute settlement is located on a high hill above the Mirna river. We had to pay an entrance or parking fee to enter the city, and then we drove along the steep road to the parking lot, and from there, we continued on foot. Only one road leads to the entrance of the old town, and on each side of the paved road with granite cubes there are row houses. On the ground floors of the buildings are restaurants, which is why it always smells wonderful on this street, stores with various souvenirs, and pleasant cafés, full of guests. We entered through the great yellow walls to the square, where you find the fortress, the belfry, the Baroque church and the palace, surrounded by the lovely path. Excited about the town, but hungry (because we already had some hours of driving and exploration behind us) we went to lunch. In a true Istrian tavern, we ordered pasta with Istrian truffles.

Through the city of Pazin we went to the south of Istria. At the time of the sunset, we arrived at Svetvinčenat. The magnificent Renaissance square is surrounded by the stone Grimani Castle with towers and palace, the parish church of the Annunciation, the town lodge and many Renaissance houses. In the centre you find a town well, built in 1808 from a carved stone.

Only 7 kilometres from the town of Fažana is the medieval town of Vodnjan, known for its graffiti. While walking through the city along the long and flat road that leads to the square with the Venetian style house, there are countless graffiti. Not only on the old, already forgotten buildings, there are graffiti, painted by young local graffiti artists, on private houses, arches and ground floors of the buildings. There are many Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque houses in the city where you can sense the Venetian influence.

On our way to the home, we stopped in the seaside town of Rovinj, which is the most beautiful Mediterranean town for me. The view of the old town is the most beautiful from the marina, so you can see how the belfry of the church rises above the many houses on a hill. Streets paved by smooth and shiny granite cubes lead uphill to the church, but in the middle of countless wonderful, small boutiques, restaurants, bars, there are many opportunities to stop for ice cream.