Birth House of Eugen Kumičić (Library and Gallery)

Brseč is a small walled village on a cliff above the sea on the eastern coast of Istria in Croatia, in the Kvarner region, close to Mošćenička Draga, and it is often described as a balcony over the Adriatic. The village is a tight group of old stone houses on a narrow ridge, with a few lanes, a handful of old buildings and a view over the open sea to the island of Cres. It was the birthplace of Eugen Kumičić, one of the leading Croatian writers of the second half of the 19th century, and his house is now a library and gallery.

Kumičić was born in 1850 and became one of the main figures of Croatian realism and naturalism in fiction. He wrote historical and contemporary novels, among them works about the conspiracy of the Croatian nobles Zrinski and Frankopan in the 17th century and stories of Istrian life, and he was also a journalist and a politician who spoke up for the Croatian cause in Istria, which was then under Austrian rule. His novels were widely read in his day, and he is remembered as a writer who brought the Istrian coast into Croatian literature. A bust of the author stands at the entrance of the village, and the Birth House of Eugen Kumičić, restored to honour his memory, is now a library and gallery.

The house now works as a cultural space under the name Eugen K., with a library that holds his works and material about his life, and a gallery that hosts changing exhibitions of Croatian and international artists. Inside, family photographs and period furnishings give a sense of the world in which he grew up. A special exhibition, Glagoljica u Brseču, about Glagolitic writing in Brseč recalls the long use of the old Croatian script in the village, where the oldest surviving Glagolitic inscription is dated to the 16th century. The house is part of a wider effort to promote the heritage of the Rijeka Urban Agglomeration, and visits are often combined with a walk through the village.

The setting adds to the experience. Narrow alleys, old houses from the 17th century and the parish church of St. George (Parish Church of St. Juraj) lead to the edge of the cliff, where a view opens over the sea. A stone cistern, called the Šterna, recalls the days when rainwater was collected for the village. Brseč Castle and the City Walls and Fortress show the village's defensive past.

Opening times for the house vary, so it is wise to check locally. The house suits lovers of literature, art and quiet villages. Allow an hour for the house and a stroll around the village.