Fažana Old Town (Stari Grad Fažana)

Fažana is a small fishing town on the southwest coast of Istria in Croatia, on the Adriatic, about eight kilometres from Pula, and its Old Town (Stari Grad Fažana) is a tight cluster of stone houses grouped around the harbour. For most visitors Fažana is the departure point for boats to the Brijuni National Park, but the old quarter rewards anyone who stays long enough to walk its lanes.

The architecture tells a story of danger and thrift. The traditional houses are narrow, two-storey buildings, and they were built to serve two purposes at once: as homes for families and as small strongholds. In earlier centuries the coast of Istria suffered attacks from pirates and Uskok raiders, and the compact layout, thick walls and tightly packed streets made the settlement easier to defend. Many houses still have decorative details on the façades, including carved stone doorways and bright painted motifs. The most famous passage is La rondinella, the narrowest street in the old town, whose name means the swallow and which is said to be so slim that only a swallow could fly through it.

Two churches anchor the old quarter. The Parish Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian is the main church of the town, with Gothic and Baroque elements, several altars and a collection of artworks, and it is dedicated to the patron saints celebrated each autumn. The Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a smaller chapel with a calm interior. Fažana's history reaches back to Roman times, when the coast here was dotted with farms and workshops producing olive oil, wine and pottery, and traces of Roman installations can still be found along the shore.

The sea has always shaped life here. Fažana is known for its fishing tradition, particularly the catching and salting of sardines, and the School of Salting Pilchard keeps that craft alive. The Fažana Waterfront is the natural place for a walk, with restaurants serving grilled fish, scampi and squid, and Valbandon Beach lies a short distance outside the town for those who want to swim.

Old Town can be seen comfortably in an hour or two, and it combines well with an afternoon on the waterfront or a boat trip to Brijuni. It suits couples, history lovers and travellers who like small fishing towns with strong local identity, rather than showy monuments.