Oprtalj Old Town (Oprtalje Oude Stad)

Oprtalj, in Italian Portole, is a hilltop town in central Istria, on a ridge about 370 metres above sea level, with a wide outlook over the valley of the Mirna river and the surrounding fields of vines and olives. Parts of the old town have empty houses that give it a melancholy charm. The town is small, quiet and rarely crowded, and it is one of the best places in Istria to experience a medieval hill settlement without commercial tourism.

The hill was occupied from early times, and the settlement is first recorded in documents in the early twelfth century under the Latin name Castrum Portulense, a fortified place controlling the surrounding land. It later came under the Republic of Venice, which ruled most of Istria for several centuries, and the townsmen built a ring of walls, a gate and a bastion that give the place the compact form it still has. The old town is made up of stone houses along narrow cobbled lanes that follow the contour of the hill, and passing through the main gate, you are in a world of arches, stairs and small squares.

The main public space is the square with the loggia, a Venetian-style open gallery of the sixteenth century, which served as the place for town meetings and court proceedings, and which now houses a lapidary with stone fragments from different periods, including Roman inscriptions and medieval carvings. A bastion nearby is a reminder of the defences, and old frescoes can still be traced on some wall surfaces. The parish church of St. George, with a prominent bell tower, dominates the upper part of the town, and the chapels of St. Rocco and St. Mary, listed in this guide, add to the church heritage. The town has a literary tradition, and local pride includes a number of scholars and writers who came from Oprtalj over the centuries.

The view from the edge of the town is one of its greatest assets. On a clear day, the landscape rolls away toward the Mirna valley and the Učka mountains, and the evening light on the stone is warm. Oprtalj lies on the route of the Parenzana, the old narrow-gauge railway line that is now a walking and cycling trail, so it is a good stop for those travelling on foot or by bicycle. In October, a truffle festival takes place in the nearby village of Livade, a centre of truffle hunting, and the area's restaurants serve dishes with truffles, homemade pasta and local wine.

Access is easiest by car, and parking is outside the gate. Wear comfortable shoes for the steep, polished stone. Allow an hour or two. The old town suits couples, photographers, cyclists and anyone who enjoys quiet hill towns and good food.