Beyond Rovinj and Motovun
Most visitors to Istria see the coastal towns of Rovinj, Poreč and Pula, and perhaps the hilltop town of Motovun. They are popular for good reason, but the interior of the peninsula, known as green Istria, is full of smaller villages, frescoed churches and quiet roads that see a fraction of the traffic. A car is almost essential for exploring them, as public transport in inland Istria is limited.
Hum and the Glagolitic Alley
Hum, in the hills above the Mirna valley near Buzet, is often described as the smallest town in the world. It has only a few dozen residents, a single main street inside its walls, a parish church, a bell tower and a konoba. The town is known for biska, a mistletoe-flavoured brandy made in the area.
The road between Roč and Hum is lined with the Glagolitic Alley, a series of eleven stone monuments created between 1977 and 1983 to commemorate the Glagolitic script, the old Slavic alphabet used in Istria and along the Croatian coast for centuries. Roč itself is a small walled town worth a short stop. Together they make a good half-day trip.
Beram and its Dance of Death
A few kilometres from Pazin, outside the village of Beram, stands the small church of St Mary on Škriljinah. Its interior is covered in frescoes completed in 1474 by Master Vincent of Kastav and his workshop. The most famous section, on the west wall, is a Dance of Death: skeletons lead a procession of figures, including a pope, a king, a merchant and a beggar, towards the grave, a reminder that death treats everyone equally. It was painted after waves of plague and is one of the best-known medieval wall paintings in Croatia.
The church is usually locked, so you need to arrange a visit in advance through the local parish or tourist board, who can put you in touch with the key holder.
Draguć, Gračišće and Pićan
Draguć, a tiny village on a ridge above the Butoniga reservoir, has two frescoed churches and such a well-preserved old core that it has often been used as a film location. Gračišće, east of Pazin, is a quiet hill village with a Venetian-style loggia, old palaces and churches, and views towards Učka mountain. Nearby Pićan, once the seat of a bishop, sits on a hill with wide views over the countryside. All three are pleasant places for an unhurried walk and a coffee.
Svetvinčenat and the Pazin Cave
Svetvinčenat, in southern central Istria, has one of the most harmonious Renaissance squares in Istria, with a church, loggia, well and the large Morosini-Grimani Castle. The castle hosts events and medieval festivals in summer.
In Pazin, at the centre of the peninsula, the castle stands at the edge of the Pazin Cave (Pazinska jama), a deep gorge where the Pazinčica river disappears underground. Jules Verne used it as a setting in his novel Mathias Sandorf, and there is a zip line across the gorge and a footpath down into it. The castle houses the Ethnographic Museum of Istria and the town museum.
Lim Bay and Kamenjak
On the west coast, between Vrsar and Rovinj, Lim Bay is a long, narrow inlet flooded by the sea, surrounded by forested hillsides. It is often called a fjord, although geologically it is a drowned river valley. Boat trips run from Rovinj, Vrsar and Poreč, and the bay is known for its oyster and mussel farms; restaurants near the head of the bay serve them fresh.
At the southern tip of Istria, Cape Kamenjak, beyond the village of Premantura, is a protected landscape of low scrub, rocky coves and clear water, with dozens of small beaches. There is a fee for vehicles in summer, and the gravel tracks are rough, so many people cycle or walk in. Go early to find a quiet cove.
Planning your trip
Spring and autumn are the best seasons for inland Istria: the weather is mild, the countryside is green, and autumn brings the truffle and wine season. Many small villages have one konoba, often with limited hours, so check before you set off. Istrian dishes to look for include fuži and pljukanci pasta with truffles or game sauce, maneštra soup, pršut and local cheese, with Istrian Malvazija white wine or Teran red.
A good route for a day is Pazin and Beram in the morning, then north to Roč, the Glagolitic Alley and Hum for the afternoon, ending with dinner in Hum or Buzet.
