Poreč

Poreč developed on a small symmetrical peninsula long before the arrival of the Histrians, an Illyrian tribe. Today the centre of the old city is located on this small peninsula. With the arrival of the Histrians the area surrounding the present-day city was settled, and thanks to a naturally protected harbour the construction of a harbour-centre was enabled and Poreč could develop unhindered.  

Preserved records by Ancient Greek historians and geographers from the 6th and 4th centuries BC mention a small fishing village, and archaeological findings tell us of the homes of the people of the time.

A Roman settlement was constructed around the 2nd century BC which, with the natural harbour, developed into a military fort over time.  The silhouette of a city is visible in the geometrically symmetrical placement of the streets.  The City of Poreč has preserved this appearance with the main streets Cardo Maximus and Decumanus as well as the centrally located Forum.  Poreč was granted city or municipio status, during the first half of the 1st century and was granted the name Colonia Iulia Parentium.

During Roman rule in the area of Poreč, in the 3rd century the first bishop of Poreč, Bishop Mavar, was a victim of one of the Christian persecutions.  After a cruel martyr’s death the Bishop was declared a saint and the City’s patron.

Since then and until the present day Poreč has maintained its status as a diocese.  In the 4th century an early Christian cathedral was built at the place where Bishop Mavar suffered his martyrdom.  One hundred years later it was renovated and in the 6th century Bishop Euphrasius ordered the construction of a basilica – this basilica is today considered a famous building and is a true architectural treasure.  Since 1998 it has been an UNESCO protected site.

Slavs settled in Istria, Poreč and its surrounding area in the 7th century.  Poreč had a city-government as early as the 12th century and the first City Statute dates from around the year 1250.  The longest ruler in Poreč was the Venetian Republic which ruled for about five hundred years.  With the fall of Venice Poreč came under Austrian rule, and quickly after in 1805 came under French administration after Napoleon’s conquest.  From 1815 to 1918 Poreč came under Austrian rule once more.  The City’s reputation grew when the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy declared Poreč the capital city of Istria and made it the seat of the regional government and the location of the Istrian Parliament.

Up until the middle of the 20th century a number of governments, monarchs and states changed hands.  The area of Poreč was ruled by Ostrogoths, was the seat of Frankish rule, Aquileian Patriarchs, the Venetian Republic, Austria, Napoleon’s Illyrians and the Kingdom of Italy.  In 1943 Poreč and the rest of Istria were joined to Croatia, a constituent state of Yugoslavia which in 1990 became an independent state.

// REF: https://www.myporec.com/en/discover-porec/thousand-years-of-history/53

Tar – Vabriga

Tar and Vabriga, once two villages, now make up one municipality with one side facing the sea, the other the fertile Istrian interior.

The hardworking inhabitants of this region engage in agriculture, tourism and fishing. Therefore, tourists can enjoy all the comforts of Istrian cuisine made from fruits of the sea and land and your palette can be treated to some famous Istrian wines.

The idyllic setting is made complete with classical music concerts that are held in summer in the parish church of sv. Martin [St. Martin] at Tar. In this area there are many historic remains more than sixty million years old, traces of dinosaur tracks, bones and mammoth tusks, and the ruins of prehistoric people. Near the town, in Červar and Larun there is an archaeological site that has a former Roman country house, oil mill, amphorae, sunken port…

The nearest beach “Santa Marina” is only 800 m away, while within 100m are numerous restaurants and shops. Poreč and Novigrad are only 5 km away. During your vacation be sure to visit the Amphitheatre in Pula (The Arena) and the beautiful town of Rovinj with the monumental church of St. Euphemia, which are only a 45 minutes drive away. Do not miss the authentic Istrian cuisine with a variety of dishes with truffles, porcini, homemade pasta (fuži and pljukanci) and fish specialties.

// REF: https://www.adriago.com/tar-vabriga-croatia/g.48

Funtana

From Zelena laguna (Green Lagoon) in the west to Valkanela Bay on the south, what you will see in front of you is the most indented part of the Istrian peninsula.

This is a bird’s eye view of Funtana, a place that grew up over water springs where Nature has choreographed of one of the most playful scenes of the Istrian landscape.

If you take just a quick glimpse of the earth from which this lovely place arose, a green oasis of rare beauty will appear to you, framed by the blue Adriatic, whose regular rectangular division of green fields of the hinterland is the work of an ancient orthogonal system of the Roman centuries.

Welcome to the picturesque fishermen’s town that breaths a special charm and the beauty of life at every step. Tailor-made for the common man with one stone palace and a church with a bell tower circled by rows of quiet stony little streets, this place completely and proudly has been a part of the Mediterranean since antiquity.

What you have in front of you are tranquil hours of peace and joy at the sources of friendship.

// REF: https://www.myporec.com/en/surroundings/funtana

Kaštelir-Labinci

On the western coast of Istria, surrounded by rich Mediterranean vegetation blended with olive groves, vineyards and fields, you can find the Kaštelir-Labinci Municipality.

Two villages – Kaštelir and Labinci, ital. Castelier – S. Domenica, have been gradually urbanistically expanding during the centuries which resulted in their being merged into one municipality located some ten kilometers north of Poreč

On the western coast of Istria, surrounded by rich Mediterranean vegetation blended with olive groves, vineyards and fields, you can find the Kaštelir-Labinci Municipality. Two villages – Kaštelir and Labinci, ital. Castelier – S. Domenica, have been gradually urbanistically expanding during the centuries which resulted in their being merged into one municipality located some ten kilometers north of Poreč. According to historical records, Labinci was once a bigger settlement than Kaštelir, whereas today it is the other way around, which is also visible from the name.

A legend says that the inhabitants of Labinci used to go to Motovun-Montona on horseback every Sunday to pick up a priest to have him serve Sunday mass in their church. On their way back to Motovun-Montona they would, as compensation, clean up the Motovun-Montona Square. During the history both villages used to be under the jurisdiction of Motovun-Montona and later Vižinada-Visinada. Today, numerous showrooms can be found in their suburbs which came to represent a modern industrial zone which will soon include even a prestigious culinary school.

// REF: https://www.istra.hr/en/destinations/850

Višnjan

Walking from the sun-dial in the Antun Korlević Park towards the old part of Višnjan you can experience the spirit of the rich historical heritage of this town. Every stone, every town corner will speak about its history and every family can tell you a legend or a true story about this small town.

Passing along the cobblestone street at the foot of the hill, you will see the Gothic chapel of St. Anthony the Abbot (Sv. Anton) from the 15th century. This street leads you to the town gate decorated with a relief of the Venetian lion from 1517 with the town’s pride hiding behind it – the old town square. Partly surrounded by town walls built in the 13th and 14th century the square is adorned by a 27 meter high bell-tower, 18th century Municipal loggia, water-well and the Parish church of SS. Quiricus and Julita (Sv. Kvirik i Julita) dating from the 19th century.

Lovers of science and astronomy will find just the place for them right near Poreč.

The Višnjan Observatory is located 16km from Poreč in the village of Tičan. The number of asteroids it has discovered makes it one of the twelve most productive observatories of all time. During its years of operation, it has proven outstanding in astrometric measurements and the discovery of small bodies. Stargazing the Istrian sky will thrill both young and old.

The most active current projects unfolding at the Višnjan observatory are those designed to popularise and educate within the framework of the Tičan Science and Education Centre, including programmes in many fields of science for pupils of all ages.

// REF: https://www.istra.hr/en/destinations/visnjan

// REF: https://www.myporec.com/en/what-to-do/excursions/552

Vižinada

Have you ever wondered if there is a place where you will feel the intense touch of nature, the beauty captured in time, the joy of living and fun, and where standing in the present, in the blink of an eye you can be transported into the past, and the answer is – yes. This place is called Vižinada.

A place on the hill, with a view so imposing that it is eternal inspiration for painters and writers. A place that simultaneously exudes a strong vitality and indescribable peace. A place that you will never forget and that you will definitely visit again. If you walk through the streets of Vižinada in August, you will breathe in the beautiful smells of homemade cakes during the traditional manifestation Sweet Istria. This event will delight you since it blends tradition and the present with the flavors of desserts and you will also be delighted when you see how many of today’s Istrians respect and preserve all the values left by previous generations. Visit Vižinada in September and you will feel the spirit of sports, recreation and communion at the Parenzana Recreational bike-marathon, gathering a lot of cycling enthusiasts every year. This picturesque setting is a paradise for cycling fans, since Vižinada has a 123 km long bike trail along the renewed Parenzana railway route, as well as many other cycling and hiking trails. Each month, week and day of the year conceals something new for all visitors of Vižinada, a unique and unforgettable experience. The countless vineyards and the offer of local winemakers, the gastronomic delights that will leave you speechless, a mill where you can buy homemade freshly ground flour and the intact nature that invites you to join it – all that is Vižinada. Just like the powerful spirit of the past that is still ubiquitous today. Like in the street of Carlotta Grisi, a ballerina whose gracious genius, perpetuated in the ballet story of Giselle, grew up here on the streets of Vižinada, where she was born. You will also be delighted by the Gothic church of St. Mary with a stone head on the facade, which, according to legend, depicts Atilla the Hun, as well as by every stone and corner of this magical place that was mentioned by Jules Verne in his works. Visit, feel, experience. Vižinada is expecting you.

// REF: https://www.istra.hr/en/destinations/vizinada

Wine roads

Grape vines have been cultivated all over Istria and as such in the area of Poreč since the time before Christ. Additionally, there are many written monuments in the Poreč area which bear witness to its existence. For example, stone monuments that date from the time of the rule of the Roman Empire bear witness to the existence of grape vines and grape harvesting. 

Over the centuries the rulers of the city changed as did the city’s name Parentium, Parens or Poreč, but it always remained coveted for its oil and wine. Thanks to its fertile soil and mild Mediterranean climate with long, hot summers and short, mild winters, Istria has the ideal conditions for the development of grape cultivation.

The wine roads of the Poreč region will take you from city crowds to vineyards and wine cellars.  From Višnjan, about 15 km away from Poreč, they gracefully slope towards the shore in an area with red soil, ideal for the growth of grape vines, while in the opposite direction, towards Vižinada, the wine roads lead to the winegrowing hills and wine cellars of surrounding villages.  Excellent wines who owe their quality to the melding of traditional production with modern technology are born precisely in these cellars.

Over the long history of grape vine cultivation and tradition of winemaking in Poreč, at the end of the 19th century the basis for the foundation of today’s Institute for Agriculture with its wine cellar were formed.

The Poreč area’s most plentiful wine, Istrian Malvazija (Malmsey), a variety of white wine, and immediately alongside it White Pinot, Grey Pinot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon proudly climb the surrounding green hills. Of red wines, those that best grow in the area are Teran, Borgonja, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Muškat and Malvazija Slatka (sweet Malmsey) are excellent desert wines.

The wine roads will enchant you with their natural beauty and all the colours, scents and tastes will guide you to new explorations.

// REF: https://www.myporec.com/en/gastronomy/wine-roads