pazin west

Welcome to another trail enabling you to discover some magnificent hidden medieval small towns made of stone... Pazin – a true heart of Istria! First written records referring to the city as Castrum Pisinum appeared in 983 and presently, Pazin is known as a commercial, cultural and educational center of entire central Istria. Unique for its spectacular position above the carst abyssal cave, Pazin holds the medieval Pazin Castle – Kaštel (today, the Ethnographic Museum of Istria and the Municipal Museum are both in the castle) located on the verge of a 130 meters deep abyss. And that's why Jules Verne had been so thrilled by this sight so that he placed a part of the plot of his novel 'Mathias Sandorf,' written in 1885, right in this setting. Also, visit parish church of St. Nicholas with its magnificent, precious frescos and ribbed gothic vault with many colorful coats of arms of old noble families.

With Pazin left behind us, the trail takes us to Sv. Petar u Šumi, presently known for the former Benedictine and later, for its Paulist monastery with the baroque St. Peter's and Paul's parish church; Sv. Petar u Šumi is a place of pilgrimage for its miraculous painting of Our Lady Czestochovska who, on Christmas Eve of 1721, allegedly shed some tears.

We continue through the Limska draga valley in the direction of Tinjan. Tinjan hides its attractive 18th century parish church of St. Simon and Judas, not far from the 'District-Perfect's Table' – a stone table where city councillors deliberated on some important issues. If you meet anyone in the vicinity, you must ask him about a tale of the flea electing a village head. Elderly people from Tinjan will be glad to tell you a tradition according to which a village head was elected at this stone-table by a leap of a common flea.

After enjoying this panoramic view for a while, we move on through Kićer to Beram. A small town fortified in the old days, with a great defensive tower; apart from the parish church of St. Martin, today also famous for its distinguished fresco The Dance of the Dead located in St.Mary's cemetery church (Sv.Marije na Škrilinah) to the northeast. There you will discover a fantastic medieval mural imagery depicted in 1471 by Vincent of Kastav, which covers the walls of this chapel.

We keep on riding and through Čerišnjevica arrive in Grdoselo, known for the so called Fragment from Grdoselo – a Glagolitic inscription from 12th century originating from the disappeared church of St.Ann; today it is located in the parish church of St.Mary's Name. Grdoselo sprang up in the woodlands above the river Butoniga shores, our last stop before reaching Pazin.