The town at “the top of Istria” preserved the names of rulers in its historic names. Its name in prehistory, when this was the site of the Illyrian sanctuary, is unknown to us while the Greek name Egida (Aegida), bound by legend to the myth about the Argonauts, is mentioned in the 1st c. BC. It...

On the northwestern coast of Istria, on the one-time island, lies the only Istrian coastal town that boasts a history of thermal tourism. It was inhabited in the 1st c. BC which is the period that the oldest traces of the large luxurious complex with a Roman villa and pier on the seaside in Simon’s Bay, only...

Cocooned on the peninsula stands the town dominated by St. George’s Church, protected by mighty walls along the ridge of Mogoron hill that descends steeply into the sea between the Bays of Piran and Strunjan. Uninterrupted living from the Bronze Age is doubtless on the peninsula. Life in Antiquity took place...

This village above the Dragonja River has always overlooked its course. In the past, it was one of the main trade routes, whereas today it is the border between Croatia and Slovenia. According to archaeologists, living was organized already in prehistory, whereas the Roman origin of the toponym Castrum Bonae...

The village developed in the hinterland of Koper, overlooking the Rižana River Valley, on the Karst land full of caves and fresh water springs that determined its development. The oldest identifiable building is a round tower from the 11th c. Although it might seem small and insufficient for defensive purposes at...

Situated at the far end of the western coast of Istria, it is the last historic maritime station before crossing the northern Adriatic. Its greater surroundings are rich in archaeological finds that prove living in prehistoric times. The Roman rule meant intensive construction of residential-economic villas along...

On the western coast of Istria, by the mouth of the Mirna River, lies Novigrad, the center of the Frankish administration in Istria. This small peninsula too, was inhabited already in prehistoric times. In Antiquity, countryside villas (villae rusticae) were built in its greater area – the wealthy...

On top of the hill in the interior of Istria lies the largest town of its northwestern part. The architecture of the Buje hill-fort has not been preserved, but many fragments of vessels and utensils have been found. Several residential-economic complexes were built around the hill-fort settlement in the Roman times,...

It is not easy to find an attractive introduction for Oprtalj, yet another fortified town on the hilltop. No matter how attractive it was at the time of its prosperity, it is presently inexplainably neglected which is why it is usually not included in tourist itineraries of medieval towns. However, its development is not...

Perched on the hilltop in central Istria above the Mirna Valley stands the town with the best preserved fortification system in Istria. In prehistoric times already, people recognized the advantages of living on its plateau where they built their settlement. We are not certain of its power at the time, but its development...

In prehistoric times the hill-fort, from which the town later developed, watched over the road along the Mirna Valley. The settlement Piquentum derives its name from the semi-Romanized community of Illyrian-Celtic origin that populated these areas in Roman times. In perilous times of Late Antiquity and...

The surrounding area of Poreč was inhabited already in prehistoric times, which is testified by the many hill-forts (Picugi). The town started developing in the 1st c. BC, when it became a Roman colony. On the fertile land of the surrounding countryside, where famed olive oil and wine were produced, magnificent Roman...

The ancient residence of the Poreč bishops lies on the western coast of Istria, north of the entrance to Lim Channel. The favorable location of the bay facilitated the development of the ancient port. The remains of its breakwater, together with economic villas along the coast and on Sv. Juraj Island were...

On the western coast of Istria, not far from Lim Channel, lies the town with the best preserved Early Romanesque basilica in Istria. Its hill-fort features and toponyms in the greater area bear witness of prehistoric life which then continues into the Roman period. Its name at that time is not known since it was not...

The view of Rovinj, from whichever perspective, always focuses on the same detail, so it is impossible to tell the story of this town without mentioning it: high up on the belfry of the parish church stands the magnificent statue of St. Euphemia, patron saint of the town ever since the 9th c. Today, the preserved body of...

The town of fugitives, mythical refuge of the Argonauts, for centuries has been a perfect stopping point for boats sailing along the western coast of Istria. The great abundance of monuments and beauty of its bays were frequently described in travel books. The slogan of the three-thousand-year-old history of the town is...

Deep in the hinterland of the eastern coast of Istria, before the winding road descends into the Raša River Valley, this early medieval town is an ideal stopping point. Throughout the entire Middle Ages until Austria acquired the possession in 1374, it was the cause of dispute of Pula's bishops, Patriarchs of...

Situated in central Istria, this town is the formal capital of Istria County. Although there are no traces of prehistoric and ancient settlements, it is possible that the town originated even before 983 when it was mentioned for the first time in written documents. When visiting Castrum Pisinum or the...

This medieval fortified town is perched high above the Kvarner Gulf, on the eastern coast of Istria. It proudly stands overlooking the Raša River, historical boundary between the Illyrian tribes of Histri and Liburnians, and afterwards the Roman provinces of Histria and Dalmatia. In Roman times the settlement...

The town was not established until the Middle Ages, despite the ruins of a prehistoric hill-fort near the Church of St. Mary of Traversa. The name of the town derives from the Latin vicus Atinianus mentioned in written documents in 1150. As early as 1212, the oldest church in town, St. James delle...