Bike i trail staze

Puntera - Blaz

The Path of Hidden Beauty

The trail is named “The Lost Crowns of King Tomislav” after an existing legend. The story of the legend goes like this: During the 15th century, fights raged in Croatia over the royal Hungarian-Croatian throne. There were several pretenders to the position, and each party supported its candidate. The ruler of the joint kingdom was to be crowned with the Hungarian crown of St. Stephen, and the Croatian crown of King Tomislav. The ships that were transporting the Croatian royal insignia to Naples, where the coronation was to take place, clashed with the forces of the opposition candidate, and the ship carrying the scepter, crown and sword was hidden in the Bay of Raška. According to legend, Croatian royal symbols were hidden in that bay, specifically in the Blaz bay, and since then all trace of them has been lost. About three hundred years later, an interesting event occurred in the nearby village of Belavići. Namely, the Venetian governor visited Istrian towns to collect taxes, and according to protocol, he was usually hosted by the local village prefect. In this case, it was Grgo Belavić, who, after completing the administrative work, prepared a rich dinner for the Venetian governor and his men, with plenty of wine. When the dinner was over and the participants fell under the influence of wine, the host briefly sneaked out of the house, only to return shortly afterwards with a crown on his head, a scepter in his hand, a cloak and other royal insignia. He briefly strutted in front of the distinguished guests, and then disappeared again. The next morning, remembering the event vaguely, the Venetian governor asked the host about the strange event, but Grgo Belavić replied very firmly that nothing unusual had happened the previous evening except for good fun. Thus, everything was attributed to the influence of wine, and it remains to be guessed whether the crown of King Tomislav was still in the Blaz cove in the Bay of Raška.

Najnovina barbanska pješačka staza započinje na Punteri.

Kreće se nizbrdo bijelim zavojitim putem sve do doline Raše. Duž staze nižu se ploče sa zanimljivim činjenicama o području. Pogledi na zaljev i polja neizbježna su atrakcija. Jedina su to polja u Istri ispod razina mora, isušena su u vrijeme vladavine Italije, krajem dvadesetih godina prošlog stoljeća, a između rata hranila su stanovništvo.

Ukoliko želite možete nastaviti put prema Blazu gdje se nalaze zanimljivosti poput starih mlinova i izvora pitke vode.

Trail 631 Barban

The journey begins in Barban towards the west. Passing through the villages of Melnica and Frkeče. From there, turn right onto the main road leading to Draguzeti. Just before Draguzeti, turn left onto the gravel road. The ride continues through beautiful Barban forests and well-cultivated fields. From the road, you can see an old quarry where the peasants extracted stone for their houses. The route passes through many hills from which it offers a beautiful view. The views extend to the mountains to the west and to the Kvarner Sea to the east. On one of these hills near the village of Želiski, the church of St. Paul was built in the 14th century. It continues along wide roads towards the village of Manjadvorci. Then follows the exit from the asphalt onto the main road Pula-Rijeka towards the villages of Hreljići and Belavići. From the asphalt, turn onto the gravel road on the left and descend towards the sea and the beautiful Blaz bay in the Raška Channel. Blaz is known for its sources of drinking water that were traditionally used by the inhabitants of eastern and central Istria. In the fifteenth century, water-powered mills were built to grind wheat and corn. The walls are still visible today and evoke that history. Then, the road continues uphill, through the village of Rebići towards Hrboka, and then descends on a macadam road through pine forests to reach the village of Puntera. After passing Puntera, the road continues on a macadam road towards Barban.

By Way of the Caves

Hiking and cycling trail

It was built at the end of the 14th century. The facade has a distaff with one window and a bell. The interior was painted in the third quarter of the 16th century with late Gothic frescoes by a local master.

The mural above the altar depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary as a protector who covers the faithful, members of the brotherhood, with her mantle. The frescoes depict the legend of St. James, the only such cycle preserved in Istria. The walls feature Glagolitic graffiti dating from the 16th century.

Via Asparagus

Hiking and cycling trail

The “Via Asparagus” trail begins and ends in Prnjani, and is named so because it is rich in asparagus, which attracts many lovers of fine dishes that can be prepared from it to nature. Therefore, it is best to walk or cycle along this trail in the spring, when it is the only time you can pick it. You can reach Prnjani from Barban, along the road towards Sutivanac, and turn towards Mavrići according to the signpost. The road then leads to Prnjani. In the village there is a board with a marked trail, opened in 2012 and marked with yellow-green markings. The path is initially flat, quite wide, but after a few hundred meters it begins to descend gently. At the end of the cart path, turn right onto a narrow forest path. Various paths intertwine in the forest, and you should pay attention to the signs at every turn, because it is easy to make a mistake. About halfway along, you reach the Jelensko viewpoint, which offers a view of the quarry and the Raša River valley. After a few hundred meters, you turn towards another viewpoint, Tito, which offers a view of Barban and the winding road that leads to it from Most Raša. Then you reach the signpost for the Jurasovac pond, which has dried up. A little further, on a wider road, next to fenced farms with sheep, and the trail is over. The total length of the trail is 6.4 km.

Via Mushrooms

Hiking and cycling trail

The “Via Mushrooms” trail begins and ends in Draguzeti, and is named so because it is, of course, rich in edible mushrooms, which attract many lovers of the delicious dishes that can be prepared from them to the countryside. Therefore, it is best to walk or ride a horse along this trail in the fall when they can be picked. It is 7 km long, and you can truly enjoy nature while walking along it.

Via St. Martin

Hiking and cycling trail

In Bičići, there is a long-standing tradition of celebrating Martinja and worshipping St. Martin (it is known that St. Martin was celebrated in Bičići even during the Frankish era), to whom the small church in Bičići from 1315 is dedicated. The start is in Bičići, from where you can go via Glavani and the local Adrenaline Park, where the bravest, among other things, can try out the adrenaline swing, and then through Feštinka and Boljunka, Trlje, Črnjak and Škitača back to Bičići. This trail, as well as the “Mushroom Trail”, is probably best hiked or cycled in autumn, because several types of mushrooms can be found along the way, and the more experienced can try their hand at picking them. The trail is 19 km long, but it can easily be shortened, and hiked for 14 km, for example.

Along the Sources

Hiking and cycling trail

The circular trail “Along the Sources” leads from Hrboki via Pisak and Puntera, back to the starting point, in Hrboki, and on the trail itself there are signposts for, for example, the Čažun springs and the channels of the Raša River.

Along the Mills

Hiking and cycling trail

“Along the Mills” is the third trail from Sutivanac, across the Raša River Valley and back, which features a marked route for sightseeing the mills and springs in the Raša Valley.

From Sutivanac, you start from the intersection of the road from Balići towards the hamlet of Dolica, descending southwards, sometimes along the road, sometimes along a field path. When you arrive in Medančići, turn right to the southwest, pass by the last house and field, and then enter a forest path that winds southwards. After 2 kilometres, the road turns east and soon emerges on a serpentine rocky tractor road that leads to the bed of the Raša River. It is interesting that at the end of the 18th century, just before the fall of Venice, rice was grown in the Raša Valley, and the inhabitants called this part of the valley “rižera”.

It heads upstream to the north and for the next two kilometres we follow the Raša River, whose waters once powered the wheel of the old Sušak mill, the remains of which the road passes by. After leaving the Raša Valley, the climb begins on a gravel road below the town of Gorica. The gravel road is followed to a sharp bend. The road turns north, and pedestrians and cyclists continue along a forest path to the west.