Istra.hr - official tourist website of Istria

To begin with, let us recall the myth of the Argonauts. Chasing Jason and the golden fleece, the Colchians sailed to the coasts of Istria. Once they arrived, they never wished to return home again. There is something in its magic, like nowhere else in the Mediterranean. Here you will find a town that, like Rome, lies on seven hills and boasts about its famous Arena. On one of its hills a tired Hungarian king wished to replace his lustrous attire for a simple monastic garment and die in holiness. The immortal Dante, inspired by its belvedere, wrote his verses. This is truly a land of wonders, thought Jules Verne as he wrote about the subterranean Pazin Pit in his novel “Matthias Sandorf”. Be sure to look into the churches of Istria, enjoy the lively medieval frescos and the world of the amazing Glagolitic alphabet. Visit the place from which the frail ballerina Carlotta Grisi started her career. Discover the window from which James Joyce, without truly comprehending the extent of his literary fame, day-dreamed about the career of a tenor. And then you might see why it is so special. Istria is an enchantress with thousand faces who has been seducing its visitors for many centuries. Anyone who tastes even a small part of its joys will get the urge to visit it again!