We drove to Hum and were disappointed. After a long drive, we were funneled in along with many other cars. We got to Hum and were surprised that they charge for parking even to get close. Also, it's a small town without much. If you do go, I wouldn't recommend eating at the only konoba in town (Rick's book mentions the name). We had the worst meal of our trip there. To be fair, it was a rainy day, but we visited other hill towns that we liked much more.
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
So would you say you found the place Ho Hum?
Posted by
Green Bay
20021 posts
I guess it wasn't a Humdinger.
Posted by
OP
seattle
2047 posts
Thanks for the laughs!
Posted by
Washington, DC
9 posts
Any other hill towns you would recommend visiting? We're headed to Istria in September and would love some tips!
Posted by
Portland, Oregon
5687 posts
Visit Grožnjan for sure - it's a fully restored old town full of galleries. Very neat place. Feels almost like a old movie set.
Motovun was OK - a nice main square at the top and amazing views. On the day I visited it had started to rain, so the views weren't so nice, but on a clear day, I'm sure the views are spectacular (nice views from Grožnjan too). Expect a lot of people at Motovun, the need to park possibly far away, maybe take a shuttle bus to the top, etc. It's kind of an effort to explore compared to the other towns, but if you are nearby seeing other towns, it would be a shame not to explore it.
Buje is more of a conventional town than an "old hill town" but I stopped because I was passing through. I did find a neat ruined church at the top, though, that made it worth the stop.
Završje is almost abandoned - only a few people live there, and it is still full of abandoned buildings that are being restored, I guess. There was basically no one there at all on the day I stopped. There is a charm to exploring an old place that has almost no other tourists, I guess.
Posted by
Nanaimo, BC, Canada
167 posts
Agree with Andrew and would add Grascisce and Buzet and Pican to the list, to name a few. The whole point of going to Hum is that it is the smallest town in the country, with a tiny stone table for the mayor and council to meet at. The restaurant/konoba is pricey and crowded in summer, but eating inside or outside on the terrace have different charms. I still like Hum, and am drinking a glass of their mistletoe brandy (Biska) as I write. The parking fee is a standard problem in all popular Croatian summer spots. Come out of season and the same parking lot is deserted and free. Now in mid-October Rovinj is still sunny and quite busy, even as restaurants slowly start to close up for winter. My neighbour is in inner Istria picking the family olive harvest, a little late due to rains. Today is calm, clear.
Posted by
Martinez, CA, USA
1506 posts
A little late for many of the posters here, but if anyone is planning to visit Istria in the future, you might consider Zavrsje, which we visited in September 2014. The town was mostly abandoned after WWII when it became part of Yugoslavia and most of the Italian inhabitants went to Italy, but UNESCO has taken an interest in it. The buildings are slowly being repaired and a few people do live there. You can wander through the town and get a feeling of history and what this hill town was and what it might become. We really enjoyed our walk through the town and thought it was more worthwhile than Motovun which seemed too touristy to us.