Hum

Discover the magical inland of Istria, the largest peninsula on the Adriatic coast. Explore the green hills and valleys and lovely acropolis towns of Istria. Make sure to visit Hum, the smallest town in the world! This lovely walled town will amaze you with its long history and rich cultural heritage.

Istria is the largest Croatian peninsula and the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. It is known as Little Italy because, for many years, Istria was under Italian rule. This left a great mark on the architecture of the peninsula, as well as on the people of Istria. Along with the rich history and beautiful sea and nature, Istria is full of lovely little towns built in stone. The most well-known cities of Istria are those on the coast – Pula, Rovinj, and Poreč. But there are also several lovely towns located in the inland of the peninsula.

Legend has it that giants lived in Istria long before humans and they are held responsible for the appearance of the entire peninsula. The biggest of Istrian giants was the one named Dragonja. He plowed a furrow through which the river then flowed, the one he called Mirna. Later, he made another furrow for the river he named after himself – Dragonja. And the Pazin Cave was formed when he stomped his foot in anger and the ground opened. Each giant then took one hill and made a small town on it. And so were formed Grožnjan, Roč, Završje, Motovun, Sovinjak, and Vrh. According to the legend, giants built Hum from rocks left after building other acropolis towns in the river Mirna valley.

Hum is regarded as the smallest town in the world. Although having just 20 inhabitants, Hum contains all the administrative facilities and public affairs and has its own mayor. It is also one of the most important Glagolitic centers.

The acropolis town of Hum

Hum is one of the few preserved examples of urban development exclusively within the city walls. The city walls enclose an area of ​​rectangular shape, about a hundred meters long and about 35 meters wide. The urban core of the town, with fortifications, town gates, and the first row of houses, was built in the 11th century. During the entire millennium, to this day, almost nothing has been built outside the city walls. The settlement has remained within the boundaries set in the early Middle Ages.

Hum Castle (Kaštel) was located on a plateau within the defensive walls, on the site of today’s parish church. The main purpose of the castle was defensive, but, especially in the earlier period, it was also the seat of feudal lords. A settlement was gradually built next to the castle. Its defensive role dictated a closed system of walls that surrounded it and such a plan of the city that allowed the fastest connection of each of its parts with the castle, in which the inhabitants took refuge in case of danger. The spatial organization of the town consists of three parallel rows of houses that stretch from east to west, two streets that separate them, and a trapezoidal square by the main city gate.

Over the years, Hum was often damaged in conflicts and raids. Its fortification system, including the castle, was repeatedly demolished and rebuilt. In the 17th century, after the city burned down, a reconstruction followed. Today’s appearance of Hum was completed at the beginning of the 19th century with the construction of the parish Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which today has a central position in Hum.

When visiting Hum you don’t need more than 20 minutes to explore the whole town, but there’s a special atmosphere this stone-built acropolis provides. Almost a magical feeling!

Glagolitic lane

Hum is known as one of the main Glagolitic centers in Croatia. The Glagolitic script is the oldest Slavic alphabet. It was created by Byzantine monks, Cyril and Methodius, in the 9th century. The two monks were sent by the Byzantine Emperor to spread Christianity among the Slavs in the area. The idea was to translate liturgical books into the contemporary Slavic language understandable to the general population. As the words of that language could not be easily written by using either Greek or Latin alphabets, they invented a new script which was based on the local dialect of the Slavic tribes. Croatia was one of the main strongholds in the use of the Glagolitic alphabet. The Glagolitic alphabet was preserved in Croatia until the early 19th century.

The Glagolitic lane is commemorating Glagolitic heritage in Croatia. It is an exceptional monument complex that spreads along the road from Hum to Roč. Walking along the Glagolitic lane you will see several memorial sites and monuments written in this old alphabet.

Istrian cuisine is as good as Istria is beautiful! Although they are both a variation of the Mediterranean cuisine, the traditional food of Istria differs from the Dalmatian cuisine. Fish, squid, asparagus, truffles, pasta, and Istrian pršut (prosciutto) are just some of the traditional dishes of Istria.

Konoba Hum

Konoba Hum is the only restaurant in Hum. It is a traditional Istrian tavern, decorated in the original Istrian country style. The tavern serves typical local dishes, such as homemade pasta, truffles, mushrooms, asparagus, homemade soups and stews, Istrian beef, Istrian prosciutto, sheep cheese and cheese with truffles. The food is accompanied by a selection of local wines, Teran and Malvasia, or by a traditional Istrian aperitive.

House of Biska

While in Hum, don’t miss a chance to visit the House of Biska, one of the Aura Distillery shops. Biska is a traditional Istrian brandy, prepared from komovica (a type of rakija), mistletoe, and three types of herbs. It is traditionally prepared in Istria, and the original recipe is about two thousand years old and dates from the time of the Celts who lived on the Istrian peninsula. This recipe was found written in the Glagolitic alphabet, and since then biska has been prepared in its original way all across the peninsula.

Wineries and wine roads

Central Istria is full of wine-growing hills. The most famous wines produced in the area are Malvasia, Teran, Merlot, and Muscat. The history of wine in Istria is a story that lasts for almost 2000 years since the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius brought the first vine to the peninsula. Numerous wineries offer wine tastings and visits to their vineyards and cellars.