Three distinct themes come together in Prhati: the Church of St Margaret, a protected cultural landscape and the marked Putem Šparuga trail. Together, they give trip planning a cultural and scenic focus that can be complemented by local produce.

Church and protected cultural landscape

The protected area around the Church of St Margaret also includes an extensive cultivated landscape: it lies north and south of the building, and especially on its eastern side. The view of the church from the west, from the direction of Prhati, is also to be preserved. The protected surroundings therefore include not only the church building, but also the designated areas and the sightline. If you are exploring the character of the village, it is worth keeping these different directions in mind.

Architecture and surviving frescoes

The church is a single-nave rectangular building with a recessed apse and an open roof. “Single-nave” describes a church space with one main nave; the recessed apse forms the architectural end of the rectangular building. These key elements of its design can be understood even without specialist knowledge. Remains of frescoes in the apse have been stylistically dated to the late 15th or early 16th century. For those interested in cultural history, two distinct subjects are presented side by side: the church’s layout and its surviving wall paintings.

Explore Putem Šparuga on foot or by bike

Putem Šparuga is a marked hiking and cycling trail that runs around the settlement of Prhati. The 6.4-kilometre route starts and ends in Prnjani. Along the way, it reaches the Jelensko viewpoint, which overlooks a quarry and the valley of the Raša River. The trail is named after wild asparagus and is best explored on foot or by bike in spring, when wild asparagus can be gathered. The distance, viewpoint and season each offer a different consideration for planning the outing; the seasonal connection with asparagus is especially relevant in spring.

Produce from Prhati

OPG Vera Bulić is listed at Gubavica 20 in Prhati. The products listed there include honey, fruit, vegetables and olive oil. If you would like to include a visit or the availability of particular products in your trip plans, confirm this before you arrive. This keeps shopping for local produce as a separate planning consideration alongside the church and trail.

Cultural context in Općina Barban

The wider destination of Općina Barban offers cultural attractions beyond those in Prhati. In Barban, the Church of St James the Apostle preserves the only surviving fresco cycle in Istria depicting the legend of St James. The parish church of St Nicholas the Bishop in Barban was built in 1701 and fully completed in 1708. Trka na prstenac is also part of this regional cultural context: it was added to Croatia’s list of intangible cultural heritage on 4 April 2016. A culinary tradition of the area around Barban is Barbanski kolač, a round cake with a hole in the middle that was historically associated with weddings. The wider cultural context thus encompasses church art, architectural history, intangible cultural heritage and traditional food culture.

Discover more destinations: Šajini, Petehi, Puntera, Barban, Orihi, Juricev Kal, Hrboki, Vadreš

Go to the overview of the wider destination: Općina Barban.