The parish church of St. Marina in Novaki Motovunski was built in 1879 on the site of an older church dating from the 16th century. The 30-kilometre Staza dobrih okusa i doĹľivljaja cycling route provides a second, activity-focused highlight. This places architectural history and cycling alongside each other as distinct ways to experience the area.
Cycling in Novaki Motovunski
The Staza dobrih okusa i doĹľivljaja leads to Brigi, a hamlet within Novaki Motovunski, and then continues towards Rakotule. Its total length is 30 kilometres. If you plan to ride the route, check its condition and signage before setting out, as both may change. The cycling route can be considered a highlight in its own right, alongside the area's churches and historic buildings.
Churches and traces of architectural history
St. Marina stands on the site of an older church dating from the 16th century; the present building dates from 1879. Opposite it, only the portal of the former Polesini family palace remains. It is a single surviving trace of the former palace, while the parish church represents the later building on the same site. The Church of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary was built beside Novaki in 1683. Together, these buildings offer different clues to local history: a predecessor building, a surviving portal, and a 17th-century church.
Waterways, landscape, and local products
The Krvar flows through the area of Karojba and Motovunski Novaki, outside the built-up area, and belongs to the Mirna drainage basin. The Čiže watercourse is a sinking-water phenomenon formed by several streams and tributaries, extending from Kašćerga towards Novaki Motovunski. The cadastral municipality of Motovunski Novaki lies in the contact zone between Red and Grey Istria, along the boundary between flysch and karst limestone. The landscape is therefore defined by both its waterways and the transition between geological formations.
OPG Koraca in Motovunski Novaki, at an elevation of 425 metres above sea level, offers a specific connection to wine growing and olive cultivation. Traditional grapevines and olive trees are cultivated there. Under the brand “The spirit of wine,” the producer makes spirits and liqueurs using traditional methods. These products are associated with this producer; the information does not describe production in the area as a whole.
More to discover in the wider destination of Općina Karojba
In the wider destination of Općina Karojba, the botanical natural monument “Ćetiri Pinije u Karojbi” has been protected since 1966. The four pines are located on the road between Karojba and Pazin. The oldest has a trunk circumference of 3.30 metres and a height of 14.5 metres. At Dolac Sopajac, a sinkhole between Karojba and Vižinada near Škropeti, access to the bottom is considered difficult because of the terrain and vegetation. The sinkhole is regarded as the largest and deepest in Istria.
Valigaštar is a drinking-water spring near the hamlet of Močibobi. Its water has been used since Byzantine and Roman times. The Church of St. Mary Magdalene in the hamlet of Konobari is another regional landmark: it dates from the 12th century and has a bell dating from 1607. The Istrian Border Dispute Trail begins at the Lourdes Chapel, built in 1898; information panels explain the border dispute in four languages. These features add to the picture of Općina Karojba without making them features of Novaki Motovunski.
Discover more destinations: Karojba, Ĺ kropeti, Rakotule.
Go to the overview of the wider destination: Općina Karojba.
