Žudetići’s historic centre and Parenzana history offer two distinct cultural and historical perspectives. The historic settlement centre is protected under ZPP status and assigned to Category 3. Ancient inscriptions are also associated with the village. When planning your trip, both the village itself and its historical connection to a cycling event may be of interest.
Cultural Heritage and Parenzana History
The historic Parenzana route ran from Ponte Porton towards Vižinada through Žudetići. The 18th Mountain Bike Parenzana was also part of the 19th Parenzana competition. This information relates to a historic route and a competition; check specifically for current event dates before travelling.
Staying in Žudetići
Casa Bella is a holiday villa in Žudetići. Check its availability for your preferred travel dates. Year-round accommodation was available in part of Žudetići in 2021; here, too, confirm that the specific accommodation can be booked for your stay. A villa in Žudetići is described as being surrounded by nature and away from traffic. This accommodation setting offers birdsong and the chance to observe the night sky.
Culture in the Wider Destination of Općina Vižinada
Several of the cultural sites described are located in the centre of Vižinada. A stone relief of the Lion of St Mark, dating from the 15th century, has been preserved in the main square. Also located there is a cistern, completed in 1782 to a design by Simone Battistella, an architect from Rovinj, and built from local limestone. The lapidarium next to Vižinada’s bell tower contains five Roman inscriptions.
The churches in the wider destination of Općina Vižinada offer further architectural and historical details. The Church of St John the Baptist, above the historic centre of Vižinada, was built in the 13th century as one of around ten double-apsed churches in Istria. Frescoes were discovered in the Church of St Barnabas in the village centre when the building was used to store props during the filming of the war movie “Kelly’s Heroes”. Its Christological cycle of images includes scenes of the Nativity, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, among others. The Old Fontik, also called the “Lav” House, is the oldest surviving public secular building in the municipality of Vižinada and dates from the 15th century.
The landscape also offers its own points of orientation: Vižinada sits on a hill on the southern edge of the Mirna Valley. From there, views extend across the surrounding countryside, vineyards and olive groves. The wider destination of Općina Vižinada also offers a choice of routes of different lengths and ways to get around. The 6.9 km “SRCE VIŽINADE 504” hiking trail passes through Bajkini, Vranje Selo and Crklada in the south-west of the municipality. A 123 km cycling route also runs through Vižinada along the renewed Parenzana railway line. The distances given help distinguish hiking interests from cycling interests, without treating them as the same activity.
Regional Cuisine and Seasonal Events
Across the wider Vižinada area, olive oil tastings and Istrian wines, especially Malvazija and Teran, are part of the culinary offering. Regional dishes include Pršut, Fuži, Njoki and Boškarin, as well as traditional cakes. The “Slatka Istra” festival offers a special showcase of sweets: held every year on 14 August, on the eve of the Vela Gospa feast, in the centre of Vižinada, it presents Fritula, Kroštula, Cukerančići, Pandešpanj, Povetica and Pinca, among other treats, as well as various kinds of dry biscuits. For those interested in culture, “Verši na šterni”, the festival of Čakavian poetry, offers another seasonal date: since 1993, it has been held regularly on the second Saturday in June at Vižinada’s Baroque Battistella Cistern. If events will determine your travel dates, check the programme before your trip.
Discover more destinations: Markovići, Vrbani, Staniši, Crklada, Lašići, Bajkini, Baldaši, Filipi.
Go to the wider travel overview: Općina Vižinada.
