Groznjan
A hill town that was nearly abandoned in the 1950s and was saved by giving the empty houses to artists.
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Groznjan stands on a ridge in northern Istria and by the 1950s it was close to empty - most of the Italian-speaking population left after the border settlement that followed the war, and the stone houses stood open. In 1965 the town was declared a town of artists and the buildings were made available to painters, sculptors and musicians who would restore and use them, which is why the lanes now hold several dozen studios and galleries. Since 1969 it has also hosted the summer school of Jeunesses Musicales, so from June the streets carry the sound of students practising in rooms with the shutters open.
What you actually see
- A town emptied and then repopulated - houses given to artists from 1965.
- Studios and galleries in the lanes - several dozen working spaces.
- A summer music school since 1969 - practice heard through open windows.
- Stone streets closed to cars - the whole core is pedestrian.
When to go
May to September, with the music school running through the summer. Half a day.
Honest expectations
Out of season much of it is shut and very quiet. Galleries keep their own hours and many are seasonal. Parking is below the town and the walk up is on cobbles. It is small - two hours covers the streets.
Nearby
Buje is west; Motovun and the Mirna valley are south-east.
What to pack for Groznjan
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.