Kastav

Kastav stands on a hill some 365 metres above the sea between Rijeka and Opatija, walled, with a square opening straight onto a view down over the bay. Its best known story is from 1666, when the townspeople, worn down by the exactions of the captain Franjo Morelli, seized him and threw him into the town well, which still stands on the square and carries a plaque. The town runs a long-established cultural summer of concerts and theatre in its open spaces, and in winter it belongs to the zvoncari, the bell-ringing carnival groups of the Kastav region whose processions are inscribed on the UNESCO intangible heritage list.

History

Kastav's history reaches back to prehistory: in the Mišinci karst valley below the town the Iapodes, an Illyrian people, buried their dead, and jewellery, buttons and pins have been found there. The origin of the name is uncertain - some derive it from a Celtic word kast, rock, others from the Latin castellum, a fort. The medieval town is still read in its monuments: the Kaštel, the municipal loggia, the arched Volta gateway, the parish church of St Helena, Lokvina square, the remains of the Crekvina church and the church of the Holy Trinity (Wikipedia, Kastav).

What's there

• A walled town 365 metres up - the square opening onto the bay.
• The well of 1666 - where the captain Morelli was thrown.
• A cultural summer - concerts and theatre in the open spaces.
• Zvoncari in carnival season - the bell ringers of the Kastav district.

When to go

June to September for the summer programme; January and February for carnival. Half a day.

What to expect

The town is small and covered in an hour or two outside event times. Parking is below and the climb is steep. The view is often hazy in summer. Restaurants are few.

Nearby

Opatija is below to the south; Rijeka is east around the bay.

Key facts