Labin
A coal town on a hill whose miners declared their own republic in 1921, now full of studios.
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Labin has two parts: a modern town below and the old walled town on the hill above, and the connection between them was coal. Mining ran here for centuries and shaped the place, and in March 1921 the miners took over the pits and the town and held them for over a month against the authorities in an episode known as the Labin Republic, one of the first anti-fascist actions in the region. The mines closed in the 1980s and the hill town was subsiding and half empty; it has since been restored and given over largely to studios and galleries. The town museum has a reconstructed mine shaft in its basement.
What you actually see
- A miners' republic in 1921 - the pits and town held for over a month.
- A hill town restored - after subsidence and depopulation.
- Studios in the old lanes - the current use of the buildings.
- A mine reconstructed in a cellar - in the town museum.
When to go
May to September for open galleries and the summer programme. Half a day.
Honest expectations
Some buildings still show subsidence damage and are shut. Galleries keep short and seasonal hours. Parking is below and the streets are steep. The modern town below is functional, not scenic.
Nearby
Rabac and its beaches are below; Pula is south-west.
What to pack for Labin
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.