Pazin Castle

Pazin castle is the largest and best preserved in Istria, first recorded in 983 and rebuilt repeatedly, and it stands directly above the Pazinska Jama, a chasm about a hundred metres deep where the Pazincica river disappears underground. Jules Verne set part of Mathias Sandorf here in 1885, having his hero escape by climbing down the castle wall into the chasm and being carried through the underground river - Verne never visited, and the geography does not work, which the town cheerfully acknowledges while running a Verne festival anyway. The castle holds the ethnographic museum of Istria and the town museum.

Background

The castle stands on solid rock in the middle of Pazin, the administrative seat of Istria County, above the gorge where the small Pazinčica river sinks underground through a swallow hole. It is built of hewn stone and has been rebuilt and renovated several times in its 11 centuries. Its owners included Meinhard I, Count of Gorizia, the Habsburgs from 1374, and from 1766 to 1945 the Montecuccoli family. Today it houses two museums, the Ethnographic Museum of Istria and the Pazin Town Museum.

Source: Wikipedia, "Pazin Castle"

What you'll find

• The largest castle in Istria - first recorded in 983.
• A chasm a hundred metres below - where the river goes underground.
• Verne's escape route - written without ever visiting, and geographically impossible.
• Two museums inside - ethnographic and town collections.

When to go

April to October; the chasm is most dramatic after rain. Half a day.

Practical notes

The underground river system is only accessible on organised caving trips, not casually. Museum labelling in English is patchy. The chasm viewpoint is fenced but the paths below are rough.

Nearby

Gracisce is east; Beram and its frescoes are minutes north-west.

Key facts