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Mystic South

Are you drawn to legends and mysterious places? If so, this is the adventure for you!
Just be careful not to get caught in the dark...

  • Under the surface of the sea

  • Invisible riders

  • Witches at crossroads

1. Arena, Pula

Built by mythical creatures

One night, a long time ago, fairies brought stones from the Učka mountain. At dawn, they ran away so that no one would notice them, and the job was left unfinished. This is what our elders used to tell. Some doubt this story and think that the Arena was built by good Istrian giants. What do you think?

2. Zerostrasse, Pula

Welcome to the underground

While strolling around Pula, we would never imagine that there were secret passages under our feet. Zerostrasse is a witness to a turbulent military history, but that is only a fraction of everything branching under the former main military port of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.

3. Naval Cemetery, Pula

Be it your will

This is the eternal resting place of important figures such as the Von Trapp family. Georg from the movie The Sound of Music was a member of the Von Trapp family. Please be warned that the late Matilda Barry could sometimes join you on your walk through the cemetery. On her grave, powerful words are engraved in English: "Be it your will."

4. Church of St. Cosmas and Damian, Fažana

The place of miracle workers
There are few places with a church dedicated to St. Cosmas and Damian, patrons of doctors and pharmacists. Why exactly in Fažana? Out of gratitude, of course. Tradition says that two healers visited Fažana and eradicated a terrible disease that ravaged the entire region.

5. Church of Eliseus, Fažana

A light in the heart of the storm
Legend has it that Fažana's seamen found themselves in the heart of a storm. Together they prayed to the prophet Eliseus. Then, a miraculous light appeared through the clouds, calming the surface of the sea and bringing them safely back to the shore.

6. Valbandon near Fažana

Cult of old deities
If there were magic in any place in honour of the old gods, then for sure it is at the archaeological site in Valbandon. Parts of this place's history have been brutal. It was also visited by the Black Death. Maybe that explains the name: vala abbandonata, or "abandoned bay."

7. Church of Spyridon, Peroj

Black hen for the Peroj priest
In Peroj, many inexplicable events followed one another, so the locals opened a suspicious grave and found a little vampiress combing her hair! Such problems were easily solved by the priest of Peroj. Many people came to him for help in removing spells, and his favourite reward was a black hen.

8. Church of Blaise, Vodnjan

Vodnjan mummies
Under the highest bell tower of the Istrian peninsula, 370 incredibly preserved relics are exhibited, including the bodies of saints. When it was unearthed, one body had a wonderful scent, and another had a hand raised in blessing. Is it just a legend? Some bodies contain preserved internal organs, which is confusing even for scientists!

9. Church of St. Martin, Vodnjan

Access forbidden to witches!
Take a good look at the inscription above the entrance to the 14th-century Church of St. Martin. Yes, this was the headquarters of the Inquisition for the whole of Istria! Most heretics were tried, like the unfortunate Andrea Cineia. There were also witch trials, as evidenced by the conviction of Adriana Gambuccio in 1639.

10. Manda's rock, Kavran

The end of unrequited love
The name of this rock preserves the memory of the inconsolable Manda, who tried to soothe her broken heart with a tragic jump into the abyss. Who would have thought that the beautiful sight of a small beach surrounded by cliffs and the romantic view of the Sika Cape lighthouse would hide such a secret?

11. Belavići

Crown of Tomislav, the first Croatian king
Ready for a royal quest? According to legend, the royal crown, mantle, and sceptre accidentally ended up somewhere in Belavići or the nearby Blaz Bay. They were sighted only once, when the prefect appeared in the midst of a drunken party, equipped with royal insignia.

12. Orbanići

Watch out, witches!
When you come across an old bread oven, don't put the bread upside down because you'll summon the witches. The witches attacked a family who asked for the help of the Orbanići krsnik, a vampire hunter. Unfortunately, ominous signs such as a perfectly folded apron on the wall of a nearby well indicated that there was no escape.

13. Monte Madonna, Šišan

Hell's Dragon and Heaven's Virgin
An old legend tells of a dragon in the bowels of the hill. To appease the dragon, girls from nearby Šišan were offered to him as sacrifices. One disconsolate father could not bear to have his daughter sacrificed. In tears, he met the Virgin Mary, who helped him defeat the beast.

14. Church of Trinity, Šišan

Hidden and not yet revealed
The adventure takes us to Šišan and the church of St. Trinity. In the 17th century, she was cared for by the flagellants, a brotherhood who had the habit of whipping themselves until blood appeared in order to feel the suffering of Christ, even in public. It will take some effort to find the mysterious church.

15. Church of the Virgin Mary of Kuj, Ližnjan

The power of apparition
Legend has it that a young woman with a child sailed to this place. Hearing that the church bells were ringing by themselves, the locals rushed to the bay. They were greeted by a statue of the Virgin Mary with a child. Inside the church, the statue of the Virgin is preserved, as well as a floor mosaic of the former Roman villa.

16. Archaeological site of Vižula, Medulin

The mysterious murder of Crispus
Walk along the Vižula peninsula and reach the remains of a Roman villa. From the distant past, there is a rumour that Crispus, the son of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great, lived there. The emperor's wife falsely accused Crispus of crimes and convinced the emperor to execute him. It is possible that he was killed right here.

17. Cemetery, Premantura

Picture from von Wolff's grave
After the First World War, a military commander settled in Premantura and spent his days here painting watercolours with motifs from southern Istria. The grave of Georg Hermann von Wolff was decorated according to his own sketches.

18. Cave in Gradina near Premantura

Stomps from the southernmost cave in Istria (new text)
The Pećina cave in Gradina hides a threat from underground. Since time immemorial, invisible horsemen have been coming out of it at night. It is said they stole children, leaving only hoofprints behind. Does this story reflect the ancient fear of pirates, who sold children as slaves?

Congratulations! You have reached the end of the Mystic South, one of the adventures of southern Istria.
What's your next adventure?

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