Grožnjan – town of artists and musicians

Grožnjan (Grisignana in Italian) was almost abandoned after the Second World War. In the 1960s painters, sculptors and musicians moved into the empty stone houses – today the little town, with around 30 galleries and studios, is one of Istria's most atmospheric places. In summer music drifts from almost every window, as an international summer music school has been held here for decades.

At a glance

Region: north-west inland Istria
To the coast: Novigrad approx. 25 km, Umag approx. 30 km
Altitude: approx. 230 m
Best time to visit: June to September (concerts), autumn
Ideal for: art lovers, couples, cyclists
Typical: galleries, chamber music, truffle dishes

Galleries and lanes

The town is small and car-free: cobbled lanes, a loggia, the town gate, St Vitus's Church with a free-standing bell tower. Artists work in many ground-floor rooms – painting, ceramics, jewellery, glass – and you can often watch them at work. The atmosphere is relaxed and far less commercial than in Motovun.

Summer of music

Grožnjan is home to an international cultural centre of Jeunesses Musicales Croatia. From June to August master classes are held for young musicians; final concerts on the square and in the church are often free. There are also jazz and art festivals in summer.

Cycling and surroundings

The Parenzana, a former Trieste–Poreč railway line, passes right by Grožnjan and is now one of Istria's most popular cycle routes – with tunnels, viaducts and gentle gradients. Worthwhile neighbours are Motovun (about 20 minutes), Završje with its abandoned upper town, and Oprtalj.

Honest verdict

You can see Grožnjan in two hours – but the magic comes when you stay, sit on the loggia in the evening and listen to music. Few parking spaces, hardly any shops, no big hotels; instead peace and character. In winter almost everything is closed.