Frančići: Hotels and Accommodation

Frančići is associated with a documented journey by Mate Balota and Branko Fučić in search of the birthplace of Matija Vlačić. Those wishing to book a hotel in Frančići can then continue their accommodation search.

Culture and History

Near Frančići lies the Dubrova Sculpture Park, an open-air museum of contemporary sculpture in the area of Sveta Nedelja. Around 70 sculptures are located in Dubrova. The White Road project involves paving sections of an approximately 800-metre-long historic road through the park; the symposium's stone sculpture activities take place annually in August and September. The Dubrova Sculpture Park in the municipality is also described as containing 68 sculptures and 16 sections of the White Road. The park is open year-round, around the clock, with free admission; guided group tours are available by prior arrangement. The White Road is designed as a walkable path consisting of 16 sections, each 25 metres long and created by Croatian artists.

The archaeological site of Kočur contains the ruins of a single-nave Chapel of the Holy Cross above the Raša Gorge. Stancija Franković–Lazzarini near Štrmac is a country estate complex built in 1654 on the land of the noble Franković-Vlačić family. Despite abandoned or deteriorated sections, it retains its Baroque atmosphere and essential features. Lazzarini-Battiala Palace has a wine cellar and an Istrian fireplace and is a place where visitors can learn about local history, culture, art and gastronomy. The 16th-century Church of St Quirinus lies along the Šumberske Dine route. The Church of St Mary of Dren preserves an early-18th-century hymn book known locally as Šćavet.

Boksitna pruga follows a former bauxite railway corridor with visible rock cuttings and stone embankments. The Church of Saints John and Paul near Frančići is described as an abandoned monument. Petangošt is associated with the Church of St Mary of Dren and is described as the largest local festival of Šumberšćina. Kaštel Šumber is a protected cultural asset of national importance and was built on the site of a prehistoric fortress. The Pineta complex in Sveti Martin near Frančići is a protected cultural monument.

Trails and Landscape

Sveta Nedelja lies on a plateau 250–300 metres above the Raša River valley; the sea at Rabac is approximately ten kilometres away. The area is described as a transition between Green and Blue Istria, with nearby forests and proximity to the coast. Šumberske Dine is a hiking trail through marl dunes and rare geological phenomena. The trail is 7.3 kilometres long and connects natural phenomena, local family farms and unspoilt nature. The Trail of Ponds and Nobility (441) leads to rare preserved freshwater habitats around Jurazini and Eržišće.

The Trail of Saint Martin / Baron's Trail (443) forms a cycling loop through Sveti Martin, Ružići, Županići, Stepančići, Santalezi, Cere, Markoci, Golji, Snašići, Turini and Paradiž. The Trail of Miners and Stone Sculptures (442) is a cycling route that starts in Nedešćina and visits Vinež, where the miners' strike began. Farm Drijade offers visitors encounters with various animals by prior arrangement.

Regional Cuisine

Staza kalića i bukaleta connects visitors with traditional Istrian cuisine and visits rare preserved freshwater habitats. The Giovanna Allegra agrotourism property near Frančići offers traditional recipes from the Labin area associated with Italian cuisine. The Pineta agrotourism property offers tastings of specialities from the Radićanin family estate, including local products and honey.

Other places in the same directory: Martinski, Kerestinec, Novaki, Ružići, Sveta Nedelja, Kraj Drage, Rakitje, Santalezi.

To the higher-level travel overview: Municipality of Sveta Nedelja.