Barban: Hotels and Accommodation

Barban combines historic sites with trails and excursion destinations in the surrounding area. Those wishing to book a hotel in Barban can then continue searching for accommodation.

The Barban visitor centre is located in the town’s old loggia. It presents the history, monuments, culture, customs and traditional clothing associated with Barban and the Trka na prstenac.

The parish church of St Nicholas in Barban was built as a Baroque church in 1701 and completed in 1708. It contains a 15th-century Gothic custodia, a stone baptismal font and wall frescoes. The Church of St Anthony is a Romanesque church from the late 14th century with frescoes from the early 15th century and Glagolitic graffiti from the 16th century.

The Trka na prstenac dates back to 1696 and was revived in 1976. In 2016, it was added to the Croatian list of intangible cultural heritage. At the Barban Trka na prstenac Museum, visitors can try to hit the ring while wearing 3D glasses and holding a lance in a virtual-reality experience.

KUD Barban preserves the local heritage of folk music with groups of dancers, traditional singers and players of traditional instruments, and presents its work at folklore festivals. Barbanski rančin is an earring from the 11th century that was found at Gradina near Barban. Replicas are produced as traditional souvenirs; the item is registered as Croatian cultural heritage.

Nature and Hiking

The Putem špilja hiking route starts at the primary school in Barban and runs for 12.5 kilometres to Feštini. Along the way, it passes caves, the remains of a former town and prehistoric fossils before ending at the specially equipped Feštinsko kraljevstvo cave.

Cycling

An Istria-Bike route starts in historic Barban, leads through local forests and agricultural land, passes through Puntera and then returns to Barban.

Activities in the Surrounding Area

In Manjadvorci, within the municipality of Barban, Ranch Barba Tone offers guided nature treks as well as one- or multi-day riding programmes. Nearby Glavani Park is 6 kilometres from Barban and features three elevated adventure courses, including a 113-metre zipline, as well as activities for different age groups.

Regional Cuisine

Barbanski kolač is a traditional wedding cake from the Barban area with a round shape and a hole in the centre. In the Barban area, local producers offer olive oil, seasonal vegetables, honey, fruit, fig cake and other fig products, as well as sheep’s cheese.

Other places in the same area: Balići Ii, Želiski, Rebići, Puntera, Prhati, Bicici, Melnica, Orihi.

To the higher-level travel overview: Općina Barban.