Orbanići: Hotels and Accommodation

Every year on May 1, Orbanići hosts a traditional gathering centered around the “Trka na tovari.” The celebration of Saints Philip and James includes local music and dancing; the donkey race takes the donkeys around the village. The Orbanići “Donkey race” is described as the longest-running donkey race in Istria; the first race took place in 1968.

Events

The celebration program features Cantadurs; traditional Istrian instruments such as the accordion, mih, and horns are also played. In the traditional “razbijanje pijadine” competition, participants of different ages wear a bandage around their heads and try to smash a deep salad plate with a stick.

The 57th Folk Music and Dance Show of the Pula area was scheduled for the 2026 program. It was to include traditional music, singing, and dancing in folk costumes from southern Istria. The 2026 Filiplje program in Orbanići also included a Briškula tournament organized by the Boćarski klub Orbanići.

Culture and History

Life at Vrčin is documented as early as the Neolithic period. Vrčin, near Orbanići in the municipality of Marčana, is a Bronze Age hillfort site. In the vicinity of Orbanići, a reconstructed stone tomb from Vrčin is displayed next to the entrance to the courtyard of the Archaeological Museum of Istria in Pula.

The local dialect of Orbanići in the municipality of Marčana belongs to the southwestern Istrian or Štakavian–Čakavian dialect. A folk tradition associated with the Krsnik story of Orbanići warns that placing bread upside down in an old bread oven summons witches.

The documentary film “Orbanići Unplugged” follows Alen Vitasović and people who are close to him or unknown to him as they reflect on his sudden rise to stardom. The music video for “Tone Livi” was filmed in Orbanići, the birthplace of Alen Vitasović.

Cuisine

The Marčana area has restaurants and taverns serving traditional local dishes, as well as tasting rooms operated by wine, cheese, olive oil, and honey producers.

More local pages: Divšići, Pavicini, Šegotići, Marčana, Krnica, Šarići, Kujici, Hreljići.

Anyone wishing to book a hotel in Orbanići can continue their accommodation search afterward.

To the higher-level travel overview: Općina Marčana.