Rakovci is the birthplace of Joakim Rakovac: he was born here in 1914 and founded a local liberation committee in 1943, whose influence spread from Rakovci across Istria. At the Joakim Rakovac Memorial House, he is honored as a national hero in connection with the period from 1914 to 1945.
Culture and History
The Joakim Rakovac Memorial House is located in Rakovci near Baderna and is protected as an example of Istrian rural architecture. It displays the typical Istrian village living space in which Rakovac was born and raised. During the Second World War, the house was connected with events involving the founding of the liberation committee and the organization of liberation struggles.
The ground floor presents the life and work of Joakim Rakovac, while the first floor is dedicated to the National Liberation Struggle in PoreÅ¡tina. A monument in the courtyard bears 705 names. The permanent exhibition includes weapons and other objects from the National Liberation Movement in Istria, as well as a small ethnographic collection from the PoreÄ area.
The Joakim Rakovac Memorial House was extensively renovated and museologically redefined for its new phase. The renovated house was officially opened to the public in July 2024. The permanent exhibition is currently closed.
Rušnjak is a hill above Rakovci near Baderna. From there, on July 29, 1943, the first large organized group of volunteers and antifascists from this part of Istria set out to join the partisan movement. Rušnjak was developed in late 1978 as a partisan excursion site with a memorial house; the site was designed by Dušan Džamonja and Eliđa Legović. The opening of the memorial house in 2024 was scheduled to take place before a traditional Sunday gathering in Rušnjak.
Food
The visitor-oriented restaurant Restoran Idila Rakovci is located at Rakovci 4. It offers home-style cooking and local dishes for eating on-site and for takeaway.
Cycling
The Epic Rides Istra / PoreÄ cycling route runs for 58 kilometers from PoreÄ through Lim Bay to Sveti LovreÄ. Rakovci is reached after 38 kilometers and, at 268 meters above sea level, forms the highest point of the route. The final 20 kilometers then run predominantly downhill toward PoreÄ.
Walk
A walk for visitors through Rakovci and the surrounding area takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
Other destinations: Zbandaj, Antonci, Jehnići, Tar, Banki, Porec, Vrvari, Starići.
Anyone wishing to book a hotel in Rakovci can continue their accommodation search afterward.
