Ministry of Tourism and Sports it chose Municipality of Kaštelir-Labinci as one of three Croatian candidates for the award The best tourist villages which she launched this May World Tourist Board (UNWTO). Under this initiative, UNWTO member states were able to apply for up to three candidates who will present themselves as drivers of sustainable change in the social, economic and environmental aspects in each of the member states.
In its application, the Municipality of Kaštelir-Labinci showed its commitment to innovation and sustainability in the development of a responsible and high-quality form of tourism, and deservedly nominated for this award. The vision of the Municipality is the development of a recognizable destination, ie the development of indigenous rural tourism, which contributes to the coordinated development of agriculture and tourism, a rich offer of various facilities and events tailored to different target groups - nature lovers, active vacationers, recreationists, gourmets, weekenders, hunters.
Photo: TZO Kaštelir-Labinci
Kaštelir-Labinci is a municipality located in the west of picturesque Istria, surrounded by lush Mediterranean vegetation that blends with olive groves, vineyards and fields. Two places, Kaštelir and Labinci - the Italian Castelier and S. Domenica - were gradually upgraded over the centuries and came closer to the end, so today they form one place, located ten kilometers north of Poreč. According to the legend, the inhabitants of Labinci went every Sunday on horseback to pick up the pastor in Motovun-Montona, to serve Sunday Mass in their church. On their return, they would in turn sweep the main Motovun square.
Today, the municipality has only 1500 inhabitants, but half of them are engaged in domestic production, and they have as many as 150 registered family farms whose domestic products fit perfectly into the indigenous gastronomic tourist offer. In addition to the already traditional wines, olive oil, truffles and biscuits, pumpkin oil, potatoes, homemade flour, gin and Balsamico aceto are all very successfully produced in this area - all delicacies worth tasting.
It is with this goal that the Kaštelir-Labinci Tourist Board launched this year Free Friday Tasting, an event where visitors could taste local specialties for free, and enjoy them at promotional prices.
Photo: Rose art video production
In Kaštelir-Labinci, visitors can experience the already widely known Gramperiad, a potato party. Why the name Gramperijada? Kaštelir is the only place in Istria where potatoes are called gramper, and its quality is widely known. The Gramperijada consists of the competition of the strangest, biggest potatoes, and its unavoidable part is the preparation of all kinds of potato dishes, music and a cheerful atmosphere.
It is held there as well celebration of Kuzmin which delights locals and visitors every time, mostly due to the preparation of traditional dishes live. Teams made up of members of municipal bodies, DVD volunteers, a vocal group, and members of the Italian community or sports clubs often compete in the preparation of delicacies. Kuzminja is a celebration which also marks the day of the patron saint of the place, Sv. Cosmas and Damian.
Out of season, guests can participate in the harvest of grapes, olives, potatoes, asparagus and mushrooms, and the municipality will soon establish a prestigious culinary school, as the crown of commitment to the food grown in this area.
As they are located relatively close to the main traffic routes of the European road network and only seven kilometers from the sea, Kaštelir-Labinci has a lot to offer both during and outside the main tourist season. Close to them are small medieval towns in the interior of Istria, which are spectacular destinations to visit at any time, especially during their film, music and gastronomic festivals.
The landscapes of this area, where vineyards, olive groves, fields and untouched nature alternate, are an ideal backdrop for outdoor sports activities. Bicycle paths that lead through vineyards and olive groves provide an unforgettable experience, and nature paths in the vicinity of Poreč are suitable for less physically fit recreationists and families with children. These are shorter and easier trails that are ideal for a pleasant walk through forest paths, olive groves and vineyards, overlooking the surrounding hills. These trails will take you to many cultural and historical monuments. A special experience of history is the trail Nigerian treasure which begins at the northeastern entrance to Kaštelir.
Photo: TZO Kaštelir-Labinci
The whole of Istria, including this municipality, is rich in historical stories. Legend has it that Greek sailors Argonauts stole golden fleece around 1200 BC in Kalhida, on the Black Sea coast of Asia Minor, and reached the Alpine slopes in Slovenia via the Black Sea across the Ister River - today's Danube. They descended by underground waters to the river Mirna and founded their fortifications on the slopes and settled there. Hence their name Istria.
But there are also historical facts: during the Venetian rule, the peninsula was inhabited by refugees from Dalmatia and Bosnia fleeing the Turks, and these families named the settlements around Kaštelir with their surnames, which are still called that today. A similar fate was created by the settlement of Labinci.
After Istria became part of Austria at the end of the 18th century, an Italian school was opened in Labinci in 1892 in the old parish house, and in Kaštelir in 1896 one of the first Croatian schools in Istria.
Photo: Rose art video production
Kaštelir-Labinci can also boast of a wide range of accommodation: from the Robinson camp, to apartments and top villas. According to some data, the response of tourists is more than fantastic - there are over two thousand of them a day in Kaštelir-Labinci, and in the first days of September the number of visits and overnight stays exceeded the results from the same period in 2019.
Photo: TZO Kaštelir-Labinci, Rose art Video production doo
