Žminj
Encyclopedia
Žminj a municipality in the central part of Istria
(Croatia
), 15 km south of Pazin
; elevation 355 m; population 3.447. It was first mentioned in 1177 as a parish of the Poreč
diocese.
The town is located on a limestone hill between the Lim
valley and the Raša
valley. Its economy is based on farming and livestock breeding. Žminj is located at the intersection of regional roads to Pazin
, Kanfanar
, Svetvinčenat
and Labin
. This unique part of Istria has a number of attractions - beautiful landscapes and remnants of cultural heritage from all ages (such as a tower Citadel in the old town).
Exquisite specialities of Istrian cuisine: "maneštra
" (minestra), sausages with cabbage, venison with "fuži
" (a kind of pasta), "supa" (crisp bread in red wine, with olive-oil and pepper) and the famous wines, teran and malmsey.
Žminj and its surroundings offer excellent opportunities for hiking and cycling tours, as well as for agritourism
, which started to develop in many of the surrounding villages. Žminj - Gimino is the traditional host of one of the most popular folk festivities in Istria, the so-called Bartulja (at the end of August), dedicated to St. Bartholomew, patron of Žminj (in the church of St. Bartholomew).
Other traditional events are the Chakavian Assembly, a contest of young poets and reciters of poetry in the Chakavian dialect
(in June) and the Harmonica Wedding, a competition in accordion-playing (in July).
Žminj is also known for its agricultural fair which takes place every second Wednesday in the month.
Istria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
(Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
), 15 km south of Pazin
Pazin
Pazin is the administrative seat of Istria County in Croatia. The town has a population of 4,986 , the total Pazin municipality population is 9,227...
; elevation 355 m; population 3.447. It was first mentioned in 1177 as a parish of the Poreč
Porec
Poreč is a town and municipality on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula, in Istria County, Croatia. Its major landmark is the 6th century Euphrasian Basilica, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997....
diocese.
The town is located on a limestone hill between the Lim
Lim (Croatia)
The Lim bay and valley is a peculiar geographic feature found near Rovinj and Vrsar on the western coast of Istria, south of Poreč, Croatia. The name comes from the Latin limes for "limit", referring to the landform's position at the border of two Roman provinces: Dalmatia and Italia.-Geography:The...
valley and the Raša
Raša
Raša is a town and municipality in the inner part of the Raška Inlet in the south-eastern part of Istria, Croatia. Raša lies southwest of Labin at an elevation of ....
valley. Its economy is based on farming and livestock breeding. Žminj is located at the intersection of regional roads to Pazin
Pazin
Pazin is the administrative seat of Istria County in Croatia. The town has a population of 4,986 , the total Pazin municipality population is 9,227...
, Kanfanar
Kanfanar
Kanfanar is a municipality in the central part of Istria, Croatia, 20 km northeast of Rovinj, on the edge of the Lim Cove, on the open limestone plain of Istria. The elevation is 281 m.Chief occupations are farming and livestock breeding...
, Svetvinčenat
Svetvincenat
Svetvinčenat is a village and municipality in the south of the central part of Istria, Croatia, 16 km north of Vodnjan; elevation 250 m. Svetvinčenat was first mentioned around AD 965, when the town began to grow around a Benedictine abbey. The economy is based on farming and livestock...
and Labin
Labin
Labin is a town in Istria, Croatia, with a town population of 6,884 and 11,703 in the greater municipality ....
. This unique part of Istria has a number of attractions - beautiful landscapes and remnants of cultural heritage from all ages (such as a tower Citadel in the old town).
Exquisite specialities of Istrian cuisine: "maneštra
Maneštra
Maneštra is a vegetable stew from Istria made with spring corn, which is popular in the whole of northern Adriatic. It is served as a first course soup if the main ingredients are vegetables, but it can be served as a main course if it is made of "stronger ingredients" such as meat.In Greek Cooking...
" (minestra), sausages with cabbage, venison with "fuži
Fuži
Fuži is a traditional Istrian pasta. The pasta dough is rolled-out into a thin sheet, cut into strips three to four centimetres wide, and placed over each other. The strips are then cut diagonally, producing diamond shapes. Two ends of each diamond are then folded over each other to meet in the...
" (a kind of pasta), "supa" (crisp bread in red wine, with olive-oil and pepper) and the famous wines, teran and malmsey.
Žminj and its surroundings offer excellent opportunities for hiking and cycling tours, as well as for agritourism
Agritourism
Agritourism, as it is defined most broadly, involves any agriculturally-based operation or activity that brings visitors to a farm or ranch. Agritourism has different definitions in different parts of the world, and sometimes refers specifically to farm stays, as in Italy...
, which started to develop in many of the surrounding villages. Žminj - Gimino is the traditional host of one of the most popular folk festivities in Istria, the so-called Bartulja (at the end of August), dedicated to St. Bartholomew, patron of Žminj (in the church of St. Bartholomew).
Other traditional events are the Chakavian Assembly, a contest of young poets and reciters of poetry in the Chakavian dialect
Chakavian dialect
Chakavian or Čakavian is a dialect of the Croatian language. The name stems from the word for "what?", which is "ča" in Čakavian...
(in June) and the Harmonica Wedding, a competition in accordion-playing (in July).
Žminj is also known for its agricultural fair which takes place every second Wednesday in the month.