Hum - officially smallest city in the world!

Typical Istrian landscape

Map if Istra region

Smallest town - Guinness World Records

When you come to Istra region, or as many people refer to it as Croatian Tuscany, my recommendation is not to follow any road signs. Just get lost driving around the inland of Istra peninsula. Enjoy picturesque hilltop towns and villages that have magnificent vistas that reach all the way to the Adriatic sea. If you're lucky enough you will find Hum, the smallest town in the world according to the Guinness World Records book.

Local gardens in Hum

Hum - smallest town in the world

 

Hum

Ripening vineyards and olive farms

Hum is probably smaller than most villages around the world. Situated between ripening vineyards and olive farms, his hilltop town is painted in a rainbow of pastel shades. The town tour can be completed in as little as ten minutes, however its medieval charm makes it worth for every effort made to find this medieval jewel.

Founded in 11th century

First official mention of Hum was in 1102, when it was signed over to Patriarch of Aquilea. Today, Hum counts about 23 residents, and is very special due to the fact that it is one of the rare preserved examples of urban development inside the medieval walls. Since the already mentioned 11th century up to the present moment, there has literally been built nothing more than one building, and that was the Italian school, dating from 1892.

What to visit in Hum?

It is definitelly visiting famous Aleja glagoljaša (Glagolithic Avenue), a series of 11 monuments dedicated to the Glagolitic script, put up between Roc und Hum and St. Jerolim Church, which holds aged frescoes and inscriptions in the ancient Glagolitic script, said to be the first form of written Croatian.

Local brandy - 2000 years old secret recipe kept better than that of Coca Cola

Don't leave Hum before visiting the legendary Humska konoba (Hum tavern) and have a straight shot of biska, a home-made brandy, made from grape-brandy, mistletoe and four arts of herbs, based on a two-thousand-year-old recipe. People call it the magic drink because one is never enough, and don't even try to get the recipe because its secret is guarded better than the one of Coca Cola. However, you can get as much refills as you want; some on the house too!

Truffle dishes

Local cheese and prosciutto

Accommodation & vegeterian truffle burger

 Hum is located in the north eastern part of Istria, and is connected via roads from the direction of Pazin and Buzet, and from the direction of Rijeka via the Ucka tunnel. Hum does not have any accomodation offering - I would recommend staying at small private hotel in town of Motovun (that I talked about in one of my previous posts). Another option is to go to nearby town Buzet, which is also known as a "truffle city" and stay at apartment Beli Mate, which serves delicious vegeterian truffle burgers.

Apartments "Beli Mate" in Buzet

Hilltop town in Istria

Istra is great destination for biking

 

Welcome to Hum

(text and pictures from: http://www.europeupclose.com/article/the-worlds-smallest-town-hum-croatia/#ixzz1HkMPoUYi, http://www.travelpod.ca/travel-blog-entries/croriver/1/1245760293/tpod.html#ixzz1HkN9wH8e, www.istra.hr, www.histrica.hr)