Would you like to find 22 types of orchids including the endemic specie “Serapias Istriaca” (the Istrian orchid), see the so-called “islet - plate” where the dinosaur's footprint has been preserved or find the remains of luxurious Roman villae rusticae?
Choose the Orchid trail and ride from the ancient Mutila, nowadays Medulin, along well-intended coast of the southern part of Istria. In this widely known tourist resort, which besides numerous hotels and restaurants has also many sporting and recreational facilities, you can find many kinds of entertainment. To begin, you can visit the Parish church of St Agnes from the 19th century, listen to different concerts of classical music which take place there and ride along the narrow streets of Medulin.
Following fresh fragrance of the pinewood you will reach a nearby magnificent 2 km long sandy beach and another attraction, an archaeological site with remains of a Roman villa situated at the bay of the peninsula called Vizula. Continuing along the trail you will arrive to Pomer, a village located on the western part of Medulin bay with well preserved remains of villas and thermae which testifies that it existed already in the Roman period. In case you get hungry, you should know that Pomer, which used to be famous for fish and shell farming, is nowadays known for excellent fish and seafood restaurants. Passing through Kamik and the Roman quarry in Vinkuran you will arrive to Banjole, another authentic fisherman’s village.
The trail continues upwards towards Monte Kope where you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of Medulin bay sprinkled with numerous green islets. Continuing along the trail you will reach Premantura, a picturesque fisherman’s village located at the southernmost part of Istria, which has been inhabited since the Bronze Age. Except for being a tourist resort, like the other two places, Premantura also boasts a long and narrow peninsula Kamenjak, the real pearl of this place, which resembles a hand emerging from the Adriatic. Cape Kamenjak, 9,5 km long and just 1,5 km wide, has been proclaimed a protected landscape area. Surrounded by the 30 km long coast with numerous gulfs, bays and white beaches washed by the crystal clear blue – green sea, Kamenjak leaves nobody indifferent.
Abundant in typical Mediterranean low plant cover and macchia, pinewood and fertile fields, Kamenjak will enchant you with the real essence of the Mediterranean. An important note for all nature lovers: you are in an area with high biological diversity where you can find almost 500 herb species including 22 types of orchids. Continuing along the bays of Pinižula and Njive you will reach the final point, Cape Kamenjak. The lighthouse Porer built in 1846 on the homonymous rock and a separate islet, Fenoliga, will appear in front of you. Because of its shape known also as the “islet – plate”, Fenoliga boasts a dinosaur's footprint! When you get tired of all of these beauties, you can have a rest in one of the numerous bays or under fragrant pine trees and then continue along the trail through Premantura and Pomer to the starting point in Medulin.
Highlights
- The splendour of the ancient Mutila: luxurious Roman villae rusticae located on the Vizula peninsula close to Medulin
- A tourist paradise: sandy beaches, campsites and hotels, marvellous sounds of the oldest preserved Istrian organ in the church of St Agnes in Medulin
- The place of fishes and shells: Pomer
- Magnificent panoramic view: the bays of Medulin and Pomer in your hand palm ? Monte Kope
- Orchids, a lighthouse and the ?islet-plate? with a dinosaur?s footprint: Premantura and the protected nature park Cape Kamenjak