Markovići: Cycling Route and Rural Building Heritage

When planning a trip, Markovići can be considered in relation to two distinct themes: the “Vižinada” (101) cycling route, which passes through the village, and rural settlement heritage in the area of traditional building culture. If you are looking for a hotel in Markovići, you can decide whether the cycling route or your interest in building culture should be the focus. The wider destination of Općina Vižinada offers further points of interest in terms of landscape and culture.

Cycling through Markovići

The 24 km “Vižinada” (101) cycling route passes through Markovići and connects with several other cycling routes. Its total length and connections make the route relevant when planning a trip if cycling is one of your interests. One section runs along a paved road through Markovići; this surface description applies to the section mentioned, not necessarily to the entire route. Check current route conditions before setting out.

Rural settlement heritage

In the spatial plan for the municipal area of Vižinada-Visinada, Markovići is listed as rural settlement heritage in the area of traditional building culture. ZPP is named as a proposed measure. This provides a second, distinct point of reference alongside the cycling route when choosing where to stay: the village’s planning classification in the field of rural building culture.

Culture and landscape in Općina Vižinada

In the wider destination of Općina Vižinada, Vižinada is situated on a hill on the southern edge of the Mirna Valley. From there, views extend across the surrounding countryside, vineyards and olive groves. A stone relief of the Lion of St. Mark, dating from the 15th century, stands in Vižinada’s central square. Also there is a cistern made of local limestone, completed in 1782 and built to a design by Simone Battistella, an architect from Rovinj. Cultural events are held at the cistern. The Church of St. Barnabas is also in the village centre. Its frescoes depict a Christological cycle of images, with scenes such as the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. The frescoes were discovered when the church was used to store props during the filming of the war film “Kelly’s Heroes”.

More routes and recurring events

For planning excursions, the 24 km “Vižinada” (101) cycling route can be compared with a longer option in the wider destination of Općina Vižinada: Vižinada is also the starting point for a 123 km cycling route along the restored Parenzana railway line. One hiking option is “The Trail of Scenic Views”. It begins at the southern entrance to Vižinada, near the 13th-century Church of St. John the Baptist, and reaches the small 12th-century Church of St. Vital after 3.7 km, near its cemetery.

Events can also influence when you choose to travel. The čakavian poetry festival “Verši na šterni” has been held regularly since 1993 on the second Saturday in June at the baroque Battistella cistern in Vižinada. “Slatka Istra” is held every year on 14 August, the eve of the Vela Gospa feast, in the centre of Vižinada. It showcases traditional Istrian sweets such as Fritula, Kroštula, Cukerančići, Pandešpanj, Povetica and Pinca, as well as several varieties of dry biscuits. If you are planning to stay overnight during an event, check the specific dates and programme before your trip.

Discover more destinations: Vrbani, Bajkini, Mekiši Kod Vižinade, Jadruhi, Filipi, Lašići, Žudetići, Vizinada

For the wider travel overview: Općina Vižinada.