Frančići: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

The Dubro Sculpture Park is located in the vicinity of Frančići. It is an open-air museum of contemporary sculpture in the area of Sveta Nedelja. Around 70 sculptures are displayed in Dubrova. The White Road project involves paving sections of a historic road approximately 800 metres long through the park; work on stone sculptures as part of the symposium takes place annually in August and September. Frančići is also associated with a documented journey by Mate Balota and Branko Fučić in search of the birthplace of Matija Vlačić.

Anyone wishing to rent a holiday apartment in Frančići can find information about the destination here.

Culture and History

In the municipality of Sveta Nedelja, the Dubro Sculpture Park comprises 68 sculptures and 16 sections of the White Road. As a walkable path, the White Road consists of 16 sections, each 25 metres long, designed by Croatian artists. The park is open year-round, around the clock, and admission is free; guided group tours are available by prior arrangement.

The municipality is home to the Kočur archaeological site, with the ruins of a single-nave Chapel of the Holy Cross above the Raša Canyon. Near Štrmac is the Stancija Franković–Lazzarini country estate. It was built in 1654 on land belonging to the noble Franković-Vlačić family. Despite some abandoned or deteriorated sections, the estate retains its Baroque atmosphere and fundamental features.

The Lazzarini-Battiala Palace has a wine cellar and an Istrian fireplace, where visitors can learn about local history, culture, art and gastronomy. The Church of St Quirinus on the Šumberske Dine route dates from the 16th century. The Church of St Mary of Dren preserves an early-18th-century hymnal known locally as Šćavet; it is associated with Petangošt, considered the largest local festival of Šumberšćina.

Near Frančići, the Church of Saints John and Paul is regarded as an abandoned monument. Kaštel Šumber is a protected cultural asset of national importance and was built on the site of a prehistoric fortification.

Trails and Landscape

The Trail of Saint Martin / Baron's Trail (443) cycling loop passes through Sveti Martin, Ružići, Županići, Stepančići, Santalezi, Cere, Markoci, Golji, Snašići, Turini and Paradiž. The Trail of Miners and Stone Sculptures (442) is a cycling route that begins in Nedešćina and visits Vinež, where the miners' strike began. Boksitna pruga follows the corridor of a former bauxite railway; cuttings through the rock and stone railway embankments are visible.

The Šumberske Dine hiking trail passes through marl dunes and by rare geological phenomena. It is 7.3 km long and connects natural phenomena, local family farms and untouched nature. The Trail of Ponds and Nobility (441) leads around Jurazini and Eržišće to rare, preserved freshwater habitats.

By prior arrangement, Drijade Farm offers encounters with various animals. The Staza kalića i bukaleta connects visitors with traditional Istrian cuisine and visits rare, preserved freshwater habitats.

Regional Location

In the wider region around Frančići, Sveta Nedelja lies on a plateau 250 to 300 metres above the Raša Valley; the sea at Rabac is approximately ten kilometres away. The area is considered a transition between Green and Blue Istria. The surroundings include forests, while the coast is also nearby.

Cuisine

In the area around Frančići, the Giovanna Allegra agrotourism estate offers traditional recipes from the Labin area, connected with Italian cuisine. Nearby is the Pineta complex in Sveti Martin, a protected cultural monument; at Agrotourism Pineta, visitors can taste specialities from the Radićanin family's estate, including local products and honey.

Other places in the same area: Veli Turini, Rakitje, Martinski, Ružići, Santalezi, Veli Golji, Kraj Drage, Sveta Nedelja.

For the higher-level travel overview: Općina Sveta Nedelja.