Mihelići: Cave, Village History and Trails

Nature and farming history around Mihelići

The area around Mihelići offers attractions that showcase very different sides of the region: Baredine Cave, the Traktor Story agricultural exhibition and the parish church in Žbandaj. Nature, farming history and historic architecture can thus be explored as different themes during your stay. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Mihelići, these interests can help you choose the right place for your trip.

Baredine Cave and Traktor Story

Baredine Cave near Nova Vas is a protected geomorphological natural monument. A path specially created for visitors leads through five chambers to a depth of 60 metres. The underground wildlife is another special feature, including the endemic olm Proteus anguinus, which lives only in these karst regions. The Speleolit speleoclimbing centre is also part of the visitor area. A love legend from the 13th century also connects the cave with the shepherdess Milka.

Close to the cave, Traktor Story is an ethnographic exhibition devoted to agriculture. Around fifty vintage tractors are on display. Its exhibits range from wheat threshing to the production of bread, olive oil and wine, all part of the agricultural history of this region. Those interested in technology and the history of rural life will find a different way to explore the region here than on a trip into the world of caves.

Žbandaj: village founding and church art

Žbandaj is also nearby. The village was founded in 1570 by Juraj Filipin, who came to the area with forty families from Zemunik near Zadar. The village was established on the site of an abandoned settlement. This founding story gives your visit a specific historical connection to the settlement of the Dalmatian hinterland.

The three-nave parish church of Saints John and Paul was built in 1595 on the site of an older church. The parish was also established during this period of settlement. The bell tower is 20 metres high; inside the church are several works of art and a holy water font engraved with the year 1688. The church was renovated in 1994. Together, the village and the church building tell the story of different stages in local history, from the abandoned village square to later changes to the sacred building.

Walking and cycling trails

The nearby Trail 545 Do Istarske konobe passes through varied landscapes: along wide gravel roads and through vineyards, as well as along shaded woodland paths. It then continues for around 1.2 kilometres to the village of Filipini. Vineyards, open gravel roads and wooded sections offer different landscape impressions along the route, without requiring a particular walking time or level of difficulty.

A route listed as a mountain biking circuit is called Veleniki–Mihelici–Vrznaveri–Kosinovići–Vrvari and is given as 8.26 miles long. Much of it runs on unpaved roads and little-used but rideable paths. It is worth checking the route and current conditions before setting out. This distinguishes the cycling option from the walking trails mentioned above: the focus here is on the circuit and its described trail surfaces.

Cycling in the Poreč area

For a different perspective on the Poreč area, there are ten cycling routes with a total length of around 250 kilometres. They pass through vineyards and olive groves and are suitable for both recreational cyclists and professional athletes in training. Route 141 MAXIMUS AGRI follows the course of the former Roman road Maximus Agri and, towards the end, joins the Parenzana railway trail, which leads back to the city centre. These regional routes add a wider range of options to the nearby trails, though they should not be confused with the routes around Mihelići.

This gives you a choice of different themes when planning your trip: the underground nature of Baredine Cave, farming history at Traktor Story, the history of settlement and church art in Žbandaj, or time spent on walking and cycling trails. Depending on which of these discoveries you want to focus on, you can choose your holiday apartment in Mihelići as a base for a nature-, culture- or activity-focused stay.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Mihatovići, Porec, Fuškulin, Vržnaveri, Vrvari, Frata, Kirmenjak, Starići.

Return to the main travel overview: Općina Poreč.