Municipality of Sveta Nedelja: Sculptures, trails and Istrian cuisine

Walking through landscape and history

The Šumberske Dine walking trail is 7.3 kilometres long and passes through a distinctive area of marl dunes in the heart of the municipality. It connects natural phenomena, local family businesses and unspoilt nature. Its length gives you a concrete reference point for planning your day; no further information about the duration or trail conditions is implied. Another walking trail, Boksitna pruga, follows the route of a former bauxite railway used during the mining era in Labinština. Here, the trail name and its historical connection focus on its former use as a railway line.

The Kalića i Bukalete walking trail connects Istrian wine country and picturesque vineyards with several ponds that are important for freshwater habitats, as well as traditional Istrian cuisine. If you enjoy including a range of landscape and cultural themes in your holiday plans, this offers another way to explore the municipality. Each trail has its own focus: marl dunes and natural phenomena on Šumberske Dine, the memory of mining on Boksitna pruga, and wine country, ponds and cuisine on Kalića i Bukalete.

Dubrova Sculpture Park: art made from Istrian stone

The collection of sculptures made from Istrian stone at Dubrova Sculpture Park has grown year after year through the International Sculpture Symposium since 1970. The Bijela cesta, or White Road, is a walking trail there with 16 sections, each 25 metres long. This also makes it possible to combine your visit with a walk among the sculptures, without equating the individual sections with a particular walking time.

The Dolac amphitheatre in the park serves as a venue for art performances, concerts, theatre and other events. Admission to the sculpture park is free. Organised tours are available for groups by prior arrangement. When planning your visit, you can therefore choose between a walk through the park and a pre-booked tour for your group; the art and cultural forms mentioned above are a useful guide to events at the amphitheatre.

Cycling routes and circuits

The municipality has three cycling routes that connect natural and cultural heritage with local food and wine. Two of the routes described are circuits starting from Nedešćina. Cycling route 441, “Staza Plemića i Kalića”, goes via Jurazini, Eržišće, Blaškovići, Radovići, Šumber and Grašići before returning to Nedešćina. Cycling route 442, “Tragom rudara i kamenih skulptura”, runs via Štrmac, Vinež, Tomažići, Cere and Santalezi before returning to its starting point in Nedešćina. The place names help you distinguish the two routes by their names and stops; no route distance is specified here.

Regional cuisine and local traditions

Agroturizam Cerovac in Eržišće serves traditional Istrian dishes, including chicken šugo and beef šugo with seasonal vegetables. The Tomažići restaurant offers food and drinks, rooms with breakfast, and a wine bar. These specific offerings add a distinct culinary focus to the trails and cultural experiences. Prior booking is required to visit Farma Drijade, where visitors can meet various animals.

The municipal day is also part of local tradition: it is celebrated on 16 October under the name “na šesnajs otobra”. Historically, 16 October in Nedešćina was also the day of a widely known livestock market. If you are considering a holiday apartment in the Municipality of Sveta Nedelja, you can choose your holiday destination based on whether you are most interested in discovering walking trails, cycling, sculpture or Istrian cuisine. You can find the municipality’s settlements here: Strmac, Nedescina, Sumber, Mali Golji, Mali Turini, Paradiz, Zupanici, Vrecari, Jurazini and Markoci.

For the broader travel overview: Istria County.