Vrbani: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

Vrbani is associated with lavender fields and the Vižinada (101) cycling route in the nearby area. In Vrbani 3, lavender fields are designated under the name Lavanda Oklen. The 24-kilometre route heads towards Vrbani and Narduči after about five kilometres from Vižinada, continues to the Vrbanovica viewpoint and includes five designated photo points. A guide can be arranged through the tourist information centre.

When staying in Vrbani, the personal wish to rent a holiday apartment can be the main consideration.

Cycling Routes and Landscape

Vižinada (101) connects with several other routes and runs along a paved road through Bajkini, Vranje Selo, Markovići, Ćuki and Brdo. From Ferenci, the route reaches the former narrow-gauge railway line Parenzana and continues towards Vižinada. Around a dozen historic churches and chapels lie along the route. In Vižinada and Kaštelir, the route is served by markets, restaurants and accommodation.

In nearby Vižinada, the Staza Pogleda 501 crosses the former Parenzana route and continues through fields, vineyards and olive groves. The highest point of this route is 353 metres above sea level. The 6.9-kilometre Srce Vižinade 504 route leads through Bajkini, Vranje Selo and Crklada and includes visits to local winegrowers and olive growers with product tastings.

In the wider Istrian area, the restored Parenzana is a sport and recreational route along the historic railway line between Poreč and Trieste. It leads through valleys, green hills, vineyards and olive groves towards medieval towns.

Culture and History

In nearby Vižinada, the Church of Saint Mary near Božje Polje has been an important pilgrimage site since at least the Middle Ages. Fontik, also known as Kuća Lav, is the oldest surviving secular public building in the municipality and was built in the 15th century.

The Church of Saint Barnabas is considered a Romanesque church with two apses dating from the 12th or 13th century and the largest of its kind in Istria. At the Maraston Visitor Centre, the area's cultural heritage is conveyed through folk tales, historical facts and contemporary tourist interpretation.

Food and Events

The area around Vižinada is promoted for Istrian wine, pršut and olive oil, as well as for hiking and cycling routes and its historical heritage. OPG Oklen in Vrbani was presented as a lavender producer offering products such as sachets and essential oil. There, lavender oil is obtained by distilling fresh lavender flowers, lavender is dried for filling sachets, and cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil is produced.

Slatka Istra presents traditional Istrian cakes based on old recipes and includes tastings of local wines. In nearby Vižinada, the event takes place every year on 14 August in the town centre. The Čakavian poetry festival Verši na šterni has been held there regularly since 1993 on the second Saturday in June. It presents new, previously unpublished Čakavian poems, which are preserved in a named collection.

The Parenzana recreational marathon in nearby Vižinada takes place annually in mid-September, covers 46.7 kilometres and includes a hike of around ten kilometres. Viva Vino has five refreshment stations and partly follows the former Parenzana railway line.

Orientation

The Bajkini–Nardući–Vrbani–Klis road was renovated along a 2,118-metre section and designed for motor vehicles and pedestrians.

More local pages: Ferenci, Lašići, Bajkini, Staniši, Baldaši, Markovići, Jadruhi, Mekiši Kod Vižinade

For the higher-level travel overview: Općina Vižinada.