Svetvincenat – Kanfanar – Dvigrad – Mrgani – Sveti Lovrec – Limski Draga
This short drive near the River Draga meets the sea at the Limski Draga, a flooded limestone gorge. It’s a trip through time: where some towns (Dvigrad) died, others flourished (Svetvincenat) and some even rose to great importance (Sveti Lovrec). Everywhere on this route is an unspoilt slice of history.
Only 28 km long, this short route takes about 40 minutes to drive in one go. But I suggest making it a morning out, ending with a feast of fresh mussels in the afternoon sun, looking across the Limski Draga. For more information on each of the places, click the links to their official webpages.
- A: Svetvincenat – a planned, renaissance town, with a stunning 15th century castle (which is sometimes open, but when seems to be random …).
- B: * Kanfanar – have a coffee at the station and imagine tumbleweeds blowing, and visit the church. Founded by refugees from …
- C: *… Dvigrad, an atmospheric, ruined medieval town, abandoned in the 16th century due to plague.
- D: Mrgani – cute little village with, as its name suggests, a connection to pirate Henry Morgan.
- E: Sveti Lovrec – the Venetians ruled from here. A perfectly preserved, small, walled town with lovely loggia, bell tower and some great old buildings.
- F: Limski Draga – the head of the flooded gorge is the place to eat mussels raised in the bay beneath. (It’s also known as the Lim Fjord.)
Walk in the footsteps of the ancients:
- Dvigrad – follow the 16 km route down from Dvigrad to its port on the Limski Draga
- Limski Draga – you can’t go far, but it’s nice to stroll beside the sea.
* If you have time and want to get the historical perspective, I suggest visiting Dvigrad before Kanfanar. Just drive through Kanfanar the first time on the way to Dvigrad and then, return the short distance to see where the refugees moved to escape the plague.
Also see:
Follow me to Dvigrad and also pop into Kanfanar and Mrgani.
