Before visiting Istria I'd read quite a bit about the wealth of medieval frescoes in village churches dotted around the countryside, Beram, just a few miles away from Pazin is probably the finest example of this with a church full of stunning frescoes.
Jules Verne, who was never in Pazin, but was enthralled by descriptions of the chasm, set the most exciting pat of his 1885 novel, Mathias Sandorf here. This story tells of Mathias and two of his companions being imprisoned in the castle at Pazin and escaping their captors by plunging into the chasm. Apparently they broke through the window bars, climbed out and used a lightening rod to slither down into the pit. At some point it broke and one of the three was lost. But our hero was swept into the chasm and underground. There he clung to a log in the wild churning river and was eventually deposited at the Lim Fjord near Rovinj. Isn't that a great story ?
Pazin Chasm also known as The Pazin Pit is one of the most dramatic sights in Istria and is interesting on many levels. It's a massive, ravine/canyon with white, striated cliffs falling away to the endless depths below. At the bottom, which is difficult to see because it's so far down and there's so much vegetation, the River Pazinicia flows towards the Pazin Cave ( underneath the castle) where it goes underground and creates two lakes.
Take a walk and enjoy-Motovun
This is just one of the old and most romantic houses you can see in Motovun. Wherever you go in this little city, there is a feeling of old times right there...the calmness is in the air - little hills and vineyards all around you make Motovun an ideal hideaway. No wonder this part of Istria is called ''a little Tuscany''. It's wine, truffels and delitious cakes and liquers can definitely match the Tuscany ones.
It is possible to walk on the inner city wall and to make the whole tour around the old city. On this picture, you can see that walking on top of the wall is comfortable. On the right is the old city with gardens, yards or lawns one or two meters lower than the path. On the left the smaller wall is high enough to make a comfortable rambarde and there is no fear, even for those who suffer from vertigo.
Exploring Grožnjan is like entering in some other times, this place hasn't change its aspect at all, having a very short and narrow streets paved with the stones. It was time when people lived together and depending on each other. It was time when helping to neighbours was usal style of living in the society.
Hum has all the attributes of a small town: a church, walls, town gates, campanile, loggia.... It doesn't matter it only has 17 inhabitants, it is still considered a town - in fact, it proudly claims it is The Smallest Town in the World.
Kažun
This is an authentic Istrian construction, small shelter made of stone only. Nowadays a few of them left in the fields, this one is rebuilt in the centre of Grožnjan to remaind on the past times. Kazun in the field is hand made without using any connecting elements as mortar is.