Croatia September 25, 2008
Looking out from our hotel room
Shore line in Opatija
About HUM
Small HUM home,
http://www.hum.hr
A keyed doorway into the town of HUM
And a last look at Hum, Croatia before we leave.
Inside the Church of the Assumption of Mary at Bezet
Today, Buzet is widely known as the 'City of Truffles' since the forests along the Mirna River are especially rich in this divine tuber. According to some views, the white truffle of Istria is as good as the most famous white truffle from the Italian region of Alba. In honour of this truffle, each year Truffle Days are organized in September and October.
Walking through the Castle, you can see the laundry here, evidence of the fact, people still are living here
Our hotel, the open window is our room
"Greeting the Sea," the famous bronze statue of a young woman that stands atop a rock at the edge of the Adriatic, and has been used as a symbol of Opatija since the 1950s.
Croatia - Hum The Smallest Town in the World The small fortified town has maintained its mediaeval architecture and organization, the town is surrounded by fortress walls, while the well-maintained town center consists of only two small streets with a few houses and a parish church from 1802. From the 11th century, hum has remained within its fortress walls, no structures have been built outside the walls.
Today Hum is a memorial town, it is one of the few examples of the urban development which is completely situated inside the walls of the early Middle Ages. During almost the whole millenium, from XI till now, almost nothing has been built in Hum outside the town walls. Hum remained inside the frontiers which were set already in the early Middle Ages. Hum Castle was situated on the plateau on the western part of the town inside the defense walls, on the place where now the parish church in part, the parish castle and the extreme western part of the northern row of houses are situated. The ground-plan of the castle had the shape of a square of the size 35x30 m. The entrance into the castle led from the inside, from the town. Its basic purpose was defense, but it, particularly in earlier times, also served as a headquarters of feudal masters – vassals of the Aquilean patriarchs to whom it belonged
Church Tower Bell of Hum
This is looking down from the town of HUM at the country side, not too many power lines to be seen
Over Look at Buzet Castle
Irene and Miro walking down the aisle, it was an impulse, we never thought it would happen again :)
Window
Zoom in to read
Shore line in Opatija
Looking out our room in Opatija, this shot with the zoom lens
All of these town have small cementerys, very well maintained
Around the castle, a town gradually started to be built.. Its defense role dictated the closed system of the walls which surrounded it from all the sides, and such a plan of the town which made possible the fastest connection of evry point of any importance with the castle, where the inhabitants could find shelter in case of danger. And the position on the western ridge of the hill where Hum was sitatuated was determined by the western border of the town so it could expand only towards east. This is how the small town developed, which lies on the ridge of an elongated hill inside the town’s walls, which close a surface of approximately square shape sized about 100x35 m
The town is spatially organized in three parallel rows of houses which spread from easto to west, two streets which separate them and the square by the town’s gate in the shape of a trapezium. The castle used to be directly connected with two streets with all the parts of the town. The houses in all the three rows had the view onto the streets which enabled the military crew to approach quickly and for the citizens to find shelter in the castle.
We have just finish touring and having lunch in the town of HUM, now we need to find our cab driver
The ancient town of Buzet, called Pinquentum during the Roman times, is situated in the heart of Istria at the top of a hill, at the foot of the impressive Čičarije, near the source of the Mirna River
Not sure but it looks nice
Over Look at Buzet Castle
An old Building in Buzet
Shore line in Opatija
On our way to HUM
Hum got its present appearance in basic outlines already in the Middle Ages, in 11th century. It was then that on the remnants of an old fortification a Hum castle was built and next to it the first row of the future town’s houses. At the time Istria belonged to the Empire of the Francs. As a part of the Empire, in 1040 it became a particular county.Ulrich I then reconstructs and builds a row of castles, among which is also the one in Hum. It was in 1102 that Ulrich II gave Hum along with several other castles as a feud to Aquilean patriarch.In the deed of gift it says it is a “castrum Cholm” (according to the old Croatian form Hlm) and that is the first time Hum is mentioned in its long history. With this act the history of Hum as a fortification actually begins. In the later historic sources up to XVII century Hum is mentioned as a “castrum”, a fortification as a matter of fact, which emphasizes its role as a fortification
The well-maintained town center consists of only two small streets with a few houses and a parish church from 1802. From the 11th century
The present appearance of Hum dates bach to 19th century when the parish Church of Assumption (known as Peter’s and Paul’s church) was built. It was built on the spot where a rather small parish church from 17th century and partly a castle used to stand. It was then that the southern town wall, due to the size of the new church, was moved towards outside so the tower got inside the town walls.
Melinda in the doorway
The parish church of the Assumption of Mary, carved into the bare rock, dominates the town's main square.
The Altar
Flowers in the window
Shore line in Opatija
Just got out of the car at Hum, Croatia, as advertised, Hum is the smallest town in the world, with only 20 people living there, We had lunch there and saw about 5 people, the others must have been out.
A window and a reflection
HUM has remained within its fortress walls, no structures have been built outside the walls
Window from the inside of the stone structure
Melinda
The Locals of Buzet hanging out
Relics
Flowers in the window