Buje/Buie, a typical Istrian town

Buje/Buie once was an important stop for the Parenzana railway system. Besides that, Buje/Buie has much more to offer - the forests and vineyards with the view towards the sea, but also it has great wine and food. Wine, olives, nature and forest shadow - all this is a perfect refuge from the busy and crowded coastal cities. Let's discover what makes Buje/Buie a typical Istrian town.

The story behind

Founded as a fort and watchtower, Buje/Buie still looks like a fortress, when you observe it from a distance. Buje/Buie's history starts long back to the Bronze Age, according to the archeologic discoveries. Then, during the Roman period, this was a small and important town in Istria. During the period of Venetian Republic, Buje/Buie gained the most of its present look. The Cathedral of San Servolo and its bell tower were built during this period (the 16th century) on the foundation of the Roman temple. After the Venetian Republic period, the Austro-Hungarian Empire spread throughout this region as well. It was a period of big constructions, and among other buildings (school, houses, churches...), the railway **Parenzana **made its way through Buje/Buie. After the World War II, it became a part of **Croatia **(within Yugoslavia), where the development of the town continued. 

The Bell Tower of **The Cathedral of San Servolo **with its 48m of height is definitely a landmark of this gorgeous town.

Wine and hiking

Istria means hospitality, natural beauty and - wine. So why not merge those two passions - wine and hiking! From Umag, there's only 15 km to **Buje/Buie. **So two to three hours of a nice stroll towards this picturesque town is a must, if you are a hiking enthusiast. The wine checkpoints are as important as water and sandwich breaks. 🍷

The wine as a No. 1 domestic product of Istria is also important for Buje/Buie. The first thing to do when you come to Buje/Buie is to visit a wine cellar. There are more wine producers, so just randomly choose your favorite. Besides the wine tasting and photo-shooting in the wine cellar, I'd suggest going outside the town and spend some time in the vineyard. Overwelcoming locals will guide you through the vineyard and tell you some of the most interesting stories connected to this region. For sure, you will learn more about the types of grapes that are growing here and many details about the wine production. After the wine tasting and sun gazing on one of many terraces, you may continue 8 km the tour towards the southeastern direction to reach Grožnjan/Grisignana and then 15 km more to arrive at Motovun.

Fun fact:

In Buje/Buie, in the period of Yugoslavia, existed a calculator factory named Digitron. In the Yugoslavian era, the **digitron **was eponymous for a pocket calculator. To be honest, today, the majority of the people will still call it like that.

An invitation instead of a conclusion

Buje/Buie today is the town full of history and a perfect place to make a great break from the crowd and modern world distractions. Here, one can really connect with history and nature. Buje/Buie as a typical Istrian town welcomes you with a glass of wine and piece of Sun just for you.