Grožnjan/Grisignana - where medieval spirit meets jazz music

When I say wine I mean Istria. When I say a safari in the middle of Europe, I assume Istria. When I say the smallest city in the world, I suppose - Istria. When I say the Roman spirit, I mean - Istria. When I say history, arches, wine, olives, and jazz - I mean Grožnjan/Grisignana, a town where medieval spirit meets jazz music.

History and Geography

It's a bilingual place (Italian and Croatian are spoken here) with a layer of each of the previous centuries and its inhabitants - Romans, Venetians, Austrians, Italians, etc. It was an important fortress-town, alongside with Motovun. Grožnjan/Grisignana was one of the stops of the famous Parenzana that additionally enhanced the development of the town. Located in the heart of Istria and only 20 minutes from the **Adriatic sea **and Novigrad, **Grožnjan **or **Grisignana **(in Italian) will welcome you with its specific and artistic spirit. For Grožnjan/Grisignana one can say that it has it all - hill, nature, vineyards, wine, food, festivals, art and peace workshops. It's a town of fewer than 1000 people, but during the summer the number is 10 times bigger. Hop on the bus or car, and in one hour you are in Grožnjan/Grisignana, whether leaving from Pula, Rijeka or Rovinj. Good news for all hiking enthusiasts - Grožnjan/Grisignana is hiking-friendly location, and it's highly recommended to visit it on foot.

Grožnjan/Grisignana today

Today, Grožnjan/Grisignana is the town of peace, love, and art. With this sentence, I could end the story, but let's add a few more lines. Grožnjan/Grisignana is the host town for one of European best jazz festivals - Jazz is Back BP. This jazz festival brings people from all around the world to this small town every July. It's magical how the jazzy sounds are spread around Grožnjan/Grisignana's cobblestone streets and squares. Besides jazz music, Grožnjan/Grisignana is home of one more art-related occasion - Istrian painting colony - Ex Tempore. And there's no better location then Grožnjan/Grisignana to sit and paint the canvas while the pure beauty is in front of you. After the painting sessions, the town becomes a huge open-air gallery for all those artists who came to this enchanting spot. Ballet courses, wine expositions, summer schools, peace activism workshops... all that is** Grožnjan/Grisignana**.

Grožnjan/Grisignana streets are charming:

Before leaving Grožnjan/Grisignana...

...don't forget to buy a souvenir. It sounds a bit weird to recommend you to buy a souvenir. But, in Grožnjan/Grisignana, buying a souvenir means buying a piece of art. Grožnjan/Grisignana has more than 30 galleries and shops with authentic souvenirs. The artists rose up this town, and they keep supporting it. Grožnjan/Grisignana is a place where medieval spirit meets jazz music and where galleries dominate over the bars. It's a magical and picturesque hidden gem that already misses you.