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.