Markets in Istria

Who doesn’t love a market?

There's a proliferation of supermarket chains everywhere, but markets play an important role in any city or neighbourhood.

Markets are a great way to soak up local colour and feel the pulse of a place.

This is where you can pick up locally-grown produce in the open-air, usually directly from the people who have cultivated it.

Markets are also a meeting place, bringing people together.

Most cities and towns in Istria have a permanent market (tržnica in Croatian) which is usually open daily, or 6 days a week.

But there are also several monthly markets which take place on a determined day in several towns across Istria. At these markets there are not only local farmers selling the fruits of their land but also itinerant traders who sell things like clothes, footwear and household items. I had written about Pazin’s monthly market in a previous post.

Here’s a list of the monthly markets in towns across Istria:

Bale – 2^nd Saturday

Barban – 2^nd Saturday

Buje – 1^st Wednesday

Buzet – 1^st Friday, 3^rd Thursday

Labin – 3^rd Wednesday

Motovun – 3^rd Monday

Pazin – 1^st Tuesday

Rovinj – last Friday

Svetivinčenat – 3^rd Saturday

Sveta Nedelja – 1^st Thursday

Višnjan – last Thursday

Vodnjan – 1^st Saturday

Žminj – every 2^nd Wednesday

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Exploring Oprtalj

One of the things I love about Istria is its varied landscapes: its picturesque seaside towns, spectacular islands, and breath-taking expanses of undulating hills stretching out for as far as the eye can see. But it's the landscape of central Istria that I love best: the rolling hills topped with scenic old villages. I love to explore these old villages, many of which are like ghost-towns of times past… 

One of these hilltop towns where time has stopped is Oprtalj (Portole is its Italian name). 

The drive up winds through pine forests before reaching a plateau at 378 metres from where there are magnificent views of the neighbouring hilltop town of Motovun, which is better known by tourists.

Walking through Oprtalj's cobble-stoned streets and passing under its ruined stone archways, I try to imagine what life was like here in the town’s glory days... 

When were its glory days? When it was a hill fort settlement during the Roman period? Or was it in the 16^th century when this was part of the Venetian Republic? Venice has indeed left many marks: the handsome Venetian loggia at the town’s entrance and a statue of the Lion of St. Mark, along with many architectural details which hint at its Venetian past.

Through an archway, the Venetian-style 'loggia'.

Inside the loggia we find the Lion of St. Mark. This is where an antiques market takes place on the second Sunday of each month. 

There are a few cafés, restaurants and shops here and the village seems to be going through a slow revival, but most of its old houses and buildings are in a neglected state.

The last time I was here was about eight years ago... and I had imagined Orptalj would be in a more advanced state of reconstruction. But its charm is intact and this remains one of my favourite villages in Istria. Our next stop was another central Istrian gem: Završje, which will be the topic of a future post.

I leave you with this image of a boat perched on the edge of the village!

Pazin's monthly market

Last week the first of October fell on a Tuesday and since it was the first Tuesday of the month, we headed over to Pazin for the monthly market, known locally as the Pazin Samanj. Pazin is only 8 kilometres away and the closest town to us.

I did a bit of reading up on the Pazin Samanj and learned that it’s been held since the 1500s! This was an important local agricultural market for a long time. Today there’s all kinds of stuff sold here and people come from all over Istria to sell their wares and to pick up a bargain, meet up with friends and neighbours, or just walk around the market “because there’s nothing else to do around here”, as my father put it.

The market starts in the pedestrian area of the town centre where old objects are sold. I won’t say ‘antiques’ because this was more like a garage sale of second hand things. I saw household items used in times past, like lanterns, clothes irons made of cast iron (like the ones used by the dhobis in India!), a few pieces of old furniture, and Communist-era telephones, clocks and radios. I also saw many ugly porcelain vases and other uninspiring curios and knick-knacks. A stand selling old musical instruments was more interesting.

Most of the market is taken over by stalls selling cheap clothes and shoes and things like tablecloths, bed sheets and towels. There are some fruit and vegetable stalls and others selling local food products like olive oil, jam, honey.

But the original agricultural aspect of the market is still evident today in the many stalls selling farming tools. This also reflects a society which was predominantly agricultural until fairly recently and where people still work the land.

This is also the place to pick up straw brooms, kitchen utensils made of wood...

and hand-woven wicker baskets.

How about a fly swatter?

Or a hat?

A few more objects from times past looking for new owners.

And even cemetery lanterns are on sale.