Istria county

General data:
Area: 2 813 km²
Population: 206 344 (2001.g.)
City: 9
Municipality: 30
Its capital is Pazin.

Istria county is the westernmost county of Croatia which includes the biggest part of the Istrian peninsula (2820 out of 3160 km²). Area is called Istra in Croatian and Slovenian, and Istria in Italian. Its administrative center is Pazin/Pisino. Istra is well connected with the rest of Croatia and Europe. Due to its connection with a wider European area, road development suitably covers all needs and contributes to a balanced development of the coastal area and the Istrian interior.The nearest commercial airport is in Pula. Istria, as the most developed Croatian tourism region of Croatia can accommodate more than 200,000 visitors a day in its hotels, apartment villages, campsites or in private accommodation.

Organized tourism in Istria goes back to the Romans, when emperor Vaspasian, for the entertainment of that time, built the amphitheater (Arena) in Pula. During the reign of Austro-Hungarian Empire in (1866), Austrian and Hungarian royalty and aristocracy started visiting local resorts and discovered Poreč. Significant efforts were made after World War II, to develop the tourist infrastructure and to accentuate its importance. In combination with the natural beauties, rich history and cultural heritage, investments paid off and resulted in highly developed, competitive service all along the western coast in Poreč, Pula, Rovinj, Umag, Novigrad, and Vrsar. In the eastern part, as part of another county, there are resorts like Rabac, Opatija. Istria was and still is the most important tourist destination in Croatia, hosting the western and central European visitors. Area is the most visited tourist region with 27% of all visitors and 35% of time spent in all of Croatia.

Pazin a town in middle Istria, situated above the canyon of the Pazincica river. The borough of Kastel is located above the subterranean pit Jama, while the settlement developed around it. Kastel was built on the rock, 130m above the jama pit, and the new part of the town was buiklt in the lowlands.

It abounds in cultural-historical heritage - the ruins of the 13th century castrum Pisinium fortress. The building of the old Pazin gymnasium houses the Archive with abundant historical material concerning Istria. It is also a traffic nexus for the interior and the coastal settlements.