Paz: Churches, Castle Ruins and a Circular Walk

If you are considering Paz as a destination for a hotel stay, you will find two clearly defined themes for planning your trip: historic religious buildings and a hike between Borut and Paz. The churches are notable for their furnishings, artworks and different periods of construction; the hike can be factored into your schedule as a separate block of time based on its approximate duration. Before booking, you can decide whether cultural history, hiking or both should shape your stay.

Churches and Art in Paz

The parish church of the Assumption of Mary in Paz dates from 1579. Its furnishings include a Gothic monstrance from 1496 and two heraldic tombstones from 1636 and 1700. The cemetery church is older: it was built in 1461 with two apses and features wall paintings by Albert of Constance. The paintings include a Madonna and Child and the Throne of Mercy. The two churches offer contrasting features: the parish church is notable for its dated furnishings, while the cemetery church stands out for its architecture and wall art.

Circular Walk Between Borut and Paz

A 2019 tour description features a 13-kilometre circular walk connecting Borut and Paz via the St. Kocijan Trail. It is described as easy and is estimated to take approximately four to five hours. The duration is a useful guide for planning your day; check the trail details locally before setting out.

Historic Places in the Wider Destination of Općina Cerovlje

The wider destination of Općina Cerovlje also has distinctive historical features in other places. The remains of Paz Castle are visible on the hill above the settlement. In Draguć, the former settlement was rebuilt according to a precise plan after being destroyed by fire during the Uskok War (1615–1618). The Church of St. Elijah in Draguć is a Romanesque building from the late 12th century, constructed from two-coloured stone blocks. In Gologorica, Vela vrata was once the main gate; the Romanesque Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary has Gothic frescoes painted around 1400 by an unknown artist.

Crafts and Landscape in the Wider Destination of Općina Cerovlje

Brickmaking was carried out in Borut for centuries: locals shaped clay from the Borut stream by hand and fired it in field kilns known as “frnaže”. Grimalda is a viewpoint in central Istria, on a hill 447 metres high. The ponds of Cerovlje offer a green setting for a walk or picnic.

Events in the Wider Destination of Općina Cerovlje

At the beginning of the year, Cerovlje hosts a traditional carnival featuring colourful parades of masked groups from central Istria; the dates vary each year. The annual gathering of bajs players, “Z bajson u Draguć”, takes place in Draguć on the third Sunday in June. If an event is important to your travel plans, check the dates for the year in question.

Discover more destinations: Borut, Novaki Pazinski, Previž, Draguć, Gologorica, Grimalda, Cerovlje, Korelići

For the wider travel overview: Općina Cerovlje.