Boljunsko Polje: Church, Nature and Hiking

Local points of interest range from the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the hamlet of Opatija to the Vela Draga educational trail and a landing site for flight activities. These themes offer different approaches to planning your trip.

Location and orientation

The Vranja–Šušnjevica road runs along the edge of Boljunsko Polje; roads branch off from it toward Boljun and Paz. Boljunsko Polje is also the landing site for hang-gliding and paragliding flights that launch from Vojak. The associated flight activity is considered accessible; you should check practical details in advance. The road and the flight activity show two different aspects of orientation: the routes along the edge of the Polje and its role as a landing site.

Landscape and biodiversity

Boljunsko Polje is considered an area of landscape significance. Six target species are associated with the HR2001215 Boljunsko polje protected area: Balkan barbel, Italian crested newt, yellow-bellied toad, lesser horseshoe bat, Bechstein’s bat, and primorska uklija. The target species therefore include fish, amphibians, and bats. There is also a maternity roost of lesser horseshoe bats in the upper section of the Boljunčica stream. It is considered the largest of its kind on the Istrian Peninsula; future ecological surveys may change this assessment.

The Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the hamlet of Opatija

The hamlet of Opatija is part of Boljunsko Polje; the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel stands there. It was built in 1670 on the site of a former Benedictine abbey. The interior includes a richly decorated wooden altar with a retable dating from 1676, known as the “golden altar.” A statue of the Virgin and Child stands on the main altar. The two dates refer to different things: 1670 marks the construction of the church, and 1676 the retable—a difference of six years. A retable is the decorated structure above an altar. It is part of the church furnishings, but it is not the altar itself; rather, it is a separate artistic element of the church interior.

Hiking and nearby destinations

The Vela Draga educational trail starts at the Zrinščak Tunnel and ends in Boljunsko Polje. Its shorter, easier section leads to a viewpoint; the longer, more difficult section runs through the canyon. When choosing, consider both the difference in difficulty and the destination of each route. Vela Draga is protected as a nature reserve and geomorphological natural monument. Nearby Boljun offers another point of interest: its castle is preserved and considered worth visiting. From the castle, the view stretches across Boljunsko Polje and Učka.

Agricultural heritage

The Buretić agricultural business at Mandići 8 combines a generations-old livestock and dairy tradition with the production of dairy products and organic cow’s cheese. If you include the business in your travel plans, check the details in advance.

Discover more destinations: Brest pod Učkom, Lupoglav, Boljun, Semić, Dolenja Vas

For the broader travel overview: Općina Lupoglav.