Babiči: Village Architecture, Church Ruins and Cycling Routes

If rural architectural history and cycling are factors in choosing your destination, Babiči offers concrete points of interest. These include old residential and farm buildings, the church ruins above the village and two cycling routes that pass through Babiči. The historic buildings and routes reveal different sides of the place: one tells the story of rural architecture and how it was used, while the other shows Babiči’s role in the course of several tours.

Rural architecture and landscape

An old house dating from 1885 to 1890 stands near Komareta in Babiči. A formerly single-room house in Babiči near Kamareta is now used as a stable. This house combines its former layout as a one-room dwelling with its current use as a stable: the first describes a building classification, while the second describes its present use.

At Babiči 26, there is a thatched “lupa” outbuilding for carts and storing other things. Its purpose differs from that of the stable: it is used for carts and storage. Fields and vineyards are also part of Babiči’s agriculturally shaped landscape. They add the village’s agricultural surroundings to the picture of its rural architecture.

Church ruins above Babiči

Above Babiči, you can see the ruins of a 15th-century church dedicated to Saint John, also known as Ivan. A Gothic triumphal arch and Gothic architectural elements have been preserved among the ruins. The nave of the church was altered in the 17th century. This distinguishes the church’s medieval date from the later alteration to its nave.

The dedication, ruined state and surviving architectural elements each provide a distinct historical reference: the dedication associates the church with Saint John, also known as Ivan; the triumphal arch and Gothic elements point to its architecture; and the alteration to the nave adds a later phase to its building history.

Cycling routes through Babiči

The challenging 38-kilometre cycling route “Kdor išče, ta najde (K15)” runs from Vanganel through Babiči in the direction of Pomjan. Its viewpoints and highlights include Poljanska buža, Supot Waterfall and several old mills.

The route Sui sentieri della “Toscana Istriana” also passes through Babiči: it forms a circular route from Marezige through the village and onwards towards Župančiči. It is suitable for MTB, EMTB and gravel bikes. K15 is the challenging 38-kilometre tour; Toscana Istriana is a circular route suitable for MTB, EMTB and gravel bikes.

When comparing tours, you can take these differences into account in your planning. K15 specifies a distance of 38 kilometres and offers specific views of natural features and mills. Toscana Istriana is described as a circular route and lists the types of bicycles it is suitable for. Both routes pass through Babiči, but the information provided about their itineraries and tour profiles differs.

Babiči in the Koper countryside

Babiči is part of the green, rural surroundings of Koper. The wider region is characterised by typical villages and numerous cycling, hiking and themed trails between the sea, the Istrian hills and the Karst plateau. This regional perspective adds a broader landscape context to the specific features of the village.

This gives you two scales to consider when planning your trip: in Babiči, the houses, church ruins and individual routes offer specific points of reference; the area around Koper opens up a view of a wider network of trails and a landscape shaped by villages. Discover more destinations: Koper, Tinjan, Šmarje, Črni Kal, Pobegi, Truške, Ankaran, Hrastovlje.

Go to the broader travel overview: Koper.