Vampires, giants, and hidden pirate treasures.
Long before Bram Stoker's Dracula, Istria trembled before Jure Grando. In the small village of Kringa, the first historically documented case of vampirism was recorded in 1656. It is said that after his death, Jure rose from his grave every night to haunt the villagers.
Today, a small museum in Kringa commemorates this eerie part of history — and for the brave, there is even a "Vampire Bar".
Legend has it that Istria was once inhabited by giants who built the hill towns. Veli Jože was the most famous of them. He lived near Motovun and was so strong he could move entire houses with his bare hands.
Today, he remains a symbol of courage and the will for freedom of the Istrian people.
The notorious pirate Henry Morgan is said to have sailed into Lim Fjord while fleeing the British fleet. He supposedly hid a vast treasure in the ruins of the abandoned city of Dvigrad, which has never been found to this day.