A key characteristic of Croatia is its highly developed urban culture. The towns on its soil are the most numerous and densely situated than anywhere else in southeastern Europe. Their origins are mainly antique and medieval, but each town has its own character and mark given to it in a particular period. Of the many harmonious Croatian cities, rich in great architecture that are worth visiting and getting acquainted with, we shall introduce only a few, neither the largest nor the most significant ones, but the ones we encounter quite unexpectedly in our travels, the ones that remain locked in our memory for the longest time. Perhaps they remain so because we did not expect to encounter them, like new friendships one makes on one's journeys.

If you arrive in Croatia from the North or West, do not rush straight to the coast and stop at the first of a series of beautiful beaches, but rather take half a day's time to visit the central part of Istria. There you will encounter, the typical small medieval towns strung along one after the other, raised as stone crowns on green hilltops. These are the towns charmingly depicted in the backgrounds of the Istrian frescoes of the 15th century. The density and arrangement of Istrian towns is such that the inhabitants during the Middle Ages could quickly report news (for instance, of merchant ships or war galleys approaching) from the East coast of the Kvarner bay, from Plomin, across Krsan, Pican, Gracisce and Lindar, to the middle of the penninsula at Pazin. It would truly be a shame to miss Motovun, Buje, Buzet, Beram, Baraban, St. Lovrec, Labin, Barban, Oprtalj, Zavrsje and other historical towns, but, for now, take a glimpse with us at only a few selected ones.

Here is an aerial view of the medieval Istrian towns in order to present a complete picture of their vast organic composition.

LABIN is framed by a series of house rooftops which follow the contours of the surrounding hillside. Since the town's fortifications became obsolete during the Baroque era, the houses were built on the walls of the old town. The outlines of the city are interwoven along the hillside like a bird's nest. The town features a number of aristocratic palaces (18th century), the most magnificent of which has been turned into a well-stocked museum. The highlight is the bell tower of the district church, which features an eight sided lantern. Before the Venetian conquests, Istria was under the jurisdiction of Aquileia and the belfry is a copy of the one at Aquileia.

BUJE, with its picturesque medieval streets, is shaped according to the plateauo of the hill on which the town is located. Here the bell tower is not the town's only highlight. The 18th century Baroque church is also worth visiting. It is one of the largest and most graceful churches in the region (along with the churches in Buzet and Rovinj) and houses a treasure of paintings and sculptures.

MOTOVUN, which is oval shaped, has managed to preserve splendidly its medieval fortifications and towers. The bell tower of the church once served as the town's highest fortification, and is crowned by battlements, also typical of the towers constructed in the 14th century. Houses climb up to the town gate following the twists and turns of the main road which connects the town with the fertile plains of the Mirna river valley. Motovun was celebrated by the Croatian poet V. Nazor in his legend of "The Great Joza". In addition to being a cultural centre, Motovun is also a centre for historical research and hosts each year international symposiums on medieval art.

GROZNJAN is a medieval town which features a beautiful Renaissance lodge. Young people have left many old Istrian towns to seek employment in larger coastal cities, but Groznjan makes a good example on how these medieval towns can be revived and given a new purpose. Many abandoned houses in Groznjan are being rebuilt by artists and intellectuals who relax and work in the town during the summer months. An international youth music festival is held every summer and during that time the whole town reverberates with music and young people.