What is the best way to travel by car from Ukraine to Croatia and vice versa. We share the optimal travel route. Where is the smallest city in the world located? How to get there, what to see, where to stay. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the city of Hum is the smallest city on the planet and has only 27 inhabitants. This is a fairy-tale town that has been preserved since the Middle Ages. Being here is like going back into the distant past. Our route passed a few kilometers from Khum. Well, how could you not stop by?! In this part of the report on my trip to Croatia, I will tell you in more detail about this interesting city and about our trip from Pula to Ukraine.
Our holiday at sea in Croatia has come to an end. Read about your impressions here:
We have written useful information for holidays in Pula in the author’s guide:
It's time to go home. The optimal route from Croatia to Ukraine passes through Hungary: Pula - Zagreb - Budapest - border at Beregovo BCP Luzhanka (or in the village of Kosino BCP Kosino) - Lviv - Kiev. Distance Pula – Kyiv 1725 km. Travel with two overnight stops - in Budapest and Lviv. This is what the route looks like on the map:
Hum is the smallest city in the world.
It turns out that 8 km from the Pula - Rijeka highway, 80 km from Pula and 40 km from Rijeka, is the smallest city in the world. It's called Hum. We decided to visit it on the way home.
How to get to Huma. Tourist buses rarely come here. It is better for tourists to get to Khum by car. Near the town of Lupoglav we got off the Pula-Rijeka highway (E751) and paid for the road at the toll point. A narrow paved country road leads to the town of Hum. It passes under a high overpass along which the highway is laid.
The road to Khum is so narrow in places that it is difficult to avoid oncoming traffic. Therefore, tourist buses do not travel here in large numbers.
There is an entrance fee to the town of Hum. For a passenger car we paid 10 kuna (approx. 1.5 euros).
There is a large parking lot nearby.
We are heading into a medieval fairy tale. This is what Hum looks like.
Hum is an ancient fortified city, which is located on a hill 350 m high. There is a legend that it was built by giants from giant stones. Although history proves that a Roman settlement existed in this place a couple of thousand years ago. In its place, in the 11th century, Margrave Ulrich I built a fortress. During this period, the settlement was given city status. It was called “Castrum Cholm”, from Italian – “hill fortress”.
Over the years of its existence, Hum has been under various dominations: the Venetian Republic, the Austrian Empire, Napoleon and the First French Republic, Italy and Yugoslavia. Since 1991 it has been a Croatian city. During World War II, the population of the city was 450 people, but on the eve of the invasion of the National Liberation Army of Yugoslavia, almost all of them left the city. There are a few families left. People were afraid of reprisals. After the war, with the advent of Yugoslav power, the city was renamed “Hum”, translated from Croatian as “hill”. The smallest city in the world is home to 27 people. And in 2001 there were only 17 people living there.
Vorotoa is the main and only entrance to the city. These stone walls are over 500 years old. As in ancient times, the city gates are closed at night. I wonder what the smallest city is? Let's go inside.
The city gates have been preserved since 1562 and were restored by blacksmiths several years ago. On the massive doors there are 12 signs - symbols of all months of the year. Each depicts the types of domestic or field work inherent in each season. There are also inscriptions in the Glagolitic alphabet that welcome all guests with good intentions and threaten enemies.
Inside the city gates.
Right next to the gate is the main square of Huma. She is very small. It houses the Bell Tower from 1552 and the parish church of the Ascension of Mary, which is over 200 years old.
The city has only 2 streets and 13 houses. You can get around it in 15-20 minutes, or even less. The streets and houses are very authentic, because nothing has changed here for more than 500 years. It seems that you are in the Middle Ages. You just expect a resident in ancient clothes to come out of the house.
As in every city, the smallest of them is home to a judge, a policeman, a fireman, and a doctor. There is also a mayor here - the city zupan (or prefect). This position is symbolic, it is also called “the position of a fool.” Why? Mostly pensioners live in the city. And the zupan has to solve all their big and small problems. Therefore, it is difficult to find candidates for this position))) Elections for the symbolic head of the city are held every year in June on City Day. According to an ancient tradition, only men from Khum and surrounding villages participate in it and vote by marking a special rod. The ceremony ends with a celebration with traditional dances and songs.
Everything around is elegant, decorated with flowers. Some houses are closed, but at the same time elegant and neat. Houma has a bylaw that requires all homeowners to maintain it, even if they live and work outside the city. Therefore, residents come on weekends and “spruce up” their “possessions.”
A bench was installed near the ancient city tower. It's nice to sit here and admire the scenery.
The smallest city in the world has several colorful souvenir shops, a wine bar, and a traditional restaurant “Humska Konoba”. Opened for tourists in Khuma hotels and apartments.
For example, these colorful apartments Apartment Dores And Guest house Sobe Dores .
We went to the souvenir shop-museum.
One room is a museum of ancient traditional folk life.
And the other room is a shop with local souvenirs: honey, wines, truffles, chocolate with various interesting fillings (we bought it with lavender), handmade products, paintings, jewelry, local alcoholic drinks.
Again I was surprised by the hospitality of the Croats. The seller asked the customers what country they were from and immediately switched to their language. She spoke French, German, Italian, English. And when she found out that we were from Ukraine, she said with a smile: “We understand.” After all, Croatian and Ukrainian are a little similar. Nice!
Among the souvenirs we saw these signs. These are letters of the Glagolitic alphabet - the oldest Slavic alphabet, created by Cyril in 860. (The brothers Cyril and Methodius are known as the creators of Slavic writing). What does Hum have to do with it? The famous Croatian town of Roč is 7 km away. The first Croatian book was printed there in 1483. Priest Yuri Zhakonya became the first printer. He published the book “Servant Book” in Croatian using the Glagolitic alphabet.
In memory of this, the “Glagolitic Alley” was established between the cities of Hum and Roč. The road on both sides is decorated with stone sculptures in the form of Glagolitic letters. You can get to the Alley on foot or by car.
This area is famous for its traditional wines, strong brandy “Biska”, liqueurs based on various herbs, fruits and berries. They are manufactured mainly in the neighboring town of Buzet, 14 km from here. But homemade brandy “Humska biska” is an authentic local product made with herbs. The secret of its production has been preserved by the residents of Khum for almost 2 thousand years. Brandy is served in restaurants and bars in the city.
The souvenir shop also offers tastings of traditional alcoholic drinks. You can choose the option to your liking. I’m driving, so this “honorable mission” went to Lena. We bought some delicious grape liqueur. A slightly unusual product for us, because previously we only consumed wine and cognac from grapes.
We return to the parking lot. At the entrance to the city there is a picturesque old house.
Outside the city walls there is an ancient cemetery. Under him is the Church of St. Jerome, built in the 12th century.
Somehow we didn’t expect to see an old telephone booth here. Against the backdrop of a thousand-year-old city, it looks like a miracle of civilization.
We visited Khuma like in a fairy tale. It feels like history comes to life here. In this city, everything is real: people live on the ancient streets, the only City gates are closed at night, traditions continue from ancient times. Everything is very interesting and authentic.
It's worth visiting. This could be a short one-hour trip into the past (like ours) or a quality rural vacation for several days. There are many cycling and walking routes, incredible nature, tranquility, delicious food and drinks, colorful surroundings.
Where to stay in Huma:
Surprisingly, there is a good selection of hotels and apartments here. In the center of the smallest city in the world 8! hotels and several more not far beyond. You can book accommodation in Khuma using these links:
Find profitable promotions and special offers of hotels in the city here:
Our trip to Croatia ended on such a fabulously romantic note. The next stop on the way home is Budapest.
Border Croatia - Hungary.
We took the Croatian autobahn to the border with Hungary. Only Zagreb wasted time in a traffic jam due to road repairs. Read about everything you need to know for traveling by car to Croatia in this article:
The checkpoint on the border between Croatia and Hungary is located on the E 65 – M7 highway. Here is the joint customs of the two countries. The Croatian border guards took our documents and gave them back with all the Hungarian stamps. I liked that I didn’t have to run (like we do) to the windows at customs. I only got out of the car to open the trunk. We crossed the border without problems in 40 minutes. I think we're lucky. Usually, during the summer season the queue is longer.
I really like the Hungarian autobahns. How? Read here:
Budapest.
We stayed in the capital of Hungary for two days. We have been to this city many times already. Budapest opens up for us in a new way with each visit. We love this beautiful city with its majestic history, sights, and interesting places. We definitely recommend stopping here on your way to/from Croatia.
We are sharing a ready-made selection of hotels in the best areas of Budapest:
See special offers and profitable promotions of hotels in Budapest here:
What to see in Budapest. Routes to attractions.
Helpful advice: On weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and public holidays, parking in Budapest is free. Therefore, it will be more convenient and faster to explore the city by car. And if you want to take a break from the wheel, use public transport.
Budapest in one day. To see Budapest in a “strong intensive” mode, you can book accommodation for 2 nights and in one day quickly view the main “postcard” views of Budapest: on the Buda side - the Royal Palace and the Fisherman's Bastion, on the Pest side - the Parliament, St. Istvan, Andrássy Avenue, Heroes' Square, Vajdahunyad Castle. The downside is that after such a busy day, fatigue is guaranteed)). You can end your tourist day and recuperate in the Széchenyi Baths, located near Vajdahunyad Castle.
Budapest in two days. You can stay two nights on the way to Croatia and two nights on the way back. The first day is an acquaintance with the Royal Palace, Fisherman's Bastion, Gellert Mountain. Optionally, Gellert Bath or (our favorite) Rudas Bath. Second day - we explore the Pest side: Parliament, St. Stephen's Cathedral, Andrássy Avenue, Heroes' Square, Városliget Park with Vajdahunyad Castle, Zoo, Széchenyi Bath. If you have any strength left, take a walk along Vaci Street and the Danube embankment.
Read about walks to famous places in Budapest here:
Beautiful place with breathtaking view:
Interesting routes around Budapest.
- This is not your first time in Budapest and you would like to see other interesting places;
- arrived in the city for longer than 1-2 days;
- You are traveling with children.
We wish you incredible impressions and new discoveries from walking around Budapest!
Crossing the border between Ukraine and Hungary.
On the way to Hungary, we crossed the border through the Kosino checkpoint for the first time. Read more about our impressions here:
On the way back we decided to see what the situation was with the queues at KP Luzhanka in Beregovoe. We cleared Hungarian customs in 5 minutes. We were very happy, but in vain... In front of the Ukrainian customs there was a line in the heat for 2 hours. Cars were passing through very slowly. In the direction Ukraine-Hungary there was a queue of 20-25 cars, for about 1.5 hours at least. The map shows the Ukraine-Hungary border crossing points.
Finally. in our native Ukraine! We headed to Lviv. They stopped there for the night.
Lviv
Towards evening we arrived in Lviv. The car was parked at the address: st. Vladimir Korolenko, 9. It is under round-the-clock security, close to the historical center of Lviv, which is convenient if housing is booked in the Old Town. Cost 40 UAH per day.
This time we stayed in the Krakow style apartment. This is a studio apartment on the second floor in the center of the Old Town on the street. Krakow. Market Square is 2 minutes from here. Very convenient location, windows overlook the street. True, being located in the center has its drawback - you can hear Lviv “walking” at night. Regarding amenities, it’s a beautiful, clean apartment.
Where to stay in Lviv.
Read our selection of the best housing options in the center of Lviv in this article:
See promotions and special offers of Lviv hotels here:
What to see in Lviv.
This is not our first time in Lviv. We really love being here. It is a city with a special atmosphere, numerous attractions, museums, bookstores, interesting restaurants and kneipps.
What to see in Lviv, what traditional local souvenirs to bring to your family and friends - read our articles:
In the meantime, take a walk through your favorite city. Noisy, romantic, magical evening Lviv.
We had dinner at the Gasova Lamp restaurant-museum on the street. Virmenska 20. As always, tasty and interesting.
Lviv on Sunday morning amazes with the silence, comfort, grandeur and beauty of the city. Lviv is just waking up.
In the morning we went for coffee and desserts to our favorite coffee shop “Virmenka”. The establishment has been operating for almost 40 years, has its own bohemian history and regular customers. They are the ones who bring their own photographs from 20-30 years ago to the cafe. We really like the atmosphere, comfort, pleasant service, delicious coffee and sweets.
On the shelves of the cafe is a typically Lviv combination of books, coffee and local liqueur.
We left hanging coffee in “Virmenka” as a gift for our readers.
It's nice to bring people joy, even in the form of a cup of aromatic coffee))).
Finally we returned home - to our native Boguslav. Our trip to Croatia has ended. At home we saw how many souvenirs and gifts we bought for ourselves and friends during our trip.
The trip was 100% successful. We have traveled more than 4000 km. We saw two new wonderful countries for us: Slovenia and Croatia. The children visited Italy for the first time, in the city of Trieste. This is an original Italian city with Austrian architecture. During the trip, we swam in the clean, incredibly transparent Adriatic Sea, went sledding in the summer, climbed mountains, marveled at magic tricks in the Museum of Illusions, saw monuments with a history of 2 thousand years, tried Croatian delicacies, talked with interesting and friendly people. There are a lot of memories left. We say “Praise” for the summer of 2017, which means “Thank you” in Croatian.
Thank you for reading us)) We wish you new interesting travels and bright impressions!
Read our report on our trip to Croatia. The entire trip itinerary is here:
general information
In this unusual city, you will truly feel like you are part of the past: from the city walls, located on a hill, you have endless views of the landscapes of continental Istria, and in the silence of the ancient city streets you will not be disturbed by car noise.
In Huma, the unusual tradition of electing the city mayor has been preserved to this day, which is usually held on City Day in mid-June. On this day, the main city gates are solemnly opened, and a festival of traditional dance and music groups of continental Istria takes place. 12 judges, the current city mayor, and residents of Khum and surrounding villages are participating in the elections. The judges sit at an antique stone table and vote, leaving notches on a pre-prepared piece of wood. As a rule, they choose from 2 candidates, leaving votes for each of them on one side and the other of the board. After the votes are counted, the current mayor transfers powers to the newly elected mayor.
Biska brandy has been produced in Huma for about 2 thousand years. (Humska Biska), prepared from several types of herbs and even considered remnants of the magic of the ancient Celts. Bisca is a healing drink for atherosclerosis and blood pressure disorders. The famous Khumi Konoba is also located here. (Humska konoba), traditional restaurant. Konoba is housed in a historic stone building, with beautiful views of the landscape of continental Istria, and offers guests a large selection of local cuisine. Many dishes are served in the old fashioned way on wooden trays.
- City walls
- Temple of the Ascension of Mary
- Ancient frescoes in the Chapel of St. Jerome
- Souvenirs with inscriptions in Glagolitic alphabet
- Khumi konoba
- Rakia Biska
How to get there
The most convenient way to get to Khum is by renting a car. If you are traveling from the Istrian coast, you need to take the road towards Pazin-Cerovlje-Buzet-Roc-Hum
Hum is the smallest city in the world. In general, it is a fortified city located in the central part of the Istrian peninsula, Croatia. The population of this city currently numbers only 17 people. Hum is listed in the Guinness World Records as the smallest city in the world. 
Story
Hum is located on a hilltop, 349 meters above sea level, in the municipality of Buzet, which is 7 kilometers from Roca and 14 kilometers southeast of Buzet. The first mention of the city of Hum dates back to 1102. Then it was called Kholm, which means full in Italian. It arose on the remains of a Roman settlement and received the status of a city in the 11th century. In its best times, the population numbered up to 300 people.
The city of Hum acquired its appearance in the 11th century, and since then nothing has been built on its territory, that is, the city has not developed at all since the early Middle Ages. Today Hum has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in Croatia. Despite the fact that this is the smallest city in the world, there are enough attractions here to spend several hours. 
Attractions
If you get to the village of Rocha, and from there move to the city of Hum, you can get to the Glagolitic Alley. This alley, more than 6 kilometers long, is located along the road connecting Roca and Hum and is a road on both sides of which there are monuments in the form of letters in the oldest Slavic alphabet, Glagolitic. There are 11 monuments here that remind of the main milestones in the development of this ancient Slavic type of writing. The construction of the alley began on the initiative expressed at the Cakavian Cathedral in 1976 and lasted from 1977 to 1983. 
Column of the Chakavian Parliament is a stone column, 2 meters high, erected in the shape of the Glagolitic letter “C” and means “mind” or “reason”. The Table of Cyril and Methodius is a three-legged table on which the words “Table of Cyril and Methodius” are carved in the Glagolitic alphabet. Chair of Clement of Orchid - placed under a huge oak tree and is a chair with blocks placed nearby, symbolizing the first Slavic university. The Glagolitic Lapidarium is a stone wall on which inscriptions are carved, taken from ancient letters found in different parts of the former Yugoslavia. Croatian Lucedar - this monument is dedicated to the ancient Croatian encyclopedia Lucedar and is a mountain on the top of which lies a stone symbolizing a cloud - this is Mount Učka, touching the clouds. The monument to Gregory of Nin is a stone book on which alphabets are carved in Cyrillic, Latin and Glagolitic. The rise of the Istrian Code of Laws is a monument in the form of the Glagolitic letter “L”, which opens up a view of the path with sculptures located along it, forming the name of the Istrian Code of Law, adopted in 1275. The Wall of Croatian Protestants is a stone wall with the names of Croatian Protestants carved on it. The resting place of Yuri Jacon - this stone block symbolizes the Glagolitic Missal of 1483. The Monument of Resistance and Freedom - represents three blocks of stone, symbolizing three eras: antiquity, the Middle Ages and modernity. Located in front of the entrance to the city of Hum. The city gate of Khum is the city gate leading to the smallest city in the world, Khum, bound in copper and decorated with 12 medallions, symbolizing the months of the year. There are also inscriptions here that welcome those who came to the city with good intentions and threaten those who came here with bad intentions.
The city is surrounded by fortified walls, within the city walls there are two narrow streets, a small square, the Temple of the Assumption of Mary, built in 1802, the Church of St. Jerome, built in the 12th century, has a classic facade decorated with frescoes, as well as inscriptions and graffiti from the medieval era . Also in the city there is a store, a konobah and a city cemetery, from which Byzantine history begins. The store has a lot of souvenirs, and in the restaurant you can try homemade Biska cognac. Of the thirty residential buildings in the city of Hum, only seven are inhabited. In this smallest city in the world there is a mayor, where would the city be without him, as well as one policeman, one doctor, one fireman and one judge.
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Let me clarify right away: settlements with the name Hum on the territory of the former Yugoslavia there are about seven (and this is not the limit, for example, there are 60 in Kiev, of which at least a third are in the Czech Republic). Let's discard the Serbian and Bosnian place names and get three Croatian ones. Of these, only one, Khum, has the status of a city, and that’s what we’re talking about.
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Hum. Aerial photo. The town of Hum (Colmo, Italian, Cholm, German) is located at an altitude of 349 m, on a hilltop, approximately 6 km from Roča and 14 km southeast of Buzet.
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View of Hum from the north side. Parking lot, on the right - a vineyard © Novopashin S.A., 2008
It is located in the area Buzet(i.e. it is part of the urban community of Buzet), which is part of the county Istra(Istria). For a correct understanding: županija is not from the popular name in Russia for the gluteus maximus muscle, but from “zhupa” - an administrative unit in the lands of the Western and Southern Slavs. Zhupan is, accordingly, the elder of the community (district, region - zhupania), in modern reading - the governor. (Here, of course, only a lazy person would not think about his head of the region that he is still a “zhupan” and will be right)). Balkan toponyms such as Verkhnyaya Zhupa or Lower Zhupa cannot but rejoice. I couldn't find the middle one.
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View of the surroundings of Khuma, Buzet district © Novopashin S.A., 2008
However, I digress.
"Bisca Hey Go-Go"
So, the Croatian town of Hum, positioned as Najmanji Grad na Svijetu(“the smallest city in the world/in the world”, Serbian-Croatian), I must say, is not poorly represented on network resources: from websites of travel companies to LiveJournal blogs. Therefore, I will not be original on the topic of whether there are 17 or 23 people living in it.
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Left: my family at the walls of Hum: The Croatian town of Hum is positioned as Najmanji Grad na Svijetu (“the smallest city in the world / in the world.” Right: Stele in memory of the origin of the Slavic Glagolitic alphabet - the beginning of the “Alley of Glagolitic” (“Alley of Glagolitic”) , stretching from the gates of Huma to Rocha. Similar steles-monuments, installed on both sides of the alley, remind of the historical significance of Rocha and Huma as centers of Glagolitic writing. © Novopashin S.A., 2008
Wiki says that in 2011, Huma had 27 inhabitants. The maximum number of people accommodated in the “Fortress on the Hill” is 450 people. This was during the Second World War. I don’t know how many there were in 2008, when I marveled at the “wonderful city on a hill” with my wife and her parents. I didn't count. But apparently no less than twenty. I even talked with one of them, a salesman in a local Ethno-shop, about strong homemade folk drinks. And I even drank (I’m now a fighter for sobriety :)).
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Old walls of Khum © Novopashin S.A., 2008
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Khum: in the city center © Novopashin S.A., 2008
Physiographically, Hum is located on the southwestern slope of the mountain range system - Chicharija (Ćićarija), which stretches from the village. Kozina (Slovenia) to Rijeka (Croatia). This oronym got its name from the local Romance-speaking population of Istro-Romanians, whom the Croats call Chici or Chiribirs.
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View from the fortress wall of Khum to the rugged landscape of the foothills of Chichariya (Buzet administrative district) © Novopashin S.A., 2008
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View from the hill of Kholma (i.e. Khuma) to the rugged landscape of the foothills of Chichariya (Buzet administrative district) © Novopashin S.A., 2008
About bisque but it makes sense to write specifically, because biska, positioned as a Croatian folk brand of moonshine, was born back in the days when the Gauls/Gaels (who became Scots and Celts) drove the Romans out of Istria and vice versa. So bisca is definitely older than the Irish and Scottish varieties. Yes, yes, I'm talking about whiskey. True, among the Gaels who live in Ireland Whiskey (the popular name is Pothin - “still”) is called Uisce beatha (Irish pronunciation “uiske biyahe”). The equivalent in Scottish (Gaelic) is given as "Iguzi-bitha".
Biska is a homemade brandy made from grape cognac, mistletoe and four types of herbs. The recipe is about 2000 years old. It is a remnant of the druid magic of the ancient Celts who once inhabited these parts. White mistletoe (Víscum album) was an iconic plant of the ancient Celts. Bisca is famous for its medicinal properties, it is one of the best natural medicines for arteriosclerosis and for regulating high and low blood pressure.
The word "whisky" is an English version resulting from a misunderstanding of the word uisce in Ireland or uisge in Scotland. The phrase uisce beatha, literally "water of life", was coined by early medieval Irish monks to refer to distilled alcohol, who translated the meaning from the Latin aqua vitae. By the way, somewhere nearby is the semantics of Russian vodka (vodka - i.e. “voditsa”, in the sense of not just water, but special, “living”).
Being carried away by the history of alchemy, I note, referring to R. Cavendish, the author of the famous book “Black Arts”, that in alchemy alcohol was called aqua ardens - fire water (“for it is both liquid and flammable; it was believed that it consists of fire and water , and, therefore, is a special form of the Philosopher's Stone). Some medieval alchemists believed that alcohol was a form of quintessence (quint - “five”, essence - “essence”), the pure fifth element from which the heavens were created. into two layers: a cloudy bottom (“earth”) and a pure blue top (“heaven”). So bisque is even more “water of life” than the northern version of the Scots and Gaels, since the composition of bisque is richer (and healthier ))).
Bisque is prepared from grape cognac, mistletoe and four types of herbs, i.e. it is more like brandy in the modern classification of alcohol, while whiskey in rare cases (in French Brittany, for example) is distilled from buckwheat, and usually from cereals (barley etc.).
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The ethno-shop “Castrum Cholm” got its name in honor of the Roman (Latin) name of Khuma. At the entrance to the store there is a battery of bottles of local bisque © Novopashin S.A., 2008
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Ancient walls of Khum. Glagolitic on the copper gates of the city. © Novopashin S.A., 2008
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Streets (street) Khuma © Novopashin S.A., 2008
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The central and only street of Huma with a “square” in the city center. Group of organized tourists © Novopashin S.A., 2008
In general, you can buy bisque near any town or village right next to the road. Locals usually offer a whole range of homemade alcohol - from slivovitz to lozovac and travaritsa. That is, the Croats are driving away everything that grows. Here, on remote shelves/stands, they also offer homemade snacks: from sheep’s cheese to honey. By the way, we took home a “head” of smoked sheep’s cheese from the locals (and took it to Yekaterinburg), and at the same time, with the permission of the owners, we looked at the life and economy of Croatian farmers. Not bad, but they also seem to survive. Moreover, in order to join the EU, Croatia was presented with a considerable “cartload” of demands regarding agriculture.
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The Clock Tower of the 16th century and the Church of the Assumption of Mary of the 19th century. Khum © Novopashin S.A., 2008
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Left: Huma Clock Tower. Right: Church of the Ascension of Mary © Novopashin S.A., 2008
Temple of the Ascension of Mary: information stand © Novopashin S.A., 2008
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View of the entrance to Khum from the inside. Small architectural forms and flora design of the town © Novopashin S.A., 2008
After Croatia joined the EU in 2013, it experienced a powerful crisis, including in the agricultural sector. If in the year of my stay there (2008) the dynamics in agriculture compared to the previous year was 108%, then by 2014 it had dropped to 92%. And in such dynamics in all respects.
Finishing the speech about drinks, I’ll also mention Pelinkovac - bitter or bitter liqueur infused with wormwood (Pelin) and other aromatic herbs.
Trade in homemade wine and strong craft alcohol at the t’řnice in Poreč. A Porech lad pours samples of homemade wines and bisques in a shakhovnitsa... © Novopashin S.A., 2008
My father-in-law and I tried biska on the first day of our arrival, while at the t’rzhnitsa (market) in Porec (from where we made trips to the cities and villages of Istria). A responsive, kind guy at the Shakhovnitsa suggested that we try 25-30 grams from each bottle (it was in the morning and the market was empty). Having found us about 15 minutes later, the wives, from whom we had fought off “for a minute,” looked into the rows with local moonshine, and unanimously declared in surprise: “So you’re drunk!” "Yes!" - we joyfully stated.
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Porec boys with the Shakhovnitsa - the state flag of Croatia, Porec © Novopashin S.A., 2008. The red and white Shakhovnitsa serves as the heraldic symbol of the Croatian state, it was present on the country’s coat of arms throughout history, including the period of the Socialist Republic of Croatia as part of Yugoslavia. The first appearance of the Shakhovna as a state symbol dates back to the reign of King Stepan Drzislav of Croatia (10th century). The oldest surviving documents with the shakhovna as a state symbol date back to the beginning of the 16th century, when it was part of the Habsburg coat of arms and symbolized the union of the red and white Croatian tribes. There is a historically unconfirmed legend about the appearance of a checkerwoman after the Croatian king Svetoslav Suronja (from the Trpimirovich dynasty, who reigned in 997-1000) won a game of chess against the Venetian Doge in a game in which Dalmatia (a county of Croatia) was the bet. mirkrasiv.ru/reference/phrasebooks/russian-croatian.html
For understanding: in the language of Serbs and Croats there are several names for objects of trade: trznica - t’rznica - market, Croatian; whereas trgovina - trgovina - a store, and a large store (department store) - velika robna kuca - great robna kucha - a large trading house. Regarding the latter, passing by every day from Brulo to Porec (15 minutes walk), I sincerely rejoiced at the cheerful and rich in meaning of the Slavic languages, looking at the supermarket, called behind the scenes “Rovna Kucha” ...
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Entrance to Khum. Clock tower © Novopashin S.A., 2008
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There are no street names in Houma - that makes no sense. The address is simple: Hum/house number. Lubomir Mulach, maestro, lives in this house © Novopashin S.A., 2008
Glagolitic as a brand
Returning to the main topic, it must still be said that the main brand of Huma (and neighboring Rocha) is Glagolitic
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The copper gates were rebuilt in 1562 and only in the 20th century they were updated by metal craftsmen. Left: Photo by Maesi64 (see Wikipedia). In the center and on the right – photo: Novopashin S.A. © Novopashin S.A., 2008
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Copper gates of Huma: Glagolitic alphabet and pictograms of the Zodiac signs associated with the seasonal economic activities of peasants © Novopashin S.A., 2008
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Copper Gates of Huma: pictograms of Zodiac signs associated with the seasonal economic activities of peasants © Novopashin S.A., 2008© Novopashin S.A., 2008
There are many mysteries associated with the origin of the Glagolitic Slavic script. One of them, the main one, is that among the learned brethren the question has not yet been removed from discussion: which of the two Slavic alphabet was the original: Cyrillic or Glagolitic? Which of them was created (by himself or with the participation of his brother Methodius) by the younger Thessalonian - that is, Cyril? It seems that, according to the logic of things, accessible even to a person who has little knowledge of the matter, Kirill is the author of precisely the alphabet that is named after him. However, it seems that Cyril (aka Constantine the Philosopher) invented the Glagolitic alphabet in the 9th century. Actually, he didn’t even invent it - rather, he recreated, on the basis, most likely, of either runic writing or Greek “spectacled writing,” a writing that was more modern for that time. Some letters also resemble graphemes of the Samaritan alphabet. The oldest Slavic manuscripts in Europe are written in the Glagolitic alphabet. (Concerning the Slavic population of future Germany, Italy, Croatia, etc. - i.e. Polabian and Pomeranian Rus', Lusatia, Raska, Venetia - see my post Rasha, Rasseniya, Raska. About the meaning of names or What’s in your name: Rasha, Raska, Serbia?).
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Khumi Glagolitic “in stone” © Novopashin S.A., 2008
There were two main versions (formats) of the Glagolitic alphabet - round, common in Bulgaria and the later angular, used in Croatia. I note that Gothic writing (which exists in several Latinized forms) may have arisen on the basis of the Glagolitic alphabet. Also, those who are interested in the hidden history of the elites of Europe (the topic of sacred blood, etc.) probably know that the kings of France, when accepting the throne, laid their hands on the so-called. The Reims Gospel (from the 11th century) in the Reims Cathedral. Moreover, this Gospel was “unreadable” for the Latinized descendants of the Gauls and Franks, for it was written in the “angelic language.” But it was understandable to native Russian speakers. For part of it is written in the Glagolitic alphabet. In any case, in 1717, Peter I read aloud the Book of Angels, opened by the ministers of the Reims Cathedral, which had previously been considered unreadable.
The Reims Gospel is a Church Slavonic parchment manuscript. Its first part, containing readings of the holiday Gospels according to the rite of the Orthodox Church, is written in Cyrillic; the second, containing the Gospels, apostolic epistles, paremias for holidays according to the Roman Catholic calendar, was written in 1395 in Croatian (angular) Glagolitic alphabet by the monks of the Emmaus Monastery, founded in Prague in 1347, to perform Catholic services in the Slavic language. The Czech scribe introduced bohemianisms into the Glagolitic part, so it belongs to the Croatian-Czech version. At the end of this part there is an entry in Czech in Glagolitic alphabet, in which the scribe reports that the Cyrillic part was written by the Monk Procopius of Sazau. In fact, this part is not of such ancient origin. It belongs to the Russian version and was donated to the Emmaus Monastery by Emperor Charles IV. http://www.istpravda.ru/artifacts/9821/
The history of the creation of the Glagolitic Gospel is also associated with the personality of Anna Yaroslavna, the youngest of the three daughters of the Kyiv prince Yaroslav the Wise from his marriage to Ingegerda of Sweden. Anna grew up at the princely court in Kyiv and received a good education: already in her youth she knew Greek and Latin. In the middle of the 11th century, Anna moved to Reims, becoming the wife of the French king Henry I and the queen of France. The Gospel was part of her dowry, and it was on this book that Anna Yaroslavovna took the oath at the coronation. Many years later, perhaps this happened in the 14th century, the Russian Gospel was combined with another “Slavic” Gospel, written in Czech in Glagolitic. the book is believed to have been written somewhere in "Ugria" (i.e. Hungary) and was donated to the Emmaus Monastery by Emperor Charles IV. From the Emmaus Monastery, the Gospel was brought by the Czech Hussites to Constantinople, where it was acquired by Cardinal Charles of Lorraine, who donated the manuscript to the Reims Cathedral. Here it was kept - from the middle of the 16th century - as a mysterious oriental manuscript; French kings swore oaths on it during their coronation.
Left: Cover of the Reims Gospel, 1395. The precious stones that once adorned its cover were stolen during the French Revolution. Right: pages of the Reims Gospel, 1395, written in Glagolitic alphabet. http://www.istpravda.ru/artifacts/9821/
In addition to the Reims Gospel, several of the oldest Cyrillic manuscripts of Ancient Rus' date back to the 11th century: the Ostromir Gospel of 1056-1057, the Izbornik of Svyatoslav of 1073, the Izbornik of Svyatoslav of 1076, the Archangel Gospel of 1092, Savina’s book - all, by the way, on blank sheets, without traces of washings (i.e. palimpsests). In general, some scientists believe that the Cyrillic alphabet tradition was established later, after the death of Cyril, and not even among the first students, but after them - among the writers and scribes who worked in the Bulgarian kingdom in the 10th century. Through them, as is known, the Cyrillic alphabet became widespread in Rus'.
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“Alley of Glagolitic” (Alley of Glagolitic / Aleja glagoljaša) is located on the road from Roča to Hum and is the most important monument of Glagolitic writing. 11 monuments dedicated to Glagolitic writing were erected here. The length of the alley is more than 6 kilometers, it runs along the road that connects Hum and Roč. On both sides of the alley there are sculptures depicting writing in the Glagolitic alphabet. Photo:© Herr Mlinka. Map-scheme of “Alleys of the Glagolitic alphabet”. Photo:© Klaus-Dieter Keller
The Glagolitic Alley from Roča to Huma is the most important monument of Glagolitic writing, and is a project of the Chakavian Parliament, and its ideological inspirer was Zvane Crnia. The concept of the Alley was proposed by professor Josip Bratulić and sculptor Želimir Janeš. Construction continued from 1977 to 1985. There are 11 monuments along the trail, the first of which, located near Roča, is the Column of the Chakavian Parliament - a sculpture in the guise of the Glagolitic letter “C”, symbolizing the first Slavic letter and the beginning of Slavic writing. After it, on the left and right, right up to the city gate of Huma, 10 monuments lined up: Table of Cyril and Methodius, Chair of Clement of Ohrid, Lapidarium of Glagolitic, Croatian Lucidar, Monument of Gregory of Nin, Rise of the Istrian Code of Laws, Wall of Croatian Protestants, Halt of Yuri Jacon, Monument to the Resistance and Freedom, and finally the City Gate of Houma.
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Thundercloud over the mountains of Chicharia (Croatian Ćićarija) - a mountain system, as well as the historical, cultural and economic region of the same name in the northeastern part of the Istrian Peninsula © Novopashin S.A., 2008
January 31st, 2017 , 04:20 pm
The trip to Hum was part of our road trip through Europe. Summer 2015.
As the sign at the entrance to the city says, Hum is the smallest city in the world.
For starters, this is a fortified city. Khum is located on top of a hill. This hill is 349 meters high.
An absolutely wonderful road leads to it - such a cute serpentine road - narrow, up and down, immersed in greenery. No roller coaster needed....
Hum is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the smallest city in the world. Only 17 people live in it. Or 18. Or 25, according to the latest data. And they are all relatives :-)
And this is actually a city, a real one!
Yes, it’s a tourist place, they emphasize their uniqueness everywhere. (There are not many tourists, I’ll tell you right away).
We enter the city and the first thing we see is an old cemetery and an old building.
I didn't take pictures of the cemetery. We go towards the fortress wall - into the city.
As the legend says, Hum is a joke of giants. After the giants built cities in the valley of the Mirna River, they were left with a few stones, from which they built the Khum fortress. They made fun of it, in general.
The town is all made of stone houses, preserved in their original form. Such a medieval town.
Despite its miniature size, it is a real city. Because there is a cemetery, there is a municipality, there is a mayor who is elected annually. Central square. City gate. A couple of hotels and restaurants. Residential buildings. Mail. Two temples. Museum. Shops with souvenirs and wonderful local wines and liqueurs, where you can try everything right on the spot..
And absolutely incredible views from all sides.
Yes, everything is in order with the amenities in houses and hotels. Water, electricity, plumbing, household appliances - everything is like people have :) And there are tourists. A little. And people sit in a restaurant and drink and eat... And this is in a city where only 17 or 18 people live. Normal living city!!!
We walk along the fortress wall to the “center of the old city.” Well, of course - in any city we see a spire - that means there. Here too we go to the old city center - only the whole city is this old center :) We walk along the fortress wall and enter through the city gates..
On two small, stone-paved streets of Houma there are a dozen and a half houses. Flowers, laundry on lines: after all, this is not a fake city!!!
We walk around and look for evidence that this is all real, and not fake, not a puppet. And that there really are real living people living here. :)
I look into courtyards and alleys.
You walk and walk, but you still end up in the same places :) because there are only one and a half streets in the city :)
We go out to the square..
Church of the Assumption of Mary and the Clock Tower.
Clock tower, built in 1552.
In general, Hum dates back to the 11th century, and its appearance has remained virtually unchanged since then. The entire city, as it was originally built inside the “Kholm fortress,” never expanded beyond the walls.
Another residential house and courtyard.
After wandering around the streets, squares and boulevards :-) we went inside the Church.
The Church of the Ascension of Mary is a relatively new building. 1802
It’s amazing - it’s tiny from the outside, but when you go inside, the walls expand in width and height.
Quietly, calmly, the music is playing...
Street or avenue? :) Well, very nice :)
An amazing combination - old decrepit houses and new bright baby strollers :) HOW???
This window is at waist level.. Decorated.
And this is almost at knee level...
There is a cliff and beauty behind the wall...
Very picturesque places. We went outside the city.
We return to the city streets.
If I loved all sorts of old bullshit, then this would be a blast. A small shop with all sorts of cute stuff.
They also pour here :-) Excellent olive oil and all sorts of wines and liqueurs.
Tourists are offered apartments for rent..
There is a lot, a lot of greenery, as if the sun didn’t burn everything mercilessly..
There's beauty everywhere...
Cozy and well-groomed wherever possible.
We reached the next end of the city again.. :-)
Another courtyard.. All inclusive hotel:) with a view of the valley...
And here's the view...
One more step - and again we went beyond the limits..
There are as many people who don’t live in the city as there are sitting in the restaurant :-) Traditional eating place - konoba... where you can try the local 38% herbal tincture according to the oldest recipe - Humska Biska.
There are expanses on all sides.. and vast distances.... Stand and look, look and breathe..
In general, we walked around the city, photographed everything around from all angles...
About other days and cities and more detailed photo reports on my blog and website. Welcome.
