• Position and climate

The City of Pazin is in the center of istrian peninsula, on the plateau surrounded with hills forming a valley. Pazin area has irregular polygonal shape with the lowest point of 24 meters above the sea and the highest point of 480 meters above the sea level. South area of the City of Pazin is part of „Red Istria“, characterized with low and vawy plateau, low relief shapes and red porous ground, while the rest of the city belongs to „Gray Istria“ which is characterized with big slopes and hills in northern parts mostly saturated with watercourses. The biggest watercourse is Pazinčica which sinks into a Pazin cave.

Area of the City of Pazin is characterized with almost continental clima. Characteristics of that clima type are moderately hot rainy clima with hot summers and average temperature of 22°C. Precipitation is uniformly represented during the whole year. The driest part of the year is conspicuous in summer. Winters are cooler than the other cities in Istria. The amount of precipitation follows relief structure and grows from west in directon to Učka mountain. The most rapresented winds on the city area are bora, norther and levantine. Climate characteristics of the area and relief and geological features are also important determinations for flora and fauna on this territory. In the scenery on the flish surface, there are wineyards and orchards with forests and meadows. Agricultural land, forest areas and sceneries stand out from natural resources and natural stone stands out from raw materials which is also economicly exploateted during a long period from past till nowadays. That is also the only mineral material used from the area of the City of Pazin.

• History and culture

As the most important fortification in the central Istria, Pazin Castle was in few attacks under a blockade and violent conflicts of Venetians, Habsburgs and French. When the French administration was abolished, Austria dominated the whole Istria which became a single administrative unit, Istrian district, with the seat in Pazin. Thanks to historic events, nowadays the City of Pazin owns one of the most valueable sample of fortificational heritage - Pazin castle which also influenced on the further development of the city as the seat of region. Progressively, Pazin became a little town with defined urban atributes and with appropriate communal infrastructure, esspecially after the railway was built in 1876. Except for being a political, educational and social seat, on the city development influenced the progress of agricultural products trade, esspecially wine.

• Economy

The City of Pazin, the seat and the capital of the Istrian region, used to be an industrial and commercial center of Istria. In Pazin industry were employed thousands of people from all over Istria. Kamen d.d. Pazin is the only one big industry left which still operates successfully; employs about three hundred employees, which is 19% of total employment in the economy of Pazin. It is a joint-stock company which has been dealing with quarrying, fabrication and installation of architectural and building stone. It is noteworthy that this company realized 58% of the total value of exports Pazin economy, thanks to a large and well conducted operations around the world.

The economic picture of Pazin is a bit different compared to 30-40 years ago; small businesses replaced the traditional industries; small business for ten years hold a leading position in the economy of Pazin: the most numerous, employing 64.32% of the total employed in the economy, realizing the highest income and expenses, realizing the highest total profit and invest the most.

In the economic structure of the city of Pazin the largest number of entrepreneurs is engaged in wholesale, retail and manufacturing industries. Those two activities generate the most total revenues and expenditures, and the highest profits and employing upwards workforce (manufacturing industry 50.80% and 16.82% trade).

• Tourism

According to assesment of Central Istria tourist board, area of the city of Pazin is one of the fastest growing tourist destination in Croatia so except for the constant growth of number of owernight stay, in the last 17 years is evident and constant increase of accomodation capacities. The Pazin cave is the most visited and the most popular natural landmark in this area. Visitors can look arond the cave by using the instructions positioned on educational footpath trough a natural canyon of Pazinčica 1300 meters long. Tha path is equipped with multilingual boards considering important data about karst phenomenon, hydrography, plant life of the cave, legends, researches and researchers. Above the Pazin cave, there is Zip line, very attractive way of cave view from bird perspective. The stations of this adrenalin sport adventures are under the hotel „Lovac“, near Castle and above the bridge over sink of Pazinčica.

Every year, the City of Pazin, city institutions and associations organize a lot of manifestations with which they mark significant dates from the history of Pazin and they inreach cultural, entertainment and economical city life. Multiday manifestations make an important role in giving a free time contents for Pazin citizens but also present additional offer and reason for a visit. The most significant traditional per annum manifestations, esspecially according to tourism development in Pazin, are:

• Honey days

• „Istrakon“ (Istrian convention of science fiction and fiction)

• „TradInEtno“ festival

• Jules Verne days

• „Seven days of creation“ festival

• Traditional holiday „Rim“

• „Happy December“

• Christmas - New Year concerts by associations and City administration institutions

• Pancakes festival and „Christmas in Pazin“

City of Pazin is included in Life SEC Adapt project in order to contribute the main project objective to increase the climate resilience capacity and facilitate the shift towards low-carbon and resource-efficient economies of the European union areas.

After climate baseline scenario of City of Pazin gets it’s frameworks, climate change adaptation team will make risk and vulnerability analysis after which the possible measures will be included in climate adaptation strategies and plans. Those plans will also include the existing Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) actions, that will contribute in reducing CO2 emission.

As Pazin’s Mayor Renato Krulčić already signed the Covenant of Mayors, the new goal is already set up and the vision will be extended until 2030 after City Council brings the decision about signing The New Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy which means that local authority’s resilience to climate change will be increased.

Communication with stakeholders and other beneficiaries from Istria and Italy has big importance in project implementation and in raising awareness on climate change impacts in different fields.

To achieve all the results, Pazin has 88.569,00 € in its budget (60% is European Union contribution).

Central Istria Tourist board

Radenko Sloković, counsellor (+385 91 750 41 25)

info@central-istria.com