Do You Know, That? The Smallest Town Of The World

So, this way, we have a look at the opposite extreme, i.e. the smallest towns of the world.

Do you know that the smallest town of the world could be found in Europe? It could be always rather difficult to say such facts with absolute certainty, of course, but we have to follow, up to certain degree, what about the actual multi-media inform us exactly. Maybe, somewhere in remote part of Far East, some metropolis with five inhabitants could be situated, but one of us could never be learned at all, so, we would be dependent on a fact to trust all accessible sources. According to such springs, the smallest town of the world would be found inside Croatian inland, and it is the community of Hum. This romantic stone small town is placed in central part of Istria Peninsula, surrounded with moderately undulated countryside, inviting for cycling or easy trekking. This miniature small town has approx. 15 permanent living inhabitants, occupying mostly with saison tourist activities. But, we cannot expect crowds of people walking throughout several picturesque streets, as it could be met in sea resorts, which are distant approx. 40 kilometers from here.  

No doubt, the town of Hum has its magic, at least for those, who are fully satisfied with quiet relax under shadow of stone ramparts, enjoying there drinking a glass of red wine, so, it is natural that such inconspicious could find their well-wishers. The town is surrounded with fortifications reminding higher walls. Moreover, this romantic silhouette of Hum would be strengthened with watch tower, giving the town really unrepeatable medioeval character, perfectly isolated from 21st century. On the other hand, you do not find there modern houses, it would have negative strange effect there. However, many centuries let its signs in stone, the only building material, used there. So, Hum was forced to undergone skilful hands of restorers. They made there, during 1970-1980, the renovation of most important local monument - St. Hieronymus Church of Romanesque style. Local wall paintings of 12th-13th centuries are really of historical unique. Further, local dialect would allegedly belong to most original form of Croatian language. This fact was confirmed by finding of ancient books as well as various artefacts, described with glagolitic handwriting. Anyway, such enumeration of historical monuments is not finished, as there was discovered there (during reconstruction works) ancient „Glagolitic Alley“, bordering a part of way between towns of Hum and Roče, 14 kilometres distant. Along the way, eleven stone obelisks were erected here, reminding important personalities as well as old-Slav monuments of the region.

Nevertheless, tired traveller would appreciate local hospitality as well, which would be presented, first of all in family pub „Humunska Kanoba“, first of all, with wide choice of local brandy.

So, who would like to return back some century, he would be preferred to diverge from main tourist routes and start to discover the beauties of west Croatian inland. To bigger communities in the environs belong Buzet, the administrative centre of the region (10 kms distant) or Trieste, Italian-Slovenian littoral centre (70 kms distant), in the east direction another holiday resort, such as: Lovran, Opatia or Rijeka (all resorts 50 kms distant).

It would be worth to mention that the smallest town of the Czech Republic is those of Rabštejn nad Střelou. Twenty permanent persons, who are living in this West Bohemian town, belong also to the smallest towns of the world. Anyway, one moment is guaranteed: both localities are, for sure, very similar, as far as the romantic atmosphere is to be concerned!

Text: Jan Chaloupka

Translation: ing. Jan Jonáš

Photo: wikipedia commons