Vižula

Why it is worth your time

Vizula is a peninsula by the Medulin bay hiding one of Istria's most important Roman sites: the remains of a lavish coastal villa of the 1st century, with baths, mosaics, farm buildings and a landing, which stretched hundreds of metres along the shore and belonged to someone from the empire's very top. Tradition ties the place to Crispus, the son of Emperor Constantine, who according to the sources was killed in this area in 326 on his father's order. Today Vizula is arranged as an archaeological park with paths, boards and digital reconstructions, and part of the finds lies underwater too, so along the shore with a diving mask one sees walls in the shallows.

The peninsula is at the same time a town park: pines, seaside paths, bathing spots on the rocks and the calmest part of Medulin, and the circuit takes an hour. Entry is free, there is enough shade, and the view across the bay to the islets makes the walk pleasant at any time of day.