Žminj is a small hilltop town in central Istria, about 15 kilometres south of Pazin. First mentioned in 1177, it sits on the old road between Pazin and Pula and has the quiet, unhurried feel of inland Istria — stone houses, a parish church, and views over rolling countryside.
The historic core is built around the remains of a medieval castle and the baroque parish church of Saint Michael, with its older freestanding bell tower. The main draw nearby is the Feštinsko Kraljevstvo cave, a stalactite-filled cavern discovered accidentally in 1930 when a vineyard owner's dog fell through a hole in the ground. The cave stayed hidden through the war — it sheltered locals from the German occupation — and was only opened to visitors much later.
Time your visit around 24 August for the Bartolja, one of the oldest folk festivals in Istria, when the main square fills with traditional roženice music and Teran wine.