Svetvincenat and its surrounding countryside, a region rich in flora and fauna, is above all an attractive recreational part of Istra.

It is overflowed with medicinal herbs (rue, mint, wormwood, nettle, sage, rosemary, dandelion, elder, juniper, wild asparagus) and is a natural habitat of a houndred sorts of edible mushrooms, like boletus, chanterelle, cep, slender funnel fungus...

HUNTING

During the week-end the countryside around Svetvincenat becomes the hunters meeting place. For both, the local and Italian hunting enthusiasts there are 4200 hectares of pheasant, partridge, hare, woodcock and quail hunting grounds.

There are five hunting clubs on the territory of the Svetvinčenat community. The most active and representative hunting clubs are “Jarebica” Svetvinčenat and “Jedinstvo” Vodnjan, whereas hunting clubs “Jarebica” Bale, “Kamenjarka” Barban and “Zec” Žminj are active on a smaller area. Hunting activities are closely coordinated with the Program of forest management.

All hunting grounds have built water holes, feeding places, farm buildings are maintained and constructed, game is fed additionally, and trees and plants for game are planted. Hunting club “Jarebica” has 120 members and manages about 4.2 thousand hectares, with mostly rabbits and pheasants.

BIKE TRAILS

The walking and hike trails (1,2 and 3) are in fact forest pathways with a small high - altitude difference. They mostly run through Presaka forest, passing through four typical Istrian villages: Bricanci, Ferlini (country - tourism), Foli and Peresiji and through an interesting locality of Fratrova Spilja (cave).

When looking at the map, it is easy to notice one of the specific characteristics of the Svetvincenat's countryside: a lot of circular forms with a "minus" mark are not hills as in the northern part of Istria, but their natural "negatives" - valleys (sink-holes). There are hundreds of such Karst-valley, limestone phenomena, around Svetvincenat, from the smallest one of only few metres in diametre to those with the width exceeding 300 metres.

kliknite na kartu za uvećanje

The best known is the valley Slimnjak, situated in the centre of Svetvincenat being .i symbolic starting point of all pathways.

The circular bike trail (4), 15 km long, is, because of its mild configuration, a less demanding one. It passes through 7 villages, mostly paved with asphalt but less frequented. When going t'rom Svetvincenat, the direction to take is the south - east, by the church of St. Catherine towards Pajkovici. In Bokordici, it is necessary to turn aside by the pool to the left, towards Orihi and Petehi. After Petehi, there is some five hundred metres of a more frequented road and then, in the direction of Foli (known for its natural quicklime pit), there is an unasphalted road. From Foli, through Bricanci, up to Svetvincenat there is an asphalted road.

In Svetvincenat, we did our best to be at your entire disposal. Besides standard but excellent fathering facilities, farm holidays and tourist information office, you will find everything you need, from the bank, post - office, pharmacy, stores, tyre - repair shop and a jewellery shop.

Football club "Smoljanci Sloboda" from Svetvinčenat

The football club "Smoljanci Sloboda" from Svetvinčenat was founded in 2000 by merging two earlier clubs “Sloboda" from Svetvinčenat and “Smoljanci” from Smoljanci. The legal predecessor of "Smoljanci Sloboda" was the football club "Sloboda", founded in 1952, whereas “Smoljanci” was founded 11 years later, in 1963.

For the third year in a row "Smoljanci Sloboda" has been competing in the top 1st football Istria County league. During its three years in this leading league, the club has always won an excellent third prize, in competition with much more famous, stronger and richer clubs.

In its first year, 2000/2001, the club won first place in the 2nd Istria County league and was entitled to play in the league it competes in today.

The club has as many as 6 categories of different age groups – seniors, juniors, young players, boys from 6 to 8, boys from 9 to 11 and veterans. The president of the club is Robert Rojnić, vice-presidents are Mauricio Mišan and Alen Doblanović, and the club secretary is Alen Obrovac.

BOCCIE CLUB "SVETVINČENAT" FROM SVETVINČENAT

Boccie became very popular in Svetvinčenat many years ago, which is witnessed by the two-lane boccie court beneath the Morosini-Grimani castle. This is the legendary court where the first official competition of the Svetvinčenat boccie club was held in the mid eighties of the last century. Ever since then boccie has become a very popular sport in Svetvinčenat.

The club’s modern, four-lane boccie court was built several years ago within the Fire station complex. Today boccie players from Svetvinčenat compete in the 2nd boccie southern group of the Istria County league. There are some fifteen active players in the club. The president of the club is Alen Doblanović, the trainer and manager is Boris Nadenić.

BOCCIE CLUB "FOLI" FROM FOLI

The younger boccie club "Foli" from Foli competes in the 3rd boccie Istria County league Pazin-Rovinj. The best results of successful, yet modest boccie players from Foli have players with the following last names: Živolić (the greatest number), Folo and Macan. This boccie club was founded in the beginning of the 1990s. In Foli boccie is played on a modern four-lane court and the townspeople are especially proud of the supporting facilities of this complex – two-story boccie hall, which is also a popular meeting place for the people of this town, situated in the northeast of the Svetvinčenat community.

VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT

The Volunteer fire department Svetvinčenat was founded in 1976. There are some fifty volunteer firemen divided in three age groups – young, seniors and veterans. The fire department also has its sports group.
The greatest problems these brave and humanitarian workers encounter are forest fires and fires in open areas. The fire department is provided with the basic protective equipment for firemen and necessary collective equipment, as well as a command vehicle. In 1999 the Istria County firemen’s competition was held in Svetvinčenat, which was a festive occasion for opening the newly built Fire station with accompanying facilities. The entire complex was built by members of the Svetvinčenat volunteer fire department with the assistance of Istria County fire department, Istria County, Svetvinčenat community and its many friends.

AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION "TRS"

The Agricultural association “TRS” from Svetvinčenat is based in Juršići. The association has some seventy individual farmers and townspeople engaged in agriculture as an additional activity. The most important segments of the association’s activities are providing benefits for its members, such as possibilities of achieving incentives for purchasing planting material, various professional lectures, symposiums, etc. As regards seedlings, the majority of members are interested in olive trees and grapevines.

"ŠIKUTI MASHINE"
www.sikuti.hr

CULTURAL CLUB "SAVIČENTA" FROM SVETVINČENAT

For fifteen years the Cultural club (KUD) "Savičenta" from Svetvinčenat has been cultivating the Istrian cultural heritage, passing it on to younger generations from Svetvinčenat and the surroundings.

The enthusiasm of each and every member, starting from the very youngest combined with the experience of the renowned choreographer Stjepan Celić have resulted in a dance group that is one of the largest in Istria and beyond.

At present Cultural club “Savičenta" has about sixty members divided into three age groups. The Cultural club has two folklore groups that are a firm guarantee of its future success.

The club’s repertoire includes folk songs and dances of Istria, Dalmatia, Slavonia and Baranja, with a tendency of broadening its repertoire.
With its numerous performances in Croatia and abroad KUD “Savičenta" with its young dancers has been promoting the spirit of Istria through its national customs, music, dances, songs and national costumes.