High above the Kvarner Bay, Mošćenice rests like a watchful guardian on its hill, wrapped in stone walls and stories that time has not hurried to forget.
Narrow cobbled alleys wind between old houses, their shutters faded by the sun and sea winds. From the terraces, the scent of roasted chestnuts drifts into the air in autumn, while the echo of church bells marks the hours with unhurried grace. At the old well in the square, one can almost hear the whispers of past generations, carrying water and words. Below, the sea shimmers quietly, as if reflecting the town’s calm spirit. To arrive here is to enter a slower rhythm, where every view toward the islands and the blue expanse of the Adriatic feels like a pause meant to be savoured.
Nestled on Učka Mountain slopes overlooking the Kvarner Bay, scenic place of Mošćenice (Moshchenice) is filled with the architecture of the painted facades. The area stretching on a hilltop, making it as vibrant and tiny. The fairy tale houses may be looking to be abandoned at a glance. However, when one starts wandering the slender cobblestone lanes of the old place, he will soon realize soon Moscenice is one of those places from the traveller’s dreams.
And those of dreams that have been sought to become a reality by every traveller, artist, or storyteller would only come true in picturesque towns like Mošćenice is. There is no chance that inspirational stories like this one I try to tell you failed after visiting this hilltop. There is simply everything made to make the perfect day: tiny houses with the tiled roofs, narrow streets and the magnificent view overlooking the Kvarner Bay.
Why should you visit Mošćenice
A tiny village has many things to offer also in a cultural manner. Besides it is the most associated as the starting point of the scenic trail leading from it to the peak nestled in Učka Mountain andbearing the name in honour of the ancient Slavic God Perun. This place’s historical corewas included in 1968 in the Registry of Immovable Cultural Monuments.A village only simple accessible due to its location on the Istrian peninsula, close to Opatija, Croatia, makes it a place with breathtaking fairytale view to the island of Cres, Lošinj and Rijeka.
Many of the medieval structure is still visible now in the town. So if you’re hilltop and tiny places seeker, you simply wouldn’t want Mošćenice remains hidden or missed out of your travels. I know this by myself since as how many I enjoy searching for the traces to discover, my pleasure is to reveal them in blog articles.
If this story of another picturesque town might seem attractive you, let’s continue reading to unveil the things to do in Moscenice. Here in Putokoza, I shared some of the best things to do.
Location
The village of the municipality of “Mošćenička Draga” town, is located under it on the coastline. The area is referred to Primorje-Gorski Kotar County on theIstrian peninsula’s east side, close to Rijeka, Opatija, and Croatia.
On the roundabout located on the road stretching from Rijeka/Opatija to Istria (Labin) follow the indication for Mošćenice and after some of 10 minutes of the drive, you’ll get into the place. There is also another road connecting the area from the island of Cres ferry-boat. Seek more information in Getting to the paragraph at the end.
Mošćenice in history
Although Mošćenice was first mentioned in a Glagolitic document from 1395 — which defined the boundary between Mošćenice and Košljak — life here reaches much further back. Archaeological sites suggest that the area was inhabited in prehistoric times. It is believed that the Liburnians, one of the Illyrian tribes, lived in this region. Known as skilled cattle herders and even more as master sailors, the Liburnians challenged the Romans with their swift ships. Their vessels were so effective that the Roman legions later adopted them as their own warships.
The town was officially recorded as an independent settlement in 1374, in the will of Count Ugon of Duin (Devin), written in German. Over the centuries, Mošćenice passed through the hands of various rulers — the Bishops of Pula, the Counts of Duin, and the Counts of Walsee. In the late 15th century, the Walsee ceded their possessions in Liburnia to Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg.
From 1637 to 1733, the Jesuits of Rijeka became the immediate owners of Mošćenice. During this time, in 1637, the town received its own statute. Public documents, land registers, notarial deeds, and rules from the 14th to the 17th centuries were written in Croatian, using the Glagolitic script, which found one of its strongest expressions and widest use in the Istrian-Kvarner region.
The revolutionary year 1848 brought the end of feudal relations across much of Europe, and Mošćenice also entered a new era of administration. Until the end of World War I — aside from the brief period of Napoleon’s Illyrian Provinces in the early 19th century — Mošćenice remained part of Austria, and later of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
In 1896, the town became the seat of an independent municipality. Yet, like many medieval hilltop settlements, it faced gradual depopulation as residents moved downhill to the coast, founding what would become Mošćenička Draga.
Things to do in Mošćenice
Once you step on the hilltop, you’ll mention a wonderful old town with numerous cultural monuments and magnificent views.So let’ step in to see what are those of monuments in Mošćenice.
Step in of the city gate
Afterreaching the place, one of the first things to do iscross in trough the only city gate dating back to the medieval period and renovated in 1642.There is visible Habsburg coat of armsengravedon it dating back to 1634 andevidencing the place was owned by Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg. The gate is protected by a square tower on the west side.
Stroll the cobblestone streets
The town is usually designed as a clustered settlement with outer walls of houses whose exterior walls act as fortification walls. In such an intimate setting, the area is precious. Every building is built nearby, divided by narrow roads and often connected by covered passages.
Admire The parish church of St. Andreas with a bell tower
The very top of the hilltop where all the winding streets leadis dominated by the three-nave baroque church of St. Andrew. The churchdating back to the 8th century is located on the main square. It was single-nave first but got its present appearance in the 18thcentury.
There are five stone statues on the main altar, a work of I. Contieri on the beginning of the 18th century. The Baroque baptistery dates from the beginning of the 18th century, and the pulpit dates from 1791. The beautiful canonical choir was made between 1620 and 1705. The organ was in the church as early as 1658. The oldest bell (out of 14 bells in 8 churches in Mošćenice) is from 1459.The church interior also houses richly carved choir benches and a lapidary with the folk stone sculpture dating back to the 17thcentury. There is a valuable archive with numerous artefacts, documents and books indispensable for understanding the medieval and recent history of town kept into the church.
Take a photo of the bell tower
Next to the church is a massive bell tower that dominates the place, making it visible from the outside. A picturesque bell tower is also the key feature at the almost every postcard of the area.
The construction of a massive Romanesque-Lombard volume of the bell tower facade began in 1200 and was completed in 1300. The bell tower also had a defensive purpose while the dome was extended in the Baroque period.
Traverse Kositanac Square
After you reached the church, you’ll mention thecalled Kostinacsquare behind it. It is considered to be the city cemeteryuntil 1770. In that year it was transferred to the present cemetery behind the church of St. Bartholomew, outside the city.
Enjoy the magnificent view
You simply cannot miss the most important thing while in Mošćenice. And of course, I mean on sittingon its strategic defensive walls. Once upon you reaching the church located in a quaint yard on the town’s seaside, you’ll notice the magnificent view is extending from this hilltop town. Surrounded by mountain slopes that drop steeply to the sea this town is a fairytale point.To get the best-unobstructed pure-views, you’ll only need to seek the bench situated on the medieval walls. It extends Kvarner Bay’s view, the island of Cres, Lošinj, Susak, city of Rijeka and mountains surround.
The number of visitors will depend on the year season. Still, I like to say that you’ll be mostly out of a lot of hustle & bustle such as the coastal towns compared to those other prominent destinations. But one thing you shouldn’t forget. And it applies not only when to walkto the walls but also the wholeplace. Mošćenice is a cat village. So, say hello to little friends and share some peace of your meal that you have, while sitting on a bench and enjoying the view.
Have a look at the citadel – “Kaštel”
One of the first things you’ll notice when arriving at Mošćenice is a citadel located in front of the city’s entrance. The building serves as a primary school today, while the ground floor is an exhibition and gallery space.
Marvell the Church of St. Bartholomew
Standing just beyond the old city walls, the Church of St. Bartholomew has been watching over Mošćenice since 1628. Its simple porch offers a quiet shelter, a place where travellers once paused before entering the town. Even today, the stone steps invite you to linger, to breathe in the silence, and to imagine the centuries of footsteps that have passed this way.
Have a look at the church of Saint Sebastian
Further along, outside the walls, stands the Church of St. Sebastian, dating back to 1501. Its porch, modest yet full of character, has long been a meeting point for locals seeking shade and stillness. The air here feels touched by devotion and history, as if the centuries have settled gently on its stones. Pausing before this church, you sense how faith and community shaped the slow rhythm of life in Mošćenice.
Get a visit into the local ethnographic museum
The thing that shouldn’t be missed is to stop by and visit the ethnographic collection in the old town’s very entrance. Even today, an enviable number of traditional costumes, tools, ornaments and objects are kept—all of the witnesses of the life of our ancestors.
Learn about olive making while looking on to the old olive extraction mill
Located just next to the museum there is an old olive mill(known locally as a “Toš”-Tosh). A unique olive mill that is about three hundred years old makes a town’s symbol showing how olives are processed in the same way hundreds of years ago.
It’s a particular one symbolizing the olive making typical not only for Mošćenice but also in the surrounding area. The similar olive making technique was also recognized in the other Kvarner bay places, on the islands or regions of Istria, Dalmatia or others on the Mediterranean. Besides an ethnographic collection we mentioned above, this working olive press offers visitors an answer to how people lived in this area in the past.
Stroll over the traditional Houses
The history of Mošćenice is connected with the well-known surname of the local family Negovetich de Cumbox, which received the noble title in 1687. In honour of the title, one can see therethe attractive houses bearing the names of thenoble families that have been lived in the place such as Negovetić, Rubinićor Dešković.
From the houses with having representative facades stands out the Negovetić-Dešković house dating backto the 16thcentury. There is to mention Negovetić place dating back to 1770 too.
City lodge
A city lodge located at the medieval town entrance is evidence the place had its own decision point. Here is where the city rulers were made the judgement or economical decisions.
Step to Mošćenice by the Sea
Mošćenice is a medieval fortified town on a hill 173 meters above Mošćenička Draga which is located by the sea. Besides the hilltop is connected to the downtown by road, there is also the hiking way of 750 steps. The path leads from St. Ivan (John)’s church on the beach up to Mošćenice village’s centre.
Those who enjoy walk/hike could start the hike at Mošćenička Draga with a walk along a beautiful promenade by the sea on the Sipar beach all the way to the beach Sv. Ivan (John). At the end of the of St. Ivan (John) beach starts a climb by the stairs leading to the medieval town through the forest.
Mošćenice events
Its fortress old town is a host for two championships and is classified as a Croatian cultural heritage site.
Picanje jaja (hitting eggs)
A traditionally competitive event usually occurs every Easter. People try hitting an egg and pierce its shell from a distance of 2.8 meters with a coin. With having manyvisitors from all over Croatia and elsewhere, this event has become popular in recent years.
Paper aircraft
Thisanother world championship is based on paper aircraft: local and international visitors are invited to throw their own paper flights across the city walls to the sea. It is a local history that one rider managed, by a 753-step flight connected with Mošćenice, to “land” his plane in Sveti Ivan (St. John) Beach.
Mošćenički Pinel international
A unique experience for art lovers is the art colony, which occurs every year at the end of August. This is the time whenMošćenice is visited by artists from all overEurope. They use to paint in the lanes, squares, or picturesque old town’s steps.
Daily tours from Mošćenice
Sure, there is no doubt that the other Kvarner and surrounding places such as Rijeka, Opatija, and Labin couldn’t be missed. But the areas about which I am talking about you should visit while in this part of Kvarner Bay are something more different than a classical tour but more similar as Mošćenice. And…some of them are accessible only by foot. So let’s zoom in below about them.
Mošćenička Draga
Developed first as a fishing port of the hilltop Mošćenicetown, the preserved pieces of evidence of Moscenicka Draga date back to 1436. The settlement that time used to call “Na portu poli Sv. Marine” (The St Marina’s pier village).
The coastal village has a tiny port and a line houses stretching the sea coastline.
Brseč
Located on a 157 m high cliff above the undulating Kvarner, Brseč is a medieval town of particular beauty, thanks to the stone houses. Standing on a high rock, Brseč offers a beautiful view of the islands of Cres, Unije and Susak, as well as the Sisol peak on the mainland.
Most of the old townhouses were built in the 17th century; the city walls, fortresses and the bell tower are dated to the early Middle Ages. The birthplace of the famous Croatian writer and politician Eugen Kumičić is also located here, and it now serves as a library and art gallery.
Trebišća
On the slopes of the Učka Mountain above Mošćenička Draga, there is a deep, mysterious gorge, the shadow of which is surrounded by a history that is more than a thousand years old. Long ago it was assumed that these mountain slopes of the Učka were of particular importance for the first Slavic settlers in this region. The settlement is accessible by foot only.
They chose the Trebišća – Perun area as the setting for mythical acts honouring the gods Perun and Veles. Those formed the basis for the life cycle and the seasons’ changing and were crucial for human existence. The village of Trebišća below the Perun mountain is deserted today. Still, it has the mythical touch of the past that can be felt here at every turn.
Petrebišća
This plateau below the Perun Peakis above the hamlet Trebišća about 800 meters above sea level is accessible by foot or cycling only. Today, a grassy plain was fertile farmland cultivated by the local farmers and used as pastureland for the herdsmen’s cattle.
In Petrebišća there are several small stone houses in which shepherds and farmers sometimes stayed, but which were primarily used as farm buildings. Recent research has shown that Petrebišća is an Old Slavic village established during the Slavic migrations in this area. Therefore, it is not surprising that the local toponyms are closely related to the pagan beliefs of the Old Slavs. Those are merged with Perun, Trebišća (Treba), Suhi vrh, Voloski kuk, etc.).
Vodna Draga
A moist, green, overgrown gorge below Mošćenice is cut by a nature trail starting in the old town and leading to Sv’s beach. Ivan stretches along the coast. A stream flows from an almost inexhaustible source in the valley, supplying the flora of this beautiful oasis with food for centuries.
In the past, the only path that went from Mošćenice to the sea was through the Vodna Draga canyon. Here is a drinking water source and a collecting basin that supplied people and animals with drinking water and was used to wash clothes. That is why some call this place “Šterna” (cistern) and other Perilo (traditional washing place). The year of construction is not known, but it is believed that the reservoir was built in the mid-19th century.
Perilo
The traditional washing place in Obrš served the village Obrš and the neighbouring villages in the past as a washing place and as a collecting basin for drinking water. It is located near the road to Obrš. Thanks to the population’s efforts, this site was restored and is now a popular destination for walkers and hikers with a beautiful view of the Kvarner Bay. Perilo was probably built at the end of the 19th century.
Be active in Mošćenice
Being recognized as the starting point of the trail leading to Slavic God Perun’s peak, the place has become known to outdoor backpackers and hike pilgrimages. Locatedon a hill but still, in a bottom of the Učka Mountain, Mošćenice is a favourite spot of many adventure and outdoor enthusiasts.
If you are like Putokoza one of them, don’t doubt to choose Mošćenice for the hike since it is the very recognizable starting point for hikingto the mountain on Učka. In another way, if you’re more adapted to the sea take rent of kayak and make a tour alongside beautiful Kvarner coastline down to Mošćenička Draga.
Hiking. One of the most recognizable is Trebišča – Perun history and mythology trail leading to Perun peak. The hikers seeking the more demanding route will hike to Vojak, the highest Učka mountain peak.
🐐Putokoza Hiking Tip: Trebišča – Perun history and mythology trail
This daily mountaineering trip will get you in touch with the intact natural surroundings and preserved ancient villages. This trail makes the combination of biodiversity beautiful natural landscapes the rural architecture of ancient villages. Leading over the Potoška Draga Valley first, the trail rises up later to the plateau of Petrebišća. Eventually, it reaches Perun peak, 880 metres above sea level.
Recent scientific studies have confirmed the old theories of the importance of Mount Učka for the early Slavic people. This area was chosen as the place for its most sacred ceremonies, the stage for ancient mythical events that formed the life cycle and natural change, fundamental to human life. Trekking the route, you’ll find out more about who were the Slavs, what we know about their roots today, why they come here and the faiths that have led to life in their families. Everything you will feel is the excellent and knowledgeable tale presented inan exciting detective story about putting the pieces of this ancient history together.
🐐Putokoza Mošćenice local tips
Once upon you reached the hilltop place and did sightseeing, there is a time to get a rest and enjoy.
- Eat & drink. There is a restaurant “Perun” located right next to the entrance of the old town. It has an expansive terrace offering a view to Kvarner Bay.
- Get a rest. If you’re backpacker wanting to avoid the eatery, you can just sit on the bench situated on a city wall. There you can take your bag meal, enjoying the incredible view.
- Make stunning photography. Yes, this place has been made for artists. Not accidentally, the artists from all around the globe come right here to taste their artist’s skill. No matter if you’re a photographer, painter or even writer seeking quaint surroundings, Moscenice is the right place for you.
Getting to Mošćenice
The medieval town of Mošćenice can be reached by car and on foot.
✈️ By Air. If you are flying to Kvarner Bay, Croatia, the best way to reach Mošćenice is by shuttle bus adjusted to the airport’s flight schedule to Rijeka. You will need to take a local bus to Mošćenice leaves from Delta in Rijeka.
🚌 By Bus. Though a few bus lines lead to Mošćenice, the main Kvarner bus point is located inthe very city centre Rijeka, at Žabica. As for the city bus stations, the central stations are on Jelacic Square and Delta, bear in mind to check the schedulefor buses that travel between the local places.
🚆 By Train. The nearest railway station is in Rijeka and is located on “King Tomislav Square”. From there you’ll need to walk till the public bus station in Rijeka and take a local bus to Mošćenice leaves from Delta.
⛴️ By Ferry. The nearest ferry port is inRijeka, located in the city centre, only 350 metres from the city promenade. Few international lines and state lines are operating from Rijeka harbour.
🚗 By Car. Self-drive in Mošćenice is a straightforward way. Follow the coastal Kvarner Bay road from Rijeka or Istria and the hilly road will take you the place.
🅿️ Parking. There are few parking places available in Mošćenice. However, some of them are sometimes limited, so you’ll need a little bit more patience to find the space or get parking under the place. All the parking places use to be charged. Keep in mind to observe the speed limitations and to be patient due to possible heavy traffic during the summer months.
