Skitaca, Croatia
Skitača,
a small village in the south of the Labin peninsula, is situated on
the 425 high plateau encircled by four hills ( Goli – 536 m, Oštri
– 531 m, Brdo – 475 m i Orlić – 470 m) that protect it from
the bora wind. Between
the two world wars it had about 300 inhabitant but soon after the
WWII many of them started to leave the place. Nowadays
there is only one permanent inhabitant in Skitača. The
saint, popularly known as the protector of sight, and the nearby
water source are part of the old legend that made Skitača a place of
pilgrimage for people with eye diseases. Being
very tired she sat down on the rock and finally fell asleep.
The
next day, when she woke up there was a small water source that didn't
exist the night before.
Then,
she simply washed her eyes and probably went back to Syracuse, her
hometown.
But,
since that day the water source constantly flows and is considered to
have miraculous healing powers that has led people to come in search
of a 'cure' for all eye problems. In
every case if you happened to be there why not give it a try and save
some money in case it works. CHAPEL
of ST.MATTHEW Koromačno
polje bb
The village was founded by the refugees who
escaped from the Ottoman empire.
HIKERS
Skitača is highly popular among the hikers as it is the part
of the Labin hiking path that includes Sisola peak, Brseč, Plomin,
Ripenda, Standar, Labin, Oštri vrh, Skitača and Crna punta.
SHORTSIGHTED
PILGRIMS and the LEGEND OF ST Lucy's TEARS
The
parish church dedicated to St Lucy was built in 1616 in the center of
the village.
According to legend,
St Lucy, who liked walking with her candlelight, came one evening by
the rock not far away from Skitača.
Since nowadays myopia is
still widespread the pilgrims still come here to wash their eyes in
the “tears of St Lucy” hoping for a quick recovery.
This small and only water spring
in the region around takes its source in the rock 10 meters bellow
the top of Mount Brdo one hundred metres south of the church. It
doesn't dry out even during the long-lasting dry summer season when
temperatures climb to above 40ºC.
In
Prodol, a hamlet near Skitača, there is a Gothic chapel dedicated to
St Matthew valuable for its frescoes from the fourteenth and
fifteenth centuries.
SPLENDID
VIEWS and QUIETNESS
This
village that seems to be so far away from the civilisation with its
stone houses, dry stone walls and paths among the rocks provides you
with the quietness, pristine nature, fresh air and the magnificent
views on all sides.
The hills surrounding Skitača offer
magnificent views of the mount Učka, the perched towns of Labin and
Plomin as well as the hills of the continental Istria. Also, it is
possible to have an excellent view of the Rabac bay, the Kvarner golf
with the islands of Mali Lošinj, Cres, Unije, Krk and a little
further away Gorski Kotar et Velebit. To the west, the view stretches
back over Koromačno, the Raška bay, Rakalj, towards Medulin and
Pula.
NEARBY BEACHES
Sea enthusiasts
could always finish their walk by descending to the beaches along the
nearby coastline.
HUNTING
Public hunting area
of Koromačno, under the direction of the Ubaš hunting association
is at the disposal of the hunters.
Lovačko društvo (LD)
"Ubaš"
52222 Koromačno
ACCOMODATION
The
mountain hut Skitača.
TRANSPORTATION
By
CAR
It
is possible to come to Skitača by a road that starts in Labin,
passes by St Marina, Ravni, Škvaranska, Skitača and wind along the
Raša bay.
On
FOOT
TOURIST INFORMATIONS
Tourist
office situated in Raša covers Raša and Skitača.
Nikole
Tesle 1
52223 Raša
www.istria-rasa.com