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.

The village was founded by the refugees who escaped from the Ottoman empire.

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.

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.

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.

According to legend, St Lucy, who liked walking with her candlelight, came one evening by the rock not far away from Skitača.

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.

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.

In every case if you happened to be there why not give it a try and save some money in case it works.

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.

CHAPEL of ST.MATTHEW

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"

Koromačno polje bb
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