The area of ​​Ližnjan is rich in natural and cultural beauties that we will discover in the day ahead of us. We start on the local road towards the sea, then we follow a gravel road and our destination is Kuje Bay, surfers’ paradise on windy days. There is also a small eponymous Church of the Mother of God of Kuj, traditionally visited in June, in connection to which there is a legend of the arrival of the statue of the Virgin and Child from Kuj to Ližnjan. According to the legend, a young woman with a child sailed into Kuje Bay in an oyster and found a shepherd whom she told to go to the village and tell the villagers that the Mother of God had come to Kuje. Although the villagers did not believe the little shepherd at first, they eventually did when the church bells started ringing by themselves. Then they came to the bay and found a statue of the Mother of God with a child and later built a small church in her honour, and even today they celebrate her as the patroness of the village, the sea and fishermen.                                                                                                                                                                

We continue along the indented coast in an almost deserted area covered only by low vegetation. In this area shade is hard to come by on hot summer days, but it is also an ideal place to enjoy during the rest of the year. Numerous bays and crystal clear sea beckon for swimming and rest, but we continue our journey and in the wooded area known as Monte Madonna, with a heavy heart, we leave the coast behind. This interesting area with a rich past deserves a certain amount of time.

Beautiful nature is our faithful companion on the way to the village of Šišan, where we’ll see the Church of the Holy Trinity. We learn that in the 17th century it was maintained by a brotherhood of flagellants whose members were known for whipping themselves until they bled in order to relive Christ’s suffering and thus redeem themselves from sin.

Through almost untouched nature, in the shade of dense treetops, the trail continues to the remote village of Valtura. The time spent on this path allows us to think in silence because it is not disturbed by the sounds of everyday life. It’s peaceful. Nature in its original form. We arrive in Valtura, more precisely, a little outside the village, on the very slopes of the Budava bay and the locality of Nesactium, the oldest town in Istria. Today, this is a valuable archaeological park that has not yet revealed all its secrets. We continue along the local road slightly uphill to the village of Muntić and the Church of St. Jerome. Next to the small church, we also find a large medieval cistern that used to supply this area with drinking water for centuries. It’s time to continue the journey, following the local road, all the way to Marčana, our final destination of the fifth stage. We use the time before the break to visit the Church of St. Anton of Padua and in the centre of the village, the Church of St. Peter and Paul, which is located in the local cemetery. The old barn in the very centre of the town is also an interesting site worth visiting.