• Paradise for your eyes: the spectacular views (Ripenda Kosi, Standar)
• History guardians: the awe-inspiring dry stone walls
• Hill forts and tumuli (archaeological sites): plateau Standar
• The alluring scent of Mediterranean herbs
Feel the beauty of nature, feel the spirit of antiquity and relieve the stress of everyday life... Welcome to Bellavista Trail in Rabac that leads you through the seafront, St. Andrew’s peninsula and the villages of Ripenda and Kosi to 474 m high Standar, offering a unique view. There are also several archeological sites identified on the plateau. By laying stone on stone throughout the history, people have learned to raise hill forts for housing and defense as well as tumuli (mounds of earth and stones from the prehistoric era that were raised over the graves).
The awe-inspiring old dry stone walls stand as history guardians wanting to tell a long-told story. They were constructed at a time when men began to cultivate the land and fence it using stone from the earth and served to delimit areas. Placing stones in rows without any mortar is the oldest forms of construction in the entire Mediterranean area as well as in Istria.
Stunning views on one side spread over the blue sea and the neighboring islands of Cres and Lošinj, and, in good weather, all the way to mount Velebit, while looking on the other side you’ll get a glimpse of the mystery of the bell towers perched on the top of old medieval towns (Labin, Pićan, Gračišće).
Inebriated by the view and magical scents of Mediterranean herbs, you descend through the villages of Ripenda and Vicani to Gornji Rabac and Rabac.