Zabrežani brings together a flat, wooded landscape, walking routes, historic memorial sites and a traditional accordion gathering. The area stretches along a plateau beside the Pazin–Pula road, beyond the turnoff for Sveti Petar u Šumi. This offers different ways to plan a stay: time in the landscape, local history or musical tradition.

Landscape and Walks

The landscape of Zabrežani is flat and wooded and is used for leisure walks. If you enjoy walking, this activity offers a tangible connection with the surroundings. The plateau places the area in its geographical context; the walks connect the landscape with its use for recreation. When planning, you can therefore decide whether you mainly want to spend time outdoors or focus on historical and cultural topics.

Church and Local History

The chapel church of Sv. Ivana i Pavla near Zgrablići was built in 1635; Zgrablići almost adjoins Zabrežani. In local parlance, the entire area is commonly named after the church of Sveti Ivan i Pavao. The church thus represents both a specific building history and a local naming tradition. If you are interested in the history of the area, here a precise year is linked with the name used locally for the area. This connection adds a cultural theme, understood through the building and its name, to the perspective of the landscape.

Commemoration of the 1943 Victims

In Dolac, below the church of Sv. Ivana i Pavla in Zabrežani, a memorial commemorates 62 victims of the 1943 Rommel Offensive from seven villages in the Pazin Field. The memorial monument in Zabrežani also bears the names of eight local residents who died on other fronts. Two distinct connections are represented here: the victims of the offensive from seven villages and local residents who lost their lives on other fronts. The place names and the year provide a specific historical context for the commemoration. Anyone exploring the history of the Pazin Field will find a memorial here that reaches beyond Zabrežani to refer to seven villages while also including names from the area.

The Accordion Tradition

The cultural side includes the traditional accordion players’ gathering “Armonike u Polju,” held in Zabrežani. The event has continued without interruption and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2023. The anniversary gives the tradition a specific time reference: this is not just a one-off gathering, but an event that has continued for many years. Unlike the church and memorial monument, the focus here is on playing the accordion together. This musical tradition adds a cultural occasion to the historical themes and offers another way to discover Zabrežani.

If you are looking for accommodation in Zabrežani, first consider what you would like your stay to focus on: walks and landscape, local history or the accordion tradition.

Discover more destinations: Pazin, Grdoselo, Zamask, Lindar, Vela Traba, Heki, Ježenj, Zarecje

For the broader travel overview: Općina Pazin.