Bale is located on the western coast of Istria, on Mon Perin’s hill, whose long pristine coasts are divided by olive trees, vineyards, and Mediterranean macaque. The old nucleus of the town is protected by the law because of the historical and architectural value of sacral buildings such as the church of St. Julian with the 8th-century sarcophagus, the city gate, the circular stone streets, and the buildings with Venetian Gothic elements where the restored Bembo Palace stands out.
It’s good to know that Bale, like many Istrian towns and villages, has its Italian name – Valle. So don’t be surprised if you see the sign on Istrian roads bilingual, for instance, Bale-Valle!
The town of stone-paved narrow streets, above which the old walled-up tents rise, keeps many stories. Here every stone whispers and makes the air feel conversational. Since prehistoric times, it reveals the secrets of dinosaurs, preserving the ancient castrum legend from Roman times, and its glorious palace recalls Casanova’s and his love of that gorgeous life in it.
It is also referred to as the butterfly town because in this area there are about 400 kinds of butterflies, some of which are endangered. Its long untouched coastline is the most beautiful and cleanest on the west coast of Istria. There is also an ornithological reserve of Palud, where 217 species of birds live today. The Balzan coast has become famous after discovering the fossil remains of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals from the Mesozoic period in Porto Colone bay. Due to this discovery, which is to some sources one of the largest discovered dinosaur habitats in Europe, it is planned to arrange a paleontological museum where fossils will be kept and exhibited to visitors to this unique town.
Bale is home to many visitors who come to wander but discover this amazing place with so many interesting things to try and experience and as well the people of Bale- the basis of this amazing story that you’ll about to find out in our short series of posts which will present you how the idea of a utopia can be translated into reality!
