Croatia, Porec

Porec is a city and municipality on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula, in Istria county, Croatia.

Porec is almost 2,000 years old, and is based on a harbour protected from the sea by the small island of Sveti Nikola (Saint Nicholas). The city's population of approximately 12,000 resides mostly on the outskirts, while the Porec region as a whole has a population of approximately 17,000 inhabitants.

History

The locality was known of since prehistoric times. During the 2nd century BC Roman Castrum was built on a tiny peninsula with dimensions just about 400 m by 200 m where the city core is situated. During the reign of Emperor Octavian in the 1st century, it officially became a city and was part of the Roman colony Colonia Iulia Parentium.

With the fall of the Roman empire in 476, different rulers and powers governed. First, it was held by the Ostrogoths and after 539 was part of the Byzantine Empire. With the end of 6th century. From 788 it was ruled by the Franks.

Between 1797 and 1814, Parenzo was part of the Napoleonic Illyrian Provinces and therefore nominally part of the French Empire.

After 1918, it was the annexed to the kingdom of Italy. In 1943, it became possession of Yugoslavia and officially assumed the Croat name of Porec; the original Italian population was forced to leave the city and it was substituted with slavic people (from different regions of Yugoslavia).

Within the Yugoslav federation, Porec, along with much of the Istria, was given to Croatia's socialist republican authority with only Capodistria/Koper and a few kilometres of coastline given to Slovenia. This internal border paved the way for Porec to become a part of the modern Croatian state when independence was declared in June 1991.

People

The population of Porec is mixed, with Croats 75.4%, Italians 4.23%, Serbs 3.24% and Albanians 2.45% living in the area. There is a tradition of tolerance in the area between people of differing origins.

Economy

Traditionally, economic activities were always connected with the land and sea. The only significant industry in the area is food processing. Having been entirely integrated with Europe since 1994, Porec's trade, finance and communication sectors are growing. The primary source of income is tourism.

Tourism

In 1844 the Steamers Society, the Austrian Lloyd from Trieste, opened a tourist line which included Parenzo. The first tourist guide describing and depicting the city was printed as early as 1845.In 1867 Archduke Charles Stephen and archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria vacationed here, and in 1868 Charles Ludwig visited the area. The oldest hotel is the Riviera, constructed in 1910. Later came the Parentino and others.

Porec's heritage can be seen in the historic town center, in museums and galleries hosted in houses and palaces, many of them still private homes as they have been for centuries. In the off season, weekend visitors from Croatia, Slovenia, Austria and mostly Italy visit the area.

Transportation

Road traffic is the primary form of transportation. Porec is well-connected with the rest of Istria and with larger cities such as Trieste, Rijeka, Ljubljana and Zagreb. The nearest commercial airport is located in Pula.

The closest railroad connection is in Pazin, which is the seat of regional government. In 1902 a narrow-gauge railway line called Parenzana or Parenzaner Bahn, connecting Trieste with Porec, was introduced. It provided rail service until 1935.