We invite you to an adventure in the hidden gem of Istria – the Baredine Cave. This cave is considered an underground gem of Istria and is located in the western part of the peninsula. It is 132m deep, out of which up to60m below the ground are accessible for visitors. The temperature in the cave remains unchanged throughout the year, at around 14°C. There is a legend concerning the origin of the cave which tells a story of the eternal love between Gabriel, an aristocrat from Poreč and Milka, a beautiful shepherdess. Because of the different social backgrounds of the lovers, Gabriel’s mother opposed their relationship. In order to prevent her son from becoming an object of ridicule among the locals, she ordered a group of robbers to kill the innocent girl and hide her body. The hit men, who had been generously remunerated for this contract murder, got a bad conscience about this. Instead, they decided to throw the girl into a cave. When Gabriel found out about her disappearance, in the act of desperation, he got on his horse and disappeared. Later on, the locals found his horse around the cave where the shepherdess had been abandoned. Legend has it that the stone heart of the shepherdess slides deeper and deeper down the cave each day in search of her beloved.
Speleologists say that one could use a narrow passage to get to the neighbouring cave from there. In this way, the lovers would be able to meet again one day and stay together forever. We will descend along an approximately 300-metre-long pathway. We will visit five chambers along the way and see beautiful rock formations, before we reach an underground lake located at the depth of 60m. The cave is a habitat of cave olm, an endangered species of endemic salamanders. From the cave we will make our way to the museum where we will see the tools and equipment used by the local people for farming in the past. We will also have a chance to admire the most precious collection of the museum, consisting of fifty old-timer tractors in their original state, preserved since the time they were still in use. Each tractor, including a Fordson tractor from 1923,tells its own story. After this memorable experience we will move on to the wine tasting of local wines. Wine growing on the island has a long-standing tradition, dating back to Antiquity. Even the ancient Romans saw the value of local vines and in the Middle Ages the local Muscat wines were the first choice of the royals. Today, wine is an integral part of the Istrian tradition and lifestyle. Mediterranean cuisine is considered one of the healthiest in the world and a Mediterranean meal is always accompanied by a glass of wine. Malvasia, Momjan Muscat, Teran, Borgonja and Refoscoare some of the examples of local autochthonic wines produced on the peninsula. Istria is also known for such world-famous wine varieties as: Pinot, Chardonnay, Cabernet and Merlot. During the tasting experience we will try some of the most well-known wines produced locally, accompanied by cheese and olives.
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