Rakovci: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

Joakim Rakovac was born in Rakovci in 1914 and founded a local liberation committee in 1943, whose influence spread from Rakovci across Istria. The Joakim Rakovac Memorial House is located in Rakovci near Baderna and is protected as an example of Istrian rural architecture.

When planning a trip, the wish to rent a holiday apartment in Rakovci may be the main consideration.

History and Remembrance

The memorial house commemorates Joakim Rakovac as a national hero in connection with the period from 1914 to 1945. During the Second World War, the Joakim Rakovac Memorial House was associated with events including the founding of the liberation committee and the organisation of liberation struggles.

Nearby is Rušnjak, a hill above Rakovci near Baderna. On 29 July 1943, the first large organised group of volunteers and antifascists from this part of Istria set out from there to join the Partisan movement.

At the end of 1978, Rušnjak was developed as a Partisan excursion site with a memorial house; the complex was designed by Dušan Džamonja and Eliđa Legović. In 2024, the opening of the house was scheduled to take place before a traditional Sunday gathering at Rušnjak.

House and Exhibition

The ground floor of the Joakim Rakovac Memorial House presents Joakim Rakovac’s life and work. The first floor is dedicated to the National Liberation Struggle in Poreština. In the courtyard, there is a monument bearing 705 names.

The permanent exhibition includes weapons and related objects from the National Liberation Movement in Istria, as well as a small ethnographic collection from the Poreč area. The house also presents typical rural living conditions in Istria – those in which Rakovac was born and grew up. The house was extensively renovated and museologically redefined for its new phase; it was officially opened to the public in July 2024. The permanent exhibition is currently closed.

Local Cuisine

Restoran Idila Rakovci at Rakovci 4 is a restaurant for visitors and offers home-style cooking and local dishes both for consumption on site and for takeaway.

Activities

Epic Rides Istra / Poreč is a 58-kilometre cycling route from Poreč through Lim Bay to Sveti Lovreč. After 38 kilometres, the route reaches Rakovci; at 268 metres above sea level, this is the highest point of the route. After Rakovci, the final 20 kilometres lead mainly downhill towards Poreč.

A walk through Rakovci and its surroundings takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

Other places: Vabriga, Mugeba, Banki, Jehnići, Vrvari, Červar-Porat, Kirmenjak, Musalež

For the higher-level travel overview: Općina Poreč.