Entire villages are being sold in Istria

Istria

Once bustling with life, many villages in Croatia’s Istrian interior now echo only with the sound of crickets.

Ruined homes and empty streets stand as reminders of a different era.

In recent years, demand for property in inland Istria has grown, and in some cases entire villages are being sold – especially in the municipality of Cerovlje, near Pazin, the region’s main administrative centre.

One such place is the village of Gržini. Unlike many abandoned settlements, it has both electricity and water – a major advantage, as most deserted villages lack basic infrastructure.

“Here everything is ready, you only need to restore the houses and connect,” estate agent Silvija Rejec from Labin tells HRT.

The idea of owning a whole Istrian village may sound grand and even romantic, but the reality is far from simple.

Restoring crumbling buildings demands major investment. Still, Istria has always attracted property buyers, and interest today comes mainly from locals – both residents of Croatia and those returning from abroad.

“It is nice that so many want to return to the countryside and leave city life behind,” Rejec adds.

Not everyone is convinced.

Norman Brečević from nearby Paz laments the decline in village populations but is wary about new arrivals. “Out of ten newcomers, nine are bad and one is normal. A good neighbour is fine, but if they come only for gossip or show, it might be better to leave it abandoned,” he says.

The municipality welcomes new owners, provided development follows spatial planning rules.

Istria

“If our people cannot or are not able to repair and restore, maybe it is better that someone else does – the question is who and for what purpose,” notes Cerovlje mayor Elvis Šterpin.

According to HRT, five villages in the Gržini area have already been sold.

Buyers include a former Croatian national football player and a former journalist. Large areas of farmland and several derelict buildings have changed hands for hundreds of thousands of euros.

However, while the sales have been completed, no new neighbours have yet moved in. The next village on the market is Gržini – waiting, like others before it, for someone to bring it back to life.