Things to do in Hum in Croatia – the world's smallest town

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: August 2026 | What to see and do in Hum, Croatia? Often called the world's smallest city, this tiny medieval town in Istria consists of a few stone houses, churches and alleys within its ancient walls. Here you can discover Glagolitic script, medieval frescoes and Istrian specialties - and experience a place that is truly different from the big resorts along the coast.

A visit to the world's smallest city

We visited Hum during a campervan trip through Istria and had of course heard about ”the world’s smallest town”. However, we were a little surprised when we arrived. Hum is truly minimal – but at the same time full of history and small details to discover.

Is Hum really the smallest city in the world?

Hum is often described and marketed as the world's smallest town, and it's not hard to see why when you get here. The historic town center is tiny and fits inside the old walls, with just a few houses, churches and small stone streets.

However, exactly what is required for a place to be called a ”city” varies between countries, and there is no international definition that makes it possible to determine which city is actually the smallest in the world. Therefore, it is best to look at the expression the world's smallest city as Hum's well-established nickname, rather than as an official world record.

Hum nevertheless has a long history as a city-like fortified community, and despite its small size, there are churches, a city wall and other historical buildings. And regardless of whether Hum is truly the smallest in the world or not, it is an unusually charming and special place to visit.

Things to see and do in Hum

Hum is so small that you can quickly walk through the entire historic center. But don't rush through it! There are many small details, historical buildings and traces of Istria's Glagolitic heritage to discover.

1. Walk through the city gate and discover Hum

The entrance to Hum shows that this is no ordinary small Istrian village. The old fortified town is surrounded by walls and you enter through an impressive metal city gate.

The gate is relatively modern, created in 1981, but is filled with symbolism. On both doors are twelve medallions representing the months of the year and traditional work and life in the countryside. Once you have passed through the gate, you find yourself in the middle of the minimal historic town – and it doesn’t take many minutes to understand why Hum has become known for its size.

2. Stroll along Hum's small stone streets

Of course, there is no extensive street network in Hum. The experience here is more about slowly strolling between old stone houses, flowering gardens and small alleys inside the city walls.

When we visited Hum, we were fascinated by how picturesque everything was. Despite the town attracting many visitors, the environment can feel almost rurally peaceful, and there are plenty of small details to photograph.

3. See the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and the bell tower

One of the most prominent buildings in Hum is the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which was built in the early 19th century on the site of an older church. Next to it stands the much older freestanding bell tower, which was built in the 16th century.

The church and bell tower dominate the small townscape and make Hum actually look like a small town in miniature – complete with church, square, residential buildings and defense works.

4. Visit St. Jerome's Church and see the medieval frescoes

Do not confuse the parish church inside Hum with the much older St. Hieronymus Church, which is located by the cemetery just outside the city walls.

The small Romanesque church is particularly interesting for its medieval frescoes from around 1200. There are also old Glagolitic graffiti on the walls, making the church an important place for Croatian cultural history.

5. Discover the Glagolitic heritage

Hum is strongly associated with the Glagolitic alphabet, the oldest known Slavic alphabet. The script was created in the 9th century and had an unusually long and important history in parts of Croatia, not least in Istria. In and around Hum you can see Glagolitic characters in several places, and the entire road between Roč and Hum has become a kind of monument to this cultural heritage.

6. Visit the Museum of Hum Aura

If you want to learn more about how people lived in Hum and Istria in the past, you can visit the Museum of Hum Aura. The small museum is housed in a historic setting and displays objects related to traditional everyday life and various old crafts.

7. Taste Biscay and Istrian specialties

Despite its small size, there are of course opportunities to eat and drink well in Hum. Istria is famous for truffles, olive oil, air-dried ham, cheese and wine, among other things, and you can find several of these products here as well.

The specialty most strongly associated with Hum is whip, a traditional Istrian spirit flavored with mistletoe and herbs. It is so strongly associated with the place that Hum is sometimes called City of Biscay.

Glagolitic avenue between Roč and Hum

The trip to Hum is almost an attraction in itself. Between the historic town of Roč and Hum runs the approximately seven-kilometer-long Glagolitic Avenue, Glagolitic Alley.

Along the path are eleven monuments that tell in different ways about the Glagolitic alphabet, important people and the Glagolitic cultural heritage. The monuments look ancient and could easily give the impression of having stood here for many hundreds of years – but the avenue itself is considerably younger.

The project was created by the writer and researcher Zvane Črnja and the sculptor Želimir Janeš, and the monuments were erected between 1977 and 1985. The last monument is the actual city gate into Hum.

What the avenue tells about, however, is much older. The Glagolitic alphabet was created in the 9th century and came to be of great importance in Croatia. In Istria, the Glagolitic tradition survived for centuries, and in the area around Roč and Hum there are several historical traces of it.

Bergsbyn Motovun

After visiting Hum, we continued to the small mountain village of Motovun, which is about 40 minutes by car from Hum. As you drive along the road, you suddenly see how the small mountain village rises on a high hill.

Motovun is located inland in the northern part of Istria and is home to around 500 people. The village is famous for truffles and for the annual film festival that attracts several thousand tourists, actors and directors from all over the world.

If you come by car, you can drive all the way up. If you have a camper van, you can park below the mountain and take a bus up to the top.

Up there you can stroll around among the cool old houses... and of course you can have a beer and a pizza while admiring the view.

See more in the neighbourhood

There is a lot to see and experience in Croatia! Here are suggestions for some great places, not too far from Hum (or Motovun):

• Opatija
• Porec
• Vrsar