Bale -Valle

The district of Bale, located near Rovinj,Vodnjan, Kanfanar and Svetvincenat is a preserved area of Istria that has avoided all forms of devastation and today the locals can say with great pride that their home is an area of pristine beauty featuring abundance in natural wealth, untouched nature and rich cultural and architectural heritage. The district of Bale spreads over 81, 65 square kilometres and has a population of 1295 people.

The town of Bale, entirely made of stone, embodies Istria's tradition and has been in existence, according to archaeological research, since the Roman period. Fort Bale protected the trade route between Pula and the interior of the peninsula. The Roman Castrum became a walled little town in medieval times. It was first mentioned as Castrum Vallis, that is Valle in 965. Today the Roman Castrum Vallis is a small town whose historical core is located 145 meters above the sea level, surrounded by hills. The Italian name Bala – Valle means valley, and Bale is the valley positioned between hills Monleme, Skvacota, Pizanovac and Veli Majan; Pastrovicev vrh, Sv Nedjelja, Brigonera, Mongrizeja and Sokol. Built structures existed on those hills in pre-historic times.

However, Bale is not just a town. The district of Bale forms a whole with arable land, pastures, forests in which one can easily come across the remains of old buildings, Roman roads, water tanks, wells, Roman villas, oil presses, churches…

You can enjoy peace and tranquillity in Bale, go on a sightseeing expedition to the Gothic-Renaissance kastel (village) Soardo-Bembo, visit the 19th Century tower in the heart of the town and the parish church, take a peak into Town Hall with its 14th Century logia…

The 45th parallel goes straight through the narrowest part of the district of Bale, which means that the district is ideally positioned as regards the planet – half way between the Equator and North Pole. The average temperature in Bale is 14 degrees centigrade and the town has 2400 sunny hours on average a year, which has attracted huge numbers of tourists to the place.

The silence that reigns over the paved alleys of this town can almost be heard and that is just one of a whole plethora of reasons why one should visit Bale – a jewel surrounded by the greenness of the flora and blueness of the sea.