Events calendar

On Saturday, 3 October 2026, Bale will once again become a meeting point for vintage car enthusiasts. The second edition of the „Gita Guerino“ Memorial Oldtimer Rally will take place, a touring drive connecting Rovinj and Bale and honouring Guerino Barbieri, long-time president of Oldtimer Club Istra Rovinj.

The event was launched in 2025 as a memorial to Barbieri, with the first edition bringing together 36 crews. The connection with Bale is particularly significant, as Guerino Barbieri was originally from the town, making Bale an important stop on the memorial route.

From Rovinj to Bale, following the oldtimer tradition

The „Gita Guerino“ Rally is not a conventional motor race. The focus is on touring, precision, socialising and discovering the Istrian landscape. Participants are required to follow traffic regulations, with the emphasis on safe and precise driving rather than speed.

This approach has also characterised other events organised over the years by Oldtimer Club Istra Rovinj, including Histria Classica and the St Euphemia Night Cup, which have brought vintage car owners from Croatia and other European countries to Rovinj.

Guerino Barbieri was one of the key figures in this community. For many years he took part in organising vintage car events, while his 1934 Fiat Balilla became one of the best-known cars at Rovinj events. It was also the oldest car at several vintage car gatherings in Istria.

Saturday’s programme

The programme begins in Rovinj with a morning gathering of participants. After refreshments and socialising, the touring drive to Bale will start at noon.

The cars are expected to arrive in Bale at around 1 p.m., where they will be displayed for residents and visitors. This will be followed by the Oldtimer Club assembly, after which the participants will continue towards Mon Perin campsite. The day will conclude with a joint lunch at Mali Mol restaurant.

A memorial becoming a tradition

The first edition was held in October 2025. Participants set off from Rovinj and arrived in Bale, where the cars were displayed in the town centre. The organisers had already announced their intention to make the event an annual gathering.

The second edition continues that tradition. The Rovinj–Bale route is not only a link between two Istrian towns, but also part of a memorial dedicated to a man who spent decades helping to build and preserve Istria’s vintage car community.

The „Gita Guerino“ Memorial Oldtimer Rally will take place on Saturday, 3 October 2026, along the Rovinj–Bale route. The vintage cars are expected to arrive in Bale at around 1 p.m.

The event is organised by Oldtimer Club Istra Rovinj, with the support of the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Bale-Valle and the Municipality of Bale-Valle.

On Saturday, 10 October at 7 PM, the "Ulika" Gallery in Bale will open the exhibition “More Than a Diagnosis”, dedicated to people who have experienced cancer.

The moving and powerful portraits were photographed by Loris Zupanc, capturing what often remains in the background when we talk about illness: a person’s identity, dignity, relationships, plans and everyday life.

The initiator of the exhibition is Marija Patljak Bilić, herself an oncology patient, who worked on the project together with Dr Anuška Budisavljević. Through photography, they wanted to open up a different perspective on the experience of cancer and show that behind every diagnosis there is a whole person, with a life and identity of their own.

An equally important aim of the project is to offer hope to those who are currently undergoing treatment or may one day face cancer themselves. The portraits show that even after a serious diagnosis, there can be a time when people return to living, working, loving, creating and making plans. For someone just beginning that journey, the experiences of those who have walked it before can be a valuable source of encouragement and a reminder that illness does not have to define what comes next.

The exhibition also leaves space to remember those who are no longer with us. Their lives are not defined by the way their illness ended. We remember them with respect, as people whose lives and strength left a lasting mark.

After opening in Bale, the exhibition will travel throughout Croatia over the coming year, before becoming part of the permanent display at the Department of Oncology of Pula General Hospital, where it will continue to meet people facing illness themselves. The exhibition is supported by the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Bale and the Municipality of Bale-Valle.

The opening takes place in October, the month dedicated to raising awareness of breast cancer, when particular attention is given to prevention and the importance of early detection. In its own way, this exhibition also reminds us of the importance of speaking openly about illness, but above all, of speaking about it with humanity.

“More Than a Diagnosis” invites us to pause before the portraits and meet the people before seeing them through the lens of their diagnosis.

Opening: 10 October 2026 at 7 PM
Venue: "Ulika" Gallery, Bale
Admission: Free