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ISTRIABEAUTIFUL CROATIAN REGION • “A PENINSULA ON THE NORTHERN EXTREMITY OF THE ADRIATIC,SEPARATED FROM VENETIA BY THE RIVER TIMAVUS,AND FROM HISTRI,WERE A WARLIKE ILLYRIAN RACE,WHO CARRIED ON SEVERAL WARS WITH THE ROMANS,TILL THEIR FINAL SUBJUGATION BY THE CONSUL C.CLODIUS PULCHER,B.C 177.THEIR CHIEF TOWNS WERE TERGESTÉ AND POLA.”THE PENINSULA IS SURRANDED BY A SMALL GROUP OF ISLANDS-BRIJUNI,CRES,LOŠINJ,UNIJEAND SUSAK,PLUS CLUSTERS OF SMALLER ISLANDS AND ISLETS.ISTRIA IS THE BIGGEST PENINSULA IN THE ADRIATIC SEA.THE PENINSULA IS LOCATED AT THE TOP OF THE ADRIATIC SEA.IMPORTANT TOWNS IN CROATIAN ISTRIA INCLUDE PULA,POREČ,ROVINJ,PAZIN,LABIN,MOTOVUN,BUZET,AND BUJE,AS WELL AS SMALLER TOWNS OF VIŠNJAN,ROČ,AND HUM.THE LARGER GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES OF ISRIA INCLUDE UČKA MOUNTAIN IN THE EAST,THE RIVERS DRAGONJA,MIRNA,PAZINČICA AND RAŠA,AND THE LIM BAY.FAMOUS PEOPLE LIKE DANTE,JULES VERNE.JAMES JOYCE AND ROBERT KOCH WORKED,WROTE,VISITED OR WERE SIMPLY INSPIRED BY ‘TERRA MAGICA’.
HISTORY OF ISTRIA • THE NAME DERIVED FROM THE ILLYRIAN TRIBE OF THE HISTRI.THE ROMANS DESCRIBED THE HISTRI AS A FIERCE TRIBE OF ILLYRIAN PIRATES,PROTECTED BY THE DIFFICULT NAVIGATION OF THEIR ROCKY COASTS.IT TOOK TWO MILITARY CAMPAIGNS FOR THE ROMANS TO FINALLY CONQUER THEM IN 177 BCE. • AFTER THE FALL OF THE WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE,THE REGION WAS PILLAGED BY THE GOTHS,THE LONFBOARD,ALSO ANEXXED TO THE FRANKISH KINGDOM AND CONTROLLED BY THE DUKES OF CARINTHIA.MERAN,BAVARIA AND THE PATRIARCH OF AQUILEIA,BEFORE IT BECAME THE TERRITORY OF THE REPUBLIC OF VENICE.IT PASSED TO THE HABSBURG IN 1797(TEMPORARILY TO NAPOLEON BETWEEN 1805-1813) • AFTER THE WORLD WAR II,PARTS OF ISTRIA WERE ASSIGNED TO YUGOSLAVIA.BY 1956 THE REST OF THE REGION WAS INCORPORATED INTO YUGOSLAVIA,HOWEVER IT LOST ABOUT HALF OF ITS POPULATION AND A LARGE PART OF ITS SOCIAL AND CULTURAL IDENTITY.
Plitvice Lakes -National Park This national park is located between Karlovac and Zadar in the inland of Croatia.The Plitvice lakes are great.The lakes are one of the main attraction in the world . They consist of 16 lakes connected with waterfalls. The highest laying lake(Prošćansko) is 639 meters above the sea level,While the lowest lake(Novakovica) is 503 meters above the sea level. About 20 bigger and smaller cavesdeveloped in the steep cliffs around thge lakes during many years. The park also has many rare animals, birds, fish, ,bears and waterplant. The Plitvice Lakes lay between the mountain ranges of the Mala Kapela and Plješevicain the area of Lika. It is hard to say in wich month they are the prettiest or it is best to go to the lakes. The park has much vegetation . The upper lakes are surrounded by many trees.The lower lakes are smaller and they do not hold as much water. They are not surrounded by so many trees but by high grass.The small lakes get their water mostly from the Black and the White river The climate is like in the Alps . In the Summer the there are 24degrees in the Prošćansko and Kozjak lake.
In winter the lakes are covered with ice and snow. In the sea water some chemical processes between small lime particles, minerales, bacteria with plants like algae and moss produce the typical travertine. This is a kind of a stone. Most probably everybody already saw the lakes in the movies of Winnetou. Due to their unique evolution and beauty, in 1979 Plitvice lakes were put on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
MOTOVUN • TOWN SITUATED IN THE FORT 270 M ABOVE SEA LEVEL,ON THE HILL DOMINATING WONDERFUL MIRNA RIVER VALLEY.ALSO INSPIRED BY THE LEGENDS OF ISTRIAN GIANTS WHO LIVED IN MIRNA VALLEY,VLADIMIR NAZOR WROTE HIS FAMOUS WORK ABOUT A WELL-TEMPERED GIANT PEASANT VELI JOŽE WHO LIVED IN MOTOVUN FOREST. • MOTOVUN FILM FESTIVAL IS THE FESTIVAL WITH THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VIEW IN THE WORLD.MOTOVUN FILM FESTIVAL ADDED NEW AWARDS EVERY YEAR,REACHING THE LIST OF FIVE OF THEM IN TOTAL.THIS FESTIVAL IS NOT ABOUT AWARDS AND AWARDING.FAR FROM IT.
PULA PULA IS A TOWN AND PORT IN THE SOUTH-WESTERN PART OF ISTRIA WITH POPULATION OF 62,378.THE CITY IS ABOUT 3000 YEARS OLD.PULA IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PORT IN ISTRIA.THE ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE CALLED ARENA FROM THE 1ST AND 2ND CENTURIES,HOLDS A DOMINANT POSITION ABOVE THE HARBOUR.THE WALLS ARE 30.45 M HIGH.IT IS THE WORLDS SIXTH LARGE AMPHITHEATER.ACCORDING TOA LEGEND IT WAS BUILT BY EMPEROR VESPASIAN ON THE INITIATIVE OF HIS GIRL FRIEND CENIDA FROM PULA.A LARGE ROMAN GRAVEYARD WAS IN FRONT OF THE TOWN GATE,WHICH DANTE MENTIONS IN HIS INFERNO.MANY CHURCHES IN PULA,DATE FROM THE MIDDLE AGES.FOR EXAMPLE THE CHAPEL OF THE CHURCH SANTA MARIJA FORMOSA FROM CENTURY.ALSO SV.MARIJA CATHEDRAL FROM THE 5TH CENTURY.THE TEMPLE OF AUGUSTUS FROM THE 1ST CENTURY IS LOCATED ON THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE SQUARE.TOWN HALL WHICH WAS ATTACHED TO THE ROMAN TEMPLE OF DIANA IN 1296.TODAY ,PULA IS THE ECONOMIC CENTRE WITH SHIP BUILDING INDUSTRY,TEXTILES,METAL INDUSTRY BUILDING TRADES AND MANUFACTURING THERE IS A BIG TOURIST CENTRE WITH A BIG MARINA.IT’S A GREAT PLACE TO VISIT AND HAS PROVETED TO BE INSPIRATION TO MANY.
RISNJAK THE BIG MOUNTAIN RISNJAK DOMINATES OVER HILL WOODS.THE BIGEST IS BIG RISNJAK 1528 M AND IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CROATIEN BELVEDERES.ONE CAN SEE KVARNER BAY,KAMNIK AND JULIUS ALPS AND VELEBIT FROM IT.THERE LIVE A LOT OF INSECTS,CRABS,TROUTS AND MORE THAN 50 SPECIES OF BIRDS.OF WILDLIFE,THERE ARE DEERS,DOES,CHAMOISES,WILD PIGS,BLICHES,SQUIRRELS,BUT ALSO THREE BIG BEASTS:LYNX,WOLF AND BEAR. RISNJAK THE BIG MOUNTAIN RISNJAK DOMINATES OVER HILL WOODS.THE BIGEST IS BIG RISNJAK 1528 M AND IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CROATIEN BELVEDERES.ONE CAN SEE KVARNER BAY,KAMNIK AND JULIUS ALPS AND VELEBIT FROM IT.THERE LIVE A LOT OF INSECTS,CRABS,TROUTS AND MORE THAN 50 SPECIES OF BIRDS.OF WILDLIFE,THERE ARE DEERS,DOES,CHAMOISES,WILD PIGS,BLICHES,SQUIRRELS,BUT ALSO THREE BIG BEASTS:LYNX,WOLF AND BEAR.
CLIMBING PAKLENICA NATIONAL PARK IS THE MOST FAMOUS CROATIAN CLIMBING CENTER. THIS CLIMBING CENTER IS CHARMING PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE COAST IT IS AN IDEAL PLACE TO COMBINE CLIMBING AND WATHER SPORTS. CLIMBING IS PERMITTED ONLY IN SOME PARTS AND FULL CLIMBING EQUIPMENT IS MANDATORY. THE CROATIAN CLIMBING SOCIETY WAS FOUNDED IN 1874, AND IS AMONG THE FIRST SEVEN IN THE WORLD. TREKKING USUALLY INCLUDES VISITING MOUNTAINS MOSOR, KOZAK AND BIOKOVO. THE MOUNTAINS OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA MAINLY BELONG TO THE DINARIC RANGE. THEY ARE A TRUE CHALLENGE FOR CLIMBERS. THE MOUNTAINS IN DALMATIA ARE SV.ILIA ON PELJESAC, BIOKOVO, DINARA,TROGLAV, KAMESNICA, SVILAJA, PROMINA, KOZIAK, MOSAR, POLJICKA PLANINA AND OMISKA DINARA. THE MOST INTERESTING AND DEMANDING FOR CLIMBERS ARE THE MOUNTAINS IN THE COASTAL RANGE; BIOKOVO, KOZIAK, MOSOR AND OMISKA DINARA. THE CLIMATE IS VERY SEVERE. IN SUMMER THE TEMPERATURES ARE REALLY HIGH, AND IN WINTER THE NORTH WIND DRIES UP THE SOIL. THERE IS LITTLE ANIMAL LIFE, APART FROM SNAKES, INCLUDING THE VENOMOUS VIPER AND ADDER, VEGETATION THERE IS ALSO VERY SPARSE.
DINAMO • DINAMO IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOTBALL TEAM IN CROATIA.THEIR FANS ARE CALLED BAD BLUE BOYS.THEIR SIMBOL IS A MAD BULLDOG. • TODAY NEW GENERATION OF FANS SITS ON STANDS,BUT BAD BLUE BOYS STILL ARE DINAMO’S 12TH PLAYER,NOT ONLY IN MAKSIMIR BUT ALSO ON THE STANDS THOUGHOUT EUROPE.
QUESTIONS • 1. When and where does the film festival take place? • 2. What is the symbol of Dinamo and what are its fans called? • 3. How many lakes are there in Plitvice? • 4. What is the biggest penninsula in the Adriatic called? • 5. What is the Roman amphitheatre called and where is it?