Svetvinčenat: Renaissance square and Morosini-Grimani Castle

Updated October 12, 2026.

Start exploring Svetvinčenat on Placa, beside Morosini-Grimani Castle. Inside the restored fortress, exhibitions and Escape Castle bring history into play.

Placa, the church and the loggia

Placa reveals how Svetvinčenat, also known as Savičenta, developed as a planned town. The castle occupies one side of the trapezoidal square, with the Church of the Annunciation at its narrower eastern end. Renaissance houses link these two large buildings into a coherent townscape. The cistern in the middle was added in 1808.

The six-arched loggia marks the southern side of the square. This covered space once hosted trading, trials and public proclamations. Walk around the whole of Placa as well as the castle exterior: the arrangement of church, houses and loggia shows how civic life developed outside the defensive walls.

The castle and visitor attractions

The Morosini family acquired the estate in 1467. Extensive rebuilding in 1485 gave the castle the basic form it retains today, while the Renaissance town took shape beside it. The property later passed to the Grimani family, explaining the two Venetian family names in its title.

A visit takes in the courtyard, towers and rooms of the palace. In the multimedia exhibition, projections onto a model show successive phases of construction and destruction. Part of the Ferlin collection of historic weapons is displayed in the Captain’s Room at the top of the palace.

Escape Castle is an optional game for visitors who want to solve puzzles throughout the fortress. Teams of two to five players tackle seven challenges in around 30 to 60 minutes. Advance booking is required, and anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent. The game costs an additional €5 per player on top of castle admission and cannot be purchased on its own.

The House of the Witch Mare is a separate visitor centre outside the castle. Multimedia installations explore local folklore, with activities such as virtual archery.

Autumn visits and admission

The castle’s schedule for autumn 2026 is:

• October: Wednesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm. Monday and Tuesday visits are on request. Closed on Sundays.
• November: Thursday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm.
• December: prearranged group visits and venue hire only, with no regular admission for individual visitors.

From October to May, castle admission costs €8 for adults and €5 for children aged 7 to 18, students and pensioners. Children under seven and visitors with disabilities enter free. The €20 family ticket covers parents or legal guardians and their children under 18, up to five people in total.

You can extend a trip from Bale with a visit to Dvigrad to explore the ruins of an abandoned town. Lim Bay offers a separate option if you want to continue towards the coast.

Enquire about a castle visit

Distance from Bale: 16 minutes driving (12.2 km)

For: families, first time visitors, history lovers, art lovers, dog owners

Parking: free of charge

Address: Svetvinčenat, Istria, Croatia

What to do: information, architecture, recreation, refreshments, food and drink

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