The medieval town of Labin is situated on the hill above Rabac. Its old name of
Albona was first mentioned in 285 AD. The birthplace of Matthias Flacius
Illyricus, the reformer and collaborator of Martin Luther, it is a cultural and
administrative center today. The rich cultural and architectural heritage of
Labin is enlivened by number of art ateliers and by the bustling youth gathering
in the coffee bars scattered around the old town. The Sculpture Park in nearby
Dubrova features over 70 forma viva stone sculptures.
After a walk through
the narrow streets of the Old Town, pay a visit to the Town Museum with its
archaeological and unique in this part of Europe, a miniature coal mine. Have a
loot at the Memorial collection of Matthias Flacius Illyricus, peek into the art
ateliers, enjoy the view of Rabac and Cres island from the Fortica or pop into
the small, elegant shops and take refreshments on one of the terraces of the
local coffee bars. Whether to do business or just to have a chat, these are the
places where everyone meets
Labin, a picturesque town situated on a 320
meters high hill and only three kilometers from the seaside, was inhabited
already two thousand years B.G. The remnants of Kunci, one of the settlements
called the 'castellums', dating from the Bronze Age, can be found in the
vicinity of Labin. Its old Illyrian-Celtic name is Albona or Alvona and it was
probably founded by Celts in the 4th century B.C. on the ruins of the ancient
city. Some historians say it was fortified by the Illyrians in the 11th century
B.C. They also say that Albona in the Celtic language means 'a town on the hill'
or 'an elevated settlement'.
Titus Livius said that Labin inhabitants were
pirates. After the conflicts between the local inhabitants and Romans, which had
started in the 3rd century B.C., Istra came under the Romans in 177 B.C. The
borderline was the river Rasa. Labin and its surroundings thus became an
integral part of Illyrian, the Roman province with a high degree of independence
and authority over the nearby settlements. The oldest written document about
Labin is a relief from the 3rd century.
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