Looming over the chasm, Pazin’s castle is the largest and best-preserved medieval structure in all of Istria. First mentioned in AD 983, the castle has had different architectural styles added to it over the centuries. The entrance ticket includes access to its two moderately interesting museums – the Pazin Town Museum (www.muzej-pazin.hr) and the Istrian Ethnographic Museum (www.emi.hr).
The Town Museum has a collection of medieval church bells, stamps, banknotes, musical instruments, weapons, armor and, in the dungeon, torture instruments. There's also an interesting display on the peasant revolts of 1407 and 1570.
The Ethnographic Museum possesses around 4000 artefacts which give an idea of traditional Istrian village life through the ages. Collections include furniture, national dress, tools and pottery, and there are sections on Slavic festivals and migration.
