Poreč
In its current form, it was designed by the Romans two thousand years ago, after they conquered the indigenous people of Istria. The town was first a military camp, then a fortified city, and later grew into an important administrative and economic center, called Colonia Iulia Parentium.
Since 1267, and for the next half-millennium, Poreč was ruled by Venice, leaving behind the most beautiful palaces in the city. In 1363, the city statute was created, and in the 15th century, the then most modern, unique, and well-preserved eastern (land) towers and walls were built. The most significant cultural monument left to us by the Byzantines is the Euphrasian Basilica with the bishopric from the 6th century. Today, Poreč has a population of 19,920. Due to its exceptional geographical location and natural and cultural beauty, it is today one of the strongest tourist centers in Croatia. It is an economic center of the area, with 2,075 businesses operating - 1,300 registered craftsmen and 775 legal entities. Unemployment in the city of Poreč is far below the national average of 16.80%, at 6.08% with seasonal effects and 9.60% without seasonal effects, with a noticeable downward trend. The main economic sector is tourism, positively correlated with trade, construction, and agriculture. The city of Poreč sees the potential for future sustainable development in three areas:
- extending the duration of the tourist season through successful destination management
- balancing the relationship between service and production activities, promoting exports, which results in reduced economic dependency on one sector – tourism
- investing in infrastructure and environmental conservation activities, which is one of the key attractions of this area
