Hoditi i zdravi biti on 18 April in 10 Istrian towns: the jubilee walk brings Istria together at the same time

Jubilee edition of “Hoditi i zdravi biti” on 18 April: in 10 Istrian towns at the same time, with the same message – movement as a habit

The public-health walking event “Hoditi i zdravi biti – La salute viene camminando” is being held this year on Saturday, 18 April 2026, starting at 10:00, simultaneously in ten towns in Istria. The organization is led by the Teaching Institute of Public Health of Istria County in cooperation with Istria County and partner towns, with media sponsorship by Croatian Radio – Radio Pula. According to the organizers’ announcements, this is the jubilee, tenth edition of the event, which puts the spotlight on a simple but often neglected fact: regular walking is one of the most accessible and most effective lifestyle changes.

For citizens, the message is clear and practical: come, take a walk, breathe in, socialize and do something concrete for your own health – without membership fees, without special equipment and without competitive pressure. The event is traditionally held at locations that are easy for local residents to reach, yet attractive enough to encourage going outdoors. If you plan to come from another place or combine the event with a weekend trip, the text highlights key meeting points and ideas for logistics, with useful guidance on where to find accommodation for visitors.

Rovinj-Rovigno: meeting at St. Pelagius Bay at 10:00

In Rovinj-Rovigno, the meeting point is St. Pelagius Bay, with a note that the start is by the “Come back” beach bar. The start time is 10:00, as in the other towns included in the event. Rovinj is a logical choice for this format: a seaside walk in the spring period regularly attracts even those who otherwise find it harder to muster motivation to move. The organizers emphasize that the focus is on walking together and encouraging healthy habits, so the event is suitable for a wider range of participants – families, recreational walkers, older people and everyone who wants to “catch” a good rhythm for the rest of the season.

For those planning to visit Rovinj from other parts of Croatia or from nearby countries, a practical option is to check in advance accommodation in Rovinj and the surrounding area, especially since the date falls in a part of the year when tourist demand often starts to pick up, and capacity availability depends on weekends and accompanying events in the region.

Ten towns, ten starting points: where people walk in Istria

According to published information, the event is held simultaneously in the following towns and at the following gathering locations:

• Pula – Valkane/Valcane
• Labin – Memorial area to the miner-fighter in the centre of Labin
• Pazin – Home for the elderly Pazin
• Vodnjan-Dignano – Portić Peroj/Porticcio Peroi
• Buzet – Roč (community hall)
• Rovinj-Rovigno – St. Pelagius Bay (“Come back” beach bar)
• Poreč-Parenzo – Municipal Court Poreč / Tribunale municipale Parenzo
• Novigrad-Cittanova – Kastanija/Pineta (Pirates club Novigrad)
• Buje-Città di Buie – Sports zone / Campo sportivo
• Umag-Città di Umago – Football field in Sveta Marija na Krasu / Madonna del Carso

This “simultaneous” organizational model – ten towns at the same time – is not just a logistical curiosity. In the organizers’ communication it also carries a symbolic message: public health is not something abstract and distant, but a series of small, repeatable habits built within the community. That is why the social dimension of the event is emphasized: walking as an opportunity for conversation, inclusion and intergenerational socializing.

If you are considering coming to one of the towns that is not the closest to you, it is practical to check in advance accommodation near the event location – especially in coastal towns and on weekend dates when greater visitor interest is expected.

What the organizers say: health as a system, not a one-off decision

In public announcements about the event, the organizers point out that the goal is to encourage citizens to make movement a regular part of everyday life, not an occasional outing. The Teaching Institute of Public Health of Istria County positions the event as part of a broader approach in which support for healthy habits is built through multiple channels – from public events to counselling and education. One official post by Istria County additionally emphasized that the Institute is developing a counselling system covering different areas (for example mental health, proper nutrition and young people’s sexual health), and that a new service focused on healthy habits has also been introduced, which indicates an attempt to “bring down” public-health messages to the level of concrete help for citizens.

Media reports also state that the event was presented at a press conference in Pula, where it was said that walking is a simple, low-risk and widely applicable form of physical activity. In practice, precisely such activities most easily bridge the biggest obstacle of the modern lifestyle: a sedentary rhythm, which often accumulates through work, transport and leisure time.

Pazin: an example route and organized guidance – when walking also gets a “story”

Among the towns included in the event, Pazin is an example of how walking can be linked to local identity and a clear route. According to published information from the Mountaineering Society “Pazinka”, guides are responsible for leading, and the walking route is described as starting from the urban area and continuing towards local points (Zarečki krov and Pazinski krov) before returning. This format is important because some citizens participate more easily when they know the framework: where they are going, how long it roughly takes, and who leads the group. At the same time, organized guidance greatly increases the sense of safety and belonging, especially for those who otherwise do not go for walks outside their usual routes.

Such examples show why the event is not just “a walk in ten towns”, but also an opportunity to present movement as part of local culture and space – from coastal trails to inland Istria. For visitors who want to combine Pazin with a weekend stay, it is worth checking accommodation in Pazin and the surrounding area, because central Istria is an increasingly frequent choice for short active breaks.

Why walking: the most accessible activity with a long-term effect

The organizers place the emphasis on “healthy lifestyle habits”, and walking is the most logical starting point in that story. It requires no special equipment, is easy to adapt to fitness level, and can be done almost anywhere – in the city, by the sea, in nature or on landscaped promenades. From a public-health perspective, the advantage is also that walking relatively easily transitions from a one-off event into a habit: a participant can repeat the same activity already the next day on their own route, at their own time.

An important element of the event is also social support. Many people objectively know they should move more, but they lack a “trigger” and a social framework. That is precisely why events like this work as a starting point: a shared start, a visible mass of people, the feeling of doing something positive – and then, ideally, continuing at one’s own pace.

Practical information for participants: simple, but smart

Although the event is open to a wide range of participants, practical guidelines can help make the experience more pleasant:

• Arrive a little earlier – especially at popular seaside locations, to avoid crowding at the gathering.
• Choose comfortable footwear – walking is “easiest” when the foot is stable and without blisters.
• Adjust your pace – it is not a race; the goal is movement and continuity, not a result.
• Water and layered clothing – April can be changeable, especially between the coast and the interior.
• Plan your arrival – if you are coming from another town, check accommodation for visitors and transport logistics, especially for the morning time.

In Rovinj, as one of the more attractive coastal points, the location itself also plays an additional role: St. Pelagius Bay can attract walkers who want to combine recreation with time by the sea. For those who want to stay after the event, a realistic option is to find in advance accommodation near the Rovinj bay and use the weekend for a light active break.

Istria as a space “for walking”: from the coast to the interior

One of the specific features of the Istrian concept is that the event simultaneously covers both coastal and continental towns. In this way, the message of healthy habits is conveyed without dividing Istria into “tourist” and “non-tourist”, because movement can be encouraged in every environment. Rovinj and Pula offer seaside promenades, Novigrad and Umag naturally rely on the coastal belt, while Pazin and Labin provide a different framework – more urban and “inland”, but equally suitable for recreational walking. Roč as the starting point for Buzet adds an extra dimension of a smaller place and a community where participants often know each other, which further strengthens the social element.

In that diversity lies the strength of the event: everyone can find their motivation – some for health, some for society, some for nature. And if the event is used as an incentive to continue regular walking after 18 April, then the public-health goal has been achieved in the most natural possible way.

Sources:

• Istria County – official announcement of the 10th edition of the event and highlights from the media conference (link)
• Glas Istre – report on the event, organization and included towns (link)
• Town of Buje – post about the jubilee event and the date of holding (link)
• Mountaineering Society “Pazinka” – information about the Pazin route and guidance (link)
• Istra.hr (events calendar) – basic information and organizer contact (link)
• Rovinj Tourism (events calendar) – location and time for Rovinj-Rovigno (link)