Parenzana Museum

At this museum in Livade especially dedicated to this legendary Istrian narrow-gauge rail line, archive photographs, vintage postcards and original documentation hark back to an era when crossing this distant outpost of the Habsburg Empire was a huge adventure. Opened in 1902, linking Trieste in modern-day Italy to Poreč on the Istrian coast, the Parenzana was a feat of engineering, winding alongside thick woodland and past steep inclines. A look at the changing colours on the map here indicates the challenging terrain. Photographs depict two main types of passenger: daytrippers in Sunday finery, and locals with business to take care of, probably at the port of Trieste. The Parenzana closed down in 1935 but the route has been revived of late to cater to cyclists and hikers.