You'll Never Guess Which Country Is Home To The World's Smallest Town

Everywhere in the world has a claim to fame. However, only one town gets to call itself the smallest on the planet (at least in the eyes of the prestigious Guinness World Records) and we have to travel all the way to Istria in Croatia to find it.
Have you ever heard of a Croatian town called Hum? No? This truly is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it sort of place, so that isn’t a huge surprise. The tiny town on top of a hill is thought to be the smallest town on the planet, and this is its story.

The little town of Hum

Located just one hour from Umag and 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Rijeka, Hum is thought to be the smallest town in the world. The population is either 17, 18, 21 or 23 (depending on whom you ask and what time of year it is) but the official number matters little. With its two streets and three walls of houses, this is a Croatian charmer that packs plenty into its tiny frame.
The town was first mentioned way back in 1102 as Cholm (from the Italian Colmo) and started off life as simply a watchtower, designed to ensure the region wasn’t taken by surprise by marauders and attackers. As was usually the case, a small town began to develop around the tower, primarily housing those who kept watch, as well as their families.
Fast forward to the present day and you have a small neighbourhood accentuated by a town parish and a bell tower. It paints a picture of a truly idyllic town, free of the chaos of modern life and the stresses that come with it.

Welcome to Hum, the world’s smallest town

What is there to see?

The technicalities

So we know all about the small numbers and the gorgeous surroundings, but what makes a town a town, anyway? Vatican City is basically a church and a post office; surely that is smaller than a couple of streets? Well, Vatican City is classed as a sovereign state, for one. Different countries have different ways of defining their inhabitable spaces, and Hum is the smallest one that ticks the “town” box.
The cat is out of the bag. Croatia is now one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, and with good reason. The old towns of Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar and Zagreb are chock-a-block with visitors throughout the summer, but that old Croatian relaxation can still be found in the hills, away from the madness and in the small towns that dot the countryside – among them, the smallest town in the world.

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