Rovinj, Croatia

After a side trip to Slovenia, we drove to Rovinj, on the Western coast of the Istrian peninsula.  Rovinj is a 2 and half hour drive from Zagreb. Originally a fishing village, Rovinj is now a popular tourist destination and deservedly so. Driving to Rovinj was no problem, but our hotel (The Adriatic) was in the old town which, like several of the cities we stayed in during this trip, was pedestrian only, so we had to figure out how to navigate our way through the winding, cobbled streets to our hotel. There is no doubt that you are in a medieval city. The rooms in the Adriatic are very small, but the complimentary breakfast buffet served either in the dining room or on the outdoor terrace overlooking the harbor is excellent, and the location on the main square facing the harbor couldn’t have been better.   Wandering the streets of the little bean shaped peninsula is delightful. All streets eventually go up the hill and end at the Baroque style Church of St Euphemia. The view from here is lovely.   The church has modern stained glass windows and the sarcophagus of St Euphemia who was martyred in 300 AD. Her tomb was missing until 800 AD when she mysteriously appeared here.

Rovinj is small and can be covered in an hour, but it is a delightful city to stay in.  It was one of our favorites from this trip. Some of the note-worthy sights are the Balbi Arch, the entrance to the city, dating from 1680. The market at Valdibora specializes in truffles and is fun for sampling truffle spreads and oils. Grisia street is known as the artist street and lined with little boutiques displaying crafts from local artists.  Being part of the Venetian Empire and with close proximity to Italy (Trieste is one hour by car and Venice two hours by boat), the Italian influence is obvious, especially in the cuisine and jewelry.

There are numerous places on the waterfront for drinks.  We choose the Atlas.  It’s interesting that a very substantial glass of wine was cheaper than beer, or pivo, as it called here. We had dinner at Balbi which is through the Balbi Arch and up a couple of blocks on the left at Rovigno square.  We got there around 7:45 pm and got one of the last tables so a reservation is advised.  The bill for a Greek salad, delicious seafood risotto, and wine was HKR 133 (approximately USD 27).

We did a day trip to Pula which is 30 minutes south of Rovinj via the toll road.  Pula is known for its Roman ruins.  The most impressive sight is the amphitheater which dates back to the 1st  century. The Arena, which seated over 20,000, is very well preserved.  Walking along the waterfront you can see remains of Roman walls as well as an old church, Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, dating from the 6th century.  The Triumphal Arch marks the entrance to the Old City where you find the main square, The Forum.  Here are the Temple of Augustus with its well preserved columns and the Old Municipal Hall. Near the Archeological museum is the Hercules Gate dating from the 2nd century.  Unfortunately, the Archeological museum was closed for renovation. Despite the Roman ruins, we did not feel that Pula had any of the charm that Rovinj possesses, so we were very happy we had chosen to stay in Rovinj.