This popular tourist region of Istria, with its spectaculous Adriatic coast, offering a perfect balance of adventure and comfort, attracts every year Royal families, filmmakers, famous movie-stars, musicians, artists and writers, as well as a large number of tourists from all over the world.
South of the Lim bay, between the towns of Porec and Pula, stands the beautiful Rovinj, easily reachable by bus or by ferry from Venice (105 km as the crow flies) and Trieste (65 km).
Enjoy the family atmosphere and the charm of a small town on a fabulous sea; the promise of an unforgettable holiday.
Rovinj - a city to fall in love with !!
Santa Eufemia
The Santa Eufemia statue, indicating the wind’s direction, stands on the top of the bell tower of the eighteenth century cathedral, and high from the hill, locals call “mountain”, dominates the old town.
Narrow, winding streets, whitewashed stone paved consumed by ages, lead upwards, reveiling the secrets of a breathtaking panorama.
The Cathedral of St. Euphemia in Rovinj, 57 m high, is the largest and most important Baroque building in Istria.
Initially, Rovinj – Rovigno was an island. The center has pre-Roman origins, but gained importance only round the first centuries BCE,when its name was changed from Arupinum to Mons Rubineus and later to Ruginium and finally to Ruvinium.
In the 18th century, Rovinj, important fishing center, bastion of the Venetian fleet, greeted the remains of Santa Eufemia,coming from Constantinople.
Worth a while also visiting the Baptistery of the Holy Trinity and the old Franciscan monastery.
A stroll round the old center
Rovinj has, with its mild climate, typically Mediterranean, its spectacular coastline and rugged coves, surrounded by green islets (13), narrow cobbled streets, place of ancient historic trails, a magical atmosphere that captures.
Famous writers like GIULIO VERNE, father of the modern science fiction, in search of unique landscapes, chose Rovinj as a setting for his great novel ‘Mathias Sandorf’. Others sang and wrote about the place and its beauty.
The old town, centered on a rocky islet joined to the coast only in 1763, and characterized by narrow winding streets lined with small houses, “tall and slim”, adorned with ancient frescoes.
Near the Old Wharf you can find all kinds of restaurants, taverns and typical cafes; right ahead, the Arco dei Baldi, built in 1763, marks the entrance to the ancestral maritime city. Besides the family crest and the Venetian lion, on one side you can see sculptured the head of a Turkish, inward the immage of a Venetian; with a clear warning to leave the enemies outside the town-walls.
Proceeding, we cross the town hall, Baroque palace, which shows a beautiful embossed lion San Marco.Bunic, Boris Bozievic … just to name some now on the international scene famous artists.
Natural Park Zlatni RT
You can find it south of the town; a charming place to visit, already known at the time of the Hapsburg Empire, very appreciated by the Vienna aristocracy, can boast huge trees dating back to then. (learn more about the beginning of turism in Rovinj (very complete and interesting) http://www.tzgrovinj.hr/page/meet-rovinj/the-beginnings-of-rovinj-tourism
Musego Archeological Park
About 5 km south-east of Rovinj we find Musego site, discovered in 1953 when the first excavations were carried out. Since 1997 comprehensive research has been carried out as well as the partial reconstruction of the architecture. The settlement, girded by strong dry walls, is located on the leveled top and wide terraces that originate back to the period when stone blocks were dug out and used for construction. It was inhabited in the period from 2000 to 1200 B.C.
The grave tumuli on Mušeg are situated 1.5 km from Monkodonja. Grave monuments such as grave-mounds, with differently constructed details, with the radius of 11 meters and above, were constructed with large stone blocks. In the middle of every tumulus, there is a stone chest built with carefully carved and composed slabs. Their covering slabs were broken by grave thieves. The remains of amber pearls and faiences were left behind, as well as the parts of bronze jewellery.
Around the islands – a boat ride
In order to say you have fully experienced Rovinj, we suggest you should also sail out – not only to see the most beautiful parts from the open sea, but also to feel the deep relation between the locals and the sea. A large number of boats offer excursions from the main Old Warf; either if you go on a circular ride, visit Brioni, a pirate cruise or a fishing-picnic, underwater sightseeing or a night excursion with spotlights, the experience will be unforgettable and the «call of sea» will accompany you all the way back home.
THE GHOST TOWN – Curiosity
Not far from Rovinj, unknown to the most, in the River Drava Valley, you can find the beautiful misterious ruins of DVIGRAD – DUECASTELLI (two castles), a small 200-houses GHOST-town, dating back to the Middle Ages (long battles with pirates).
