Rovinj

Rovinj (Italian: Rovigno) is a city in Istria. The city is officially bilingual (Croatian and Italian).

Getting there

Rovinj is served by Pula airport approximately 30 km south. The easiest way to reach Rovinj from the airport is to drive - the journey takes approximately 40 minutes. Although cars are not permitted in the old town, Rovinj is sufficiently small so that parking is available close to most of the city. Prices are around 2 HRK per hour (the park-o-meters accept only coins).

There are also buses from Central Pula.

Traveling around

The old town and the surrounding area are small, and are easily accessible on foot. Bicycle hire is quite inexpensive in Rovinj and there are very good cycle tracks up and down the coast.

See

There is a daily ferry to Venice from the harbour in Rovinj. The ferry takes about 2 hours and takes you to almost the centre of Venice. There are also taxi boats and excursions to St Katherine's Island, in the harbour.

The old town is best explored on foot. Worth seeing are the original entrance into the city, the Balbi Arch; the market at Valdibora; the cathedral of Sv. Euphemia; the artists' street of Grisia, described as "Rovinj's Montmartre"; and the harbour in the centre of the town.

Things to do

• Walk around in the old town.

• Climb the campanile of the cathedral of Sv Euphemia in the middle of the old town.

• Shop for truffles, olive oil, seafood or fruit and veg in the open air market, between 7am and 4pm.

• Cycle there are miles of cycle tracks to the south through pine forest that follow the coast line. Cycle Hire is relatively cheap for good quality bikes.

• Rovinj Heritage Museum , ++385 52 816 720, 9am-3pm, 7pm-10pm (late opening, summer only), Trg marsala Tita 11/52210 Rovinj, The Museum is housed in a Baroque palace that in the 17th and18th century belonged to the Califfi counts. It was founded in 1954 by a group of artists from Rovinj with the intention of collecting and exhibiting works of art. Today it serves as a town gallery and as a place where its rich bank of works of art is permanently exhibited.

Rock Climbing

There is a big climbing area just half an hour by foot from the city centre (follow signs to the Park Hotel, then 10 minutes further down the road).

There are several other climbing areas in the region, but you need a car to get there:

• Limski Canal

• Dvigrad

Eat

Be sure to carry cash, as not all places accept cards, and in those which do, the feature is usually "temporally out of order".

• Calisona, Trg Pignaton 1, Opposite the museum, Multilingual menu, with pizza, pasta, risotto, as well as speciality meat and fish dishes. Reasonable prices, excellent service. Sit and watch everyone go by, located just away from the crowded seafront squares.

• Neptun, 11am - 10pm, Joakima Rakovca, Quiet, quirky restaurant specialising in seafood, pizzas and veal cooked in the **peka** - a slow-cooking method using live coals and a long-handled pan. You need to order two days in advance for this.

Drink

• Cocktail Bar Valentino, Rovinj, Fantastic location by the sea with atmospheric under sea lighting and seating on the rocks. Unfortunately heavy sales pressure on arriving female customers to buy champagne, rude service and over priced chemical cocktails that havent seen fresh fruit.

Sleep

• Villa Baron Gautsch , +385-52-814042, follow the signs to the Park Hotel located in the same street, Nice guesthouse with very friendly personal. Clean, small rooms, single rooms available.

• Rovinj Apartments , Joakima Rakovca, A small but attractive apartment with a great view over the harbour towards the old town and the cathedral.

• Maistra Hotels and Resorts (Top Hotels & Resorts in Rovinj) , 0038552800250, Obala V. Nazora 6, Enter the world of comfort, quality and style in Maistra hotels and resorts in two beautiful and colorful Mediterranean towns - Rovinj and Vrsar. High-end accommodation, excellent service, the best amenities and our experience and expertise create a perfect blend with the surrounding area, turning our hotels and resorts into an ideal choice for a weekend getaway, holiday, active or Wellness & Spa holiday or a business trip. Maistra features 7 hotels (Monte Mulini, Istra, Eden, Park, Adriatic, Katarina and Valdaliso) and 2 resorts in Rovinj (Amarin and Villas Rubin).

• Camping Rovinj (Top Campsites in Rovinj) , +38552800200, Obala V. Nazora 6, Maistra's campsites are awarded as best campsites in Croatia. All campsites are located near the sea and most of them also offer swimming pools. Campsites in Rovinj: Vestar, Amarin, Polari and Valdaliso.

Buy

The excellent market on Valdibora sells fresh fish straight from the boat; truffles and truffle oil; olive oil; plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Rovinj is well-placed for visiting the Limski Kanal (Lim Canal), where the film The Long Ships was shot. Excursions can also be made to the Brijuni Islands National Park, and to many of the other cities in Istria, such as Pula, Novigrad, Porec, Pazin, and Opatija. A slightly longer journey could take you to Rijeka; Izola or Piran in Slovenia; or Trieste in Italy, all of which fall within the ancient boundaries of Istria.