Day 1 in Rovinj

Welcome to Croatia! Upon arrival, you will go through customs and immigration. Should you opt to purchase a transfer to your hotel, a representative will be waiting for you as you exit immigration. Otherwise, make your way to Rovinj and arrive at your hotel. Check in and do not give in to jet lag! There is so much for you to see and do!

Get acquainted with Rovinj`s Old Town, built on a small peninsula that juts out into the Adriatic. On the highest point of the peninsula, you will find the most famous landmark in Rovinj, the beautiful Baroque Church of St. Euphemia. Some of the relics believed to be associated with St. Euphemia (who died in 303 CE) are located in an ornate sarcophagus inside the church. (The rest of her relics are on display at the Church of St. George in Istanbul.) In between the church grounds and the road that runs along the perimeter of the peninsula, there is a vantage point which offers great views of the Rovinj archipelago and the entire town.

Walking along the southern end of town, you will walk by Balota Beach, the only beach right in the middle of all the action. As you reach the waterfront, stop in at the Batana Eco-Museum, a space dedicated to the history of the batana, a boat crossed between a canoe and a gondola that is another symbol of Rovinj.

Spend the rest of the afternoon and evening taking in the sights around Marshal Tito Square, the town`s largest square. There you can see the Renaissance-era bell and clock tower and the city hall building. Also on the square there is a charming church dedicated to St. Benedict which offers a small collection of sacred art and curios for tourists to view (and reproductions for visitors to buy and take home).

Have dinner at one of the restaurants along the square. After, walk to Market Square, roughly 600 feet due north, along the northeastern side of the peninsula. To do so you will walk through Balbi`s Arch (Balbijev luk), the site of the entrance to the Old Town during the time of the Venetians. You can grab a snack for later at the open-air green market or at the supermarket also on the square. Return to your accommodations at the end of the evening.

Day 2 in Rovinj

Start your sightseeing this morning by learning a little more about Rovinj`s history at the Rovinj Heritage Museum located between Market Square and Balbi`s Arch. Afterward, take a short boat ride from the waterfront to one of the nineteen islands in the Rovinj archipelago, Sveta Katarina. Much of the island is a resort, and you can partake in some of the amenities such as the hotel pool if you pay a fee while on the island.

For the rest of the day, we recommend two options. If you want to be one with nature and go to the beach all in the same area, head south from town about a mile or so until you reach Golden Cape Forest Park. It was the first federally protected park in Istria, and is home to a number of native flora and fauna species. There is a water park located inside Golden Cape Forest Park, as are three beaches: Lone Bay Beach, on the northern end near the water park, Golden Cape Beach on the southwest end, and Skaraba Beach on the southeastern side.

Your other option takes you approximately four miles inland to Monkodonja, a set of ruins that were once one of the largest cities in the ancient land of Histria. Monkodonja was populated roughly between 1800 and 1200 BCE, and was only discovered by archaeologists in the 1950s, who later put their finds on display for visitors to see. Return to the Old Town in the evening for dinner and go back to your accommodatons at the end of the day.

Additional Days in Rovinj

If you are in the area for an extra day, consider driving 40 minutes to the north to see the most famous sights in Porec, one of the most popular seaside resort towns in Croatia. Like Rovinj, the Old Town in Porec is located on a small peninsula. The city is over 2,000 years old, and many remnants of the Roman castrum of Parentium are still available for tourists to see today, including two fully-preserved Roman streets, Decumanus Street and Cardo Maximus Street. Porec`s most famous landmark is the Euphrasian Basilica, built in the Byzantine architectural style in the sixth century, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The beachy areas of town are located in distinct zones away from the Old Town, with the most popular of those zones being Plava Laguna, Zelena Laguna, and Bijela Uvala.

Your Last Day in Rovinj

Continue on to the next city in your travel itinerary. If Rovinj is your final stop, depart your hotel and head to the airport for your return home. If self-driving, please return your rental car to the place noted on your reservation (usually the airport, but double-check to make sure). If you are purchasing a private transfer, a representative will meet you at the hotel in time to take you to the airport for your flight out. We hope you enjoyed the sights of Rovinj!