This is a charmingly picturesque town with yet more narrow, cobbled streets! It is famous for its St. Euphemia Cathedral with the highest church tower in Istria, at 60 metres high. Rovinj was originally an island, but 250 years ago the narrow channel, which separated it from the mainland, was filled in. It is one of our favourite destinations on the Croatian Adriatic, particularly as it is very lively with numerous cafes and restaurants, galleries and an active fishing port, so in the morning you can watch the fishermen come in as you have your breakfast.

Getting to Rovinj
You'll most likely fly to Pula - see our Getting to Istria page for flight routes and airlines.

For further options, you could fly to Trieste and then get a bus to Rovinj, or fly to Venice and get a catamaran across the Adriatic.

History of Rovinj
As with much of Istria, findings in the area show that Rovinj's history stretches back to prehistoric times, and that town was an Illyrian settlement, populated by the Histri. Although Istria became part of the Roman Empire in 177 BC, Rovinj (Ruginium in Latin) was never of much importance or significance.

Rovinj became one of the first towns in Istria to fall to Venice, which it did in 1283. Attacked several times over the next few centuries, the town fortified its walls. Rovinj also saw an influx in numbers in the 17th century as people chose to escape the plagues affecting neighbouring towns such as Porec and Pula and the town grew.

At this point, the main part of Rovinj was still an island separate from the mainland, although it had spread onto it. Thus in 1763, the channel between Rovinj and the mainland was filled in.

As with the rest of Istria, after the Venetian Empire crumbled, Rovinj became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, when it suffered a decline, and then became part of Italy after World War I. IN 1947, after World War II, Rovinj was ceded to Yugoslavia and it then was part of Croatia when it became an independent country.

Sightseeing in Rovinj
You should definitely go to the Church of St. Euphemia (completed in 1736) which is the largest Baroque building in Istria. Built according to plans by Venetian architect Giovanni Dizzi, the bell tower on the church is a copy of the one at St Mark's Basilica in Venice and at 61 metres high, is the tallest in Istria. The tower has a statue of St. Euphemia on it which is mounted to it moves according to wind direction.

The Balbi Arch (Croatian: Luk Balbi) is from 1680 at the point which was once the entrance to Rovinj. The arch contains the coat of arms of the noble Balbi family and the Lion of Saint Mark, symbol of the Venetian Empire.

Ulica Grisia is one of the main thoroughfares through the old part of town and gets very busy during summer when an open air art festival is held.

The Old Town itself of course a must see, and a reflection of what Rovinj was like when it was all packed into one crowded island. (Before the channel was filled in in the 18th century.) The narrow, winding , cobbled streets, crammed-together houses and buildings and picturesques squares allow you to spend a lovely afternoon ambling around before heading towards the harbour to stop at one of the cafes for a refreshing drink.

The Town Museum on Trg M Tita near the harbour is home to various archeological findings, and paintings and sculptures.

Rovinj Aquarium is one of the oldest in Europe, dating back to 1891. It houses various flora and fauna from and specimins from Rovinj and Istrian waters.

Accommodation
For places to stay, we can recommend the centrally-located, but moderately priced, Hotel Adriatic. There are also numerous campsites dotted in and around Rovinj.

Also see our comprehensive Accommodation in Rovinj page.

General info
The tourist office is located at P. Budicina 12, tel: 052 811 566, fax: 052 816 007, email: info@istria-rovinj.com.

For more, see the Rovinj Tourist Office website or Rovinj.net.

There is also a wealth of information at Rovinj.info, including details on private accommodation, property, holiday houses and Rovinj gastronomic delights, beaches and attractions!