Our next stop after Pula in Croatia was Rovinj. The 3rd century town looks stunning from a distance. It sits on a headland off the coast of the Istrian Peninsular. The majestic church of St Euphemia with its towering steeple keeps watch from the highest part of the town.
Rovinj has had a chequered past. It was a settlement of Illyrian tribes before being captured by Romans. The town’s rule changed many times before becoming part of the Austrian Empire before WWI. It then belonged to the Kingdom of Italy from 1918-1947 when it was ceded to SFR Yugoslavia, as part of SF Croatia. The name Rovigno was changed to Rovinj. After WWII many Italians left the town.
The town was an island until 1763 when the channel that separated it from the mainland was filled in.
The headland is not very big and there is a car park well situated at the edge of town. From there it is just a short walk to the centre. Our very nice accommodation, Zig Zag Apartment was close to the car park.
The port area is delightful and there are lots of cafes and restaurants to choose from. The square beside the water has a 12th century tower which has been added to many times. The clock with its Venetian lion dates from the mid 19th century.
I particularly liked the little fisherman fountain. It is not particularly old. It was erected in 1959 to celebrate the final arrival of the government funded water system.
We wandered around the harbour before heading through one of the old gates to the town up the snaggle of narrow cobble stone streets to St Euphemia.
The Baroque church was built in 1736 over the remains of older early Christian structures. The current facade dates from 1883.
The bell tower resembles the tower of St Mark’s in Venice and was built between 1754-1680.
St Euphemia serves as a weather vane on top of the 60 metre tower.
The interior is elegant and boasts a statue of St George and the dragon and the new Saint Theresa.
We stopped for lunch on the way back down the hill where we had some delicious local salami and cheese with truffles.
We took a boat trip around the coast. There are lots of tiny islands scattered along the coastline…what a lovely way to spend an afternoon.
Rovinj looks stunning from any angle.
The coastline is rugged, beautiful and the sea is sparking blue. There were even a couple of early sunbathers.
Later in the evening we walked around the edge of town and found some more lovely streets, old entrances and sunbathing platforms.
We discovered a gorgeous restaurant with views over the rocky edge. I can imagine that the area is packed with people in summer.
The food and the views were excellent.
There was a gorgeous sunset.
It was raining as we left Rovinj, but it looked beautiful even when wet.
Rovinj is a stunning place.