What to see in Rovinj, Istria: Milan Bez Mapy’s tips

I’ve been to Rovinj two summers in a row, and I’m always glad to come back. By day you have the Adriatic, in the evening the quiet lanes of the old town. Stay as close to the centre as you can, and if you’re heading for the beach, pack water shoes: the coast is rocky, and pebbly in places. My top tips? St Euphemia’s Church and a coffee at Buffet Trevisol.

Quick factsby Milan Bez Mapy

Getting there

7 to 8 hours by car from Bratislava; better to fly from Vienna to Pula, then about 40 minutes by car

Where to stay

As close to the old town as possible; it goes quiet in the evening and you have the lanes almost to yourself. In high season, book in spring

St Euphemia’s Church

Climb the tower in the morning or late afternoon; around midday in July and August there’s a queue

Coffee

Buffet Trevisol near the church, cushions on the steps, breakfast in the morning, Malvazija in the late afternoon; as of November 2026, though, Google Maps lists it as permanently closed

Beaches

Rocky, so buy water shoes; for a whole day I choose the pebbly Lone Bay in the pine forest

What is there to see in Rovinj? There are places I go back to because I have to. And then there’s Rovinj, where I went back because I wanted to. Two summers in a row: that doesn’t happen to me often. This Croatian town on the west coast of Istria looks like an Italian postcard that got posted to the wrong address. And that’s exactly where its charm lies.

In this article you’ll find the classics you shouldn’t miss and the bits of trivia no guidebook will tell you. There’s also a tip for my favourite café and for the naturist camp at Valalta.

Visiting Rovinj and Istria: what to know before you go

How to get to Rovinj (and why I wouldn’t drive again)

I’ll admit it: I drove both times, and both times I told myself on the way that I’d never do it again. It’s more than 600 kilometres from Bratislava. The motorways are fine, but in high season you can easily spend 7 to 8 hours behind the wheel, counting breaks and the tailbacks before Istria. As in my other posts about Croatia, my advice is to fly.

A far more elegant solution is to fly with Ryanair from Vienna to Pula. The route is seasonal, and in 2026 it started on 2 June. The flight takes just over an hour, fares are usually a few dozen euros, and from Pula it’s only about 40 minutes by car to Rovinj. You pick up a hire car at the airport, and believe me, you’ll be glad of it in Istria, because the best things are scattered all over the peninsula. This is exactly the kind of trip where flying plus a hire car wins hands down.

Where to stay in Rovinj (and the Valalta naturist camp)

Rovinj has a huge choice of Airbnb apartments and villas, and my advice is simple: stay as close to the old town as you can. Rovinj in the evening is a completely different experience from Rovinj by day. Once the tour coaches have gone, the town goes quiet, the street lamps come on and you can wander the lanes practically on your own. If you stay on the edge of town near the campsites, you’ll miss out on all of that.

View this post on Instagram

Villas with gardens are a great choice for groups of friends and families. Apartments in the stone houses suit anyone who wants to stay right in the middle of history. In high season, book well ahead, because the best places get snapped up in spring. There’s also the well-known Valalta naturist camp, but you’ll need a car to get there. I spent a day there and really enjoyed the water slides, the water play castles, the clean water and the restaurants.

You’ll find trips and tours in Rovinj here:

@milan_bezmapy+249,000 followers

Follow me on Instagram

Follow

Things to do in Rovinj, Istria: Milan Bez Mapy’s picks

1. A walk through the old town
2. The Monument to the Fallen Heroes
3. St Euphemia’s Church
4. Grisia street
5. Buffet Trevisol

Rovinj’s old town and the Balbi Arch

First, a bit of trivia: Rovinj’s old town was originally an island. The channel that separated it from the mainland wasn’t filled in until 1763, which is why the historic centre has such an odd, cramped layout. The houses went up right next to each other because there was simply no room. The result is narrow lanes where you’ll get lost within three minutes, and that’s exactly what you want from them.

Three of the seven original town gates have survived: Portica, St Benedict’s Gate and the Gate of the Holy Cross. The Balbi Arch of 1679 now stands where the main gate used to be, and it’s your way into the old town from the main square.

And while we’re in the old town, Rovinj’s nightlife is worth a mention too. Most of the evening fun happens in bars, wine bars and places by the sea. In summer the narrow lanes and the waterfront fill with people after dark. For me, the atmosphere of the historic centre by the sea is a far bigger draw in Rovinj than the usual nightclubs.

The Monument to the Fallen Heroes in Rovinj

The memorial to the fallen fighters is one of the places in Rovinj that recall the hard years of the Second World War. It honours the local people and anti-fascist fighters who lost their lives in the fight for liberation. It isn’t one of the town’s big tourist attractions, but it carries strong symbolic weight. It reminds you that behind today’s easy-going Rovinj lies the complicated history of the 20th century.

St Euphemia’s Church: a legend worth the climb

This is the landmark you see in every photo of Rovinj. The baroque St Euphemia’s Church stands on the highest point of the peninsula, and its 62-metre bell tower is a copy of the campanile in St Mark’s Square in Venice. The Venetians ruled here for centuries, and you feel it at every step. Now for the legend: in AD 800, the sea is said to have carried a marble sarcophagus with the body of the martyr Euphemia to the shores of Rovinj. The townspeople tried to haul it up with teams of oxen, but the stone wouldn’t budge. In the end, so the legend goes, a little boy with two young heifers pulled it to the top of the hill. The ancient marble sarcophagus is still in the church, and you can see it for yourself.

My favourite bit of trivia, though, is at the top of the tower: the copper statue of St Euphemia turns with the wind like a weathervane. Locals have always used it to forecast the weather. When the saint faces the sea, it will be fine; when she turns towards the town, a storm is on its way. An 18th-century weather app.

• Tip from Milan Wooden stairs lead up the tower, and the view over the red roofs and the sea is worth every step. I’d go in the morning or late afternoon, because around midday in July and August there’s a queue.

Grisia, the street that turns into a gallery once a year

Rovinj’s best-known street runs from the harbour all the way up to the church. The name Grisia comes from the Latin word for grey, after the stone it was paved with. Today it’s full of galleries, studios and small art shops.

One for the planners: since 1967, on the second Sunday in August, the whole street turns into a one-day open-air exhibition. Anyone can take part, from professionals and amateurs to children, and the paintings hang on façades, steps and even washing lines. If your dates fit, it’s quite an experience. And one more: if you’re in Rovinj on 10 August, St Lawrence’s Night, the town switches off the street lights along the waterfront so you can watch the shooting stars. You couldn’t dream up anything more romantic. After the exhibition, leave yourself time for an evening walk through the old town.

Buffet Trevisol, my favourite place for coffee in Rovinj

Every town has a place that makes you want to come back. In Rovinj, mine is Buffet Trevisol, a small café tucked away in a quiet lane of the old town, a short walk from the church. You sit on cushions right on the stone steps, there’s pleasant music, and they make some of the best coffee I’ve had in Croatia.

They serve breakfast until noon, and a croissant, fresh orange juice and coffee make the perfect start to the day. In the late afternoon Trevisol turns into a little wine bar: Istrian pršut (dry-cured ham), cheese, a glass of the local white Malvazija and some people-watching. It isn’t the cheapest place in town, but the atmosphere of that lane is priceless. Both summers I ended up here more often than I’d like to admit.

Note: As of November 2026, Google Maps lists Buffet Trevisol as permanently closed. Check that it’s open before you go.

Beaches in Rovinj: where to swim

Rovinj has no sandy beaches, and that’s exactly why the sea is so clear. Expect rocks, pebbles and concrete slabs. My first practical tip: buy water shoes. They cost a few euros in local supermarkets and spare you a close encounter with sea urchins. A nice town beach is Balota beach (also spelt Baluota), right below the old town. It’s really one big rock, though, good for jumping in, and you swim with a view of the bell tower. As for the others:

• Mulini Beach: the most stylish beach in town, right next to the luxury hotels and a 10-minute walk from the centre. White concrete, turquoise water and a beach bar. Sunloungers are expensive, but with your own towel on the rocks you get the same thing for free.
• Valalta naturist camp: great beaches. If you aren’t staying there, you pay for a day ticket, and the whole camp is strictly naturist.
• Lone Bay: my choice for a whole day. A pebble beach surrounded by pine forest, with free shade and calm water. The walk there through the forest park is half the fun.
• Zlatni rt (Punta Corrente): and here’s another bit of trivia. Georg Hütterott, an Austro-Hungarian count, founded this beautiful seaside forest park in 1890, planning to build a climatic health resort here. He planted cedars, stone pine groves and exotic trees that still grow here today. Entry is free, and inside you’ll find dozens of rocky coves and even a popular climbing wall in an old quarry.
• The islands of Sv. Katarina and Crveni otok: a few euros by taxi boat from the harbour. Fewer people and crystal-clear water. Take your own picnic.

Day trips from Rovinj (this is what the hire car is for)

• The Lim Channel (Limski kanal): a green ‘fjord’ cut deep into the land, only 15 minutes from Rovinj. The viewpoint at the top is free; down below, try oysters and mussels straight from the local farms. Legend has it that the stone for Rovinj’s church came from here.
• Pula: the Roman amphitheatre is one of the six largest surviving in the world, and it’s all the more striking because it stands in the middle of an ordinary town. Under 45 minutes by car.
• Poreč: the Euphrasian Basilica, with its golden Byzantine mosaics, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. About an hour’s drive.
• Motovun: a medieval hilltop town above the Mirna valley, surrounded by truffle forests. Truffle pasta here is compulsory.
• Hum: according to the locals, the smallest town in the world. The 2021 census counted 52 inhabitants. It pairs well with Motovun for one day trip into inland Istria.
• Bale: a stone town between Rovinj and Pula that looks like Rovinj did fifty years ago. Hardly any tourists.

Motovun, Hum and Bale are hard to reach by public transport, so a car makes sense for these trips. You can pick one up as soon as you land at Pula airport. I compare hire prices on Discover Cars. If you don’t have a credit card, see my guide to hiring a car without a credit card or deposit.

Is Rovinj worth visiting? Milan Bez Mapy’s verdict

Rovinj works on two levels: by day a classic Adriatic holiday with beaches and ice cream, in the evening a quiet Venetian town where you can get lost and fall in love. If you take three things away from this article, make them these: fly from Vienna to Pula instead of driving all day, stay near the old town, and have one coffee (or a glass of Malvazija) at Buffet Trevisol. You’ll thank me.

Milan Bez Mapy