This is as pretty as it gets! This ridiculously charming and picturesque coastal town in Istria
is one of the most beloved and beautiful holiday destinations in Croatia. It sits on a small
peninsula and has stunning stone paved streets, amazing architecture and rich historical heritage.
It is surrounded by an archipelago of beautiful islands and is famous for its great beaches.
This is Rovinj. Hi guys. My name is Rok and I’ve spent the last 9 years travelling around
Europe as a tour guide and I can’t wait to show you things to do and the best beaches
in Rovinj, Croatia. For most of its existence Rovinj used to be an island. That is part of the reason
why houses and streets are so narrow here. Like some other Istrian towns, Rovinj was
also home of the Romans, then it was ruled by Byzantine Empire and then it experienced
centuries of instability until in the 13th century the town became part of the powerful
Venetian Republic. For the next 500 years Rovinj was under Venetian rule and it started to expand.
Eventually the island became too small and the town expanded on the mainland. In the
17 hundreds the channel between the island and the mainland was filled with earth and
that is how the old part of the town found itself on a peninsula. Having ruled for half
a millennia, Venetians left a big impact in Rovinj. Their legacy can be seen in town's architecture
and in stone carved symbols of Venitan Republic, a winged lion with a book, found in different
places around town. During the Venetian period Rovinj was fortified by two rows of defensive walls and
Town gates were the only way in and out of the fortified town. But in the 17 century Rovinj was
rapidly expanding and there was a huge demand for new residential space. That is why medieval
town walls were incorporated into new buildings and town walls are only partially preserved.
But three of the old town gates are still standing. This baroque archway replaced one
of the original town gates in the 1600s. It serves as the entrance into the old town
and is one of the landmarks of Rovinj. Of course it bears a symbol of Venetian rule,
the Lion of St. Mark, but more interestingly you can spot one head on each side of the
arch. One is the head of a bearded Venetian, while the other is the head of an Ottoman.
This is a funnel shaped main square that opens up to the historic harbour. It is full of
cafes and restaurants and is a perfect place to enjoy a gelato, coffee or a meal. But this
square also tells a beautiful story of how over centuries, different cultures and nations
contributed to the creation of Rovinj as we see it today. The story of this square
starts with Venetians as this space used to be a canal that separated the island from
the mainland. In the 17th century Venetians filled the canal and turned it into a main
square. Following the fall of Venice, Rovinj became part of the Austrian Empire for the next 100
years. Many buildings, including the notable town clock tower, were built by Austrians.
In the middle of the square is a small fountain with a sculpture of a boy with the fish. This
is Croatian contribution from the 1950s. After the collapse of The Austrian Empire at the
end of the First World War, Rovinj became part of Italy until the end of the Second
World War. Then it became part of Croatia, a country that remained part of the federal
state of Yugoslavia until its independence in 1991. The square got its name after Yugoslavian
communist leader Tito and the original Italian town name Rovigno was renamed into Rovinj.
All these historical events are the reason why Rovinj is such a charming place and
also explains why signs are in Croatian and Italian language. Now I want to show you my
favorite part of Rovinj, it's ridiculously beautiful stone paved streets. If you like
charming old windy streets Rovinj is THE place. If you are like me then you will spend
hours discovering charming old hidden places and admiring ancient stone details. If you
look up you will spot a laundry hanging out to dry and that tells you that this is still
a living and breathing old town and not just a tourist place. As the entire old town
is a pedestrian only area you can relax and enjoy the unforgettable stroll. You can't
get lost here as all streets leading downhill will eventually end up on the main square
and all streets leading uphill will take you to the main church. But you can get easily
disoriented by narrow and mysterious passages connecting windy streets. On the ground floor
of old stone houses are beautiful shops, galleries and restaurants that will make the experience
even better. Despite all the charming streets, you shouldn't miss Bregovita Street, which
in translation means Hilly Street. It has mysterious arches and porticos and is considered
the most beautiful in Rovinj. Grisia is another beautiful street in the very heart of the
old town. It has the oldest paving in town and is famous for its cascading steps that
lead up to the Parish Church on the top of the hill. This street is renowned for artists
showing their paintings and has all kinds of artisanal shops. Besides narrow streets,
the old town also offers a splendid vast view of the Adriatic, if you take a stroll along
a short but beautiful promenade leading around the tip off the peninsula. Just follow the
street along the coast that will take you here. Along the way you will see cafes and
bars with stunning seaview. Here are also various steps leading to the rocky beach.
On the tip is also a small concrete guardhouse and observation bunker that was built by Germans
during the second world war. Once you get around the tip the path climbs toward the
parish church. This path was built in the 1800s when Rovinj became part of Austrian
Empire, to enable Austrian emperor and his wife to arrive in front of the Parish Church
with carriages. On the highest point of Rovinj stands the dominant roman Catholic church. Churches
were standing here from the very beginnings of Rovinj, but the story of the present one
is very interesting. The legend goes that one day church bells began to ring and people
flocked to the sea. A marble sarcophagus floated in like a stone ship. People tried to pull
the stone tomb into town by using horse and ox carriages, but in vain. The saint presented
herself to a small boy and ordered him to take the stone tomb to the top of the hill.
And indeed before the amazed crowd a small boy pulled the sarcophagus up to the church.
The sarcophagus was opened and people saw the motionless body of a beautiful girl. Next
to her was a scroll of parchment paper saying: This is the body of Saint Euphemia, born for
heaven on September 16th of the year of our Lord 304. Soon after, a new church was built
and it was dedicated to Saint Euphemia, a new patron saint of Rovinj. Today's appearance
dates to the 1700s when the church went through major reconstruction. But it still holds a
sarcophagus and the body of Saint Euphemia. The sarcophagus can be seen behind the side
altar dedicated to the saint. The self standing church tower is older than the current church
as it was built in 16 hundreds for the previous church. It is a replica of the bell tower
of St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice. On top of this 60 m or 196 feet high tower stands
a bronze statue of Saint Euphemia that spins around to show the direction of the wind with
her right hand. If you climb the bell tower, you will have to do 192 doggy narrow wooden
steps that are not for the faint hearted. But once you get to the top you will have
the best view in town. Amazing 360 view will let you admire the town and the surrounding
archipelago. From June till September the bell tower is open from 10am to 6pm, but in
May it closes at 4 pm. The bell tower is accessible through the church and the entrance is 20
kuna. The best way to end your visit to the church is by stopping right under the church
entrance in this nice Caffe Bar XL. It is set up on a green lawn and offers a wonderful
view of the Adriatic. This is one of many perfect spots in Rovinj for watching the
sunset. When Austrians took control of Rovinj they quickly realised that it has exceptional climate,
nature and wildlife. Soon they built a Climate Resort for children and that is how tourism
in Rovinj started. Exceptional nature is still preserved in one of the most beautiful
nature parks in Istria, the Golden cape Forest Park. You can get here in 20 minutes from
the old town, walking along the sea. This cape was bought by Austrian entrepreneur Georg
Hütterott in 1890. Entrepreneur started a slow transformation of the landscape into
a beautiful forest park as he intended to transform it into a health resort which was
supposed to become one of the most important tourism destinations in this part of the world.
Hütterott built many tree-lined paths, promenades, trails and meadows, but his vision of a health
resort never materialised and eventually the cape became a forest park. Today this is a
popular destination for jogging, cycling and taking a walk all year round. All along the
shore of the cape you can also swim and sunbathe. Inside the Golden Cape Forest Park you will
see numerous places where you can swim and sunbathe. But this beach is one of the largest
and most visited beaches in Rovinj. It is located opposite of the Red island and is
partly pebble and partly rocky. Its calm waters make it perfect for swimming and snorkelling.
You can find it by following the signs for windrose. This beach on the edge of the Golden
Cape Park is also close to the luxury hotels. That is why it is mostly covered with pebbles
and offers wide green areas for sunbathing with some shade. Part of the beach that stretches
inside the park is mostly rocky with many pebble inlets. This rocky beach is on the
tip of the old town peninsula, directly beneath the church of Saint Euphemia. This unique
spot is perfect for sunbathing on large rocks. It has a steep and rocky shore, although there
are a few ladders which make access easier. There are also a few small pebble inlets,
but there is no shade. If you need a quick dip in the town, this is a great option.I
warned you at the beginning that Rovinj is as pretty as it gets. This is a perfect summer
holiday destination with great beaches, beautiful islands and crystal clear sea topped with
charming old town full of amazing heritage. You can spend your evenings in romantic strolls
along the coastal promenade or on charming windy streets. Old town is full of great restaurants,
bars and gelato places and offers many more attractions and heritage that I haven’t
even mentioned. Here are many archeological sites worth visiting, beautiful galleries
and great museums dedicated to local heritage. You should also do a boat trip around the
archipelago and get to know the beautiful surroundings of Rovinj. You will find available
boat tours in the harbor. If you like this video please give it a thumbs up. If you want
to see more beautiful places in Istria check my playlist in the top corner. Share your
questions, suggestions or experience about Rovinj in the comments below. And don’t forget to
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Thanks for watching, and see you next time.