The Istrian paradise of Rovinj – One of the prettiest towns on the Mediterranean
Rovinj is a town for artists and their easels, photographers and their cameras and lovers and their romance! This delightfully picturesque Istrian town has been cited by several travel writers as being one of the prettiest towns of the whole Mediterranean coastline.
Rovinj was firmly attached to mainland Croatia 250 years ago, having previously been an island. Beautiful houses line the waters edge around the former island’s circumference and the interior is laden with quaint, cobbled, narrow streets, similar to the ones you see on postcards and paintings in books of art. This is a place for lovers to drink to their future, where the pretty bars fuse into the sea and the gentle waves lap around their feet.
From May through to September Rovinj gets ten hours of sunshine each and every day, which is of course another major reason for its popularity. The beaches are superb along this hugely indented coastline.
Many of the beaches are covered with small stones rather than white or golden sand, but this should not put you off. The waters are crystal clear and finding a private and secluded spot where you can relax in tranquillity for the whole day are easy to find.
To the visitor, Rovinj can seem as much Italian as it is Croatian. Both languages are spoken here and it seems as if everybody is as happy speaking one as the other. The town was part of the Venetian Empire and its close ties with Italy go a long way back.
For many years Rovinj has been an important fishing port and it still is today. This is yet another factor which draws in the artists and photographers. Romantic ‘fishing-scape’ paintings are created with much vibrant colour looking out to sea, towards the setting sun in the western sky.
Lovely Rovinj has it all and is surely one the prettiest towns on the Mediterranean. It is picturesque, tranquil and romantic, yet in high season it is buzzing and lively. If you find yourself within a half day’s drive of Rovinj, then you simply must go. As to miss out on this wonderful town would gnaw at your craw for the rest of your days!