Don't be a tourist, be a traveler, world in motion
EnglishUSDNewsletterWimup Videos ↗
Top 10EuropeCroatia

Top 10 Things To Do in Rovinj

Country
Croatia
Best months
May · Jun · Sep
Population
12,968
Language
Croatian and Italian
Budget / day
€95–160
Quick answer

Start at the top, with the baroque church of St Euphemia and, if open wooden stairs do not put you off, its bell tower. Come down through Grisia to the harbour, then give the afternoon to the pines and swimming rocks of Golden Cape. Keep a second day for the water: a boat to Red Island or St Catherine, the shellfish rafts in Lim Bay, and a table on the rocks at sunset.

Rovinj was an island until 1763, and it still reads like one: houses built flush to the waterline, lanes barely two people wide climbing to a single Venetian bell tower, sea on three sides. Five centuries under Venice left the town bilingual, and the fishing quarter below the church is a working one.

The 10 best things to do in Rovinj

1

Church of St Euphemia

Church· Trg Sv. Eufemije, 52210 Rovinj, Croatia

The baroque church on the hilltop was finished in 1736, and the campanile beside it copies St Mark's in Venice. A 4.7 metre copper saint raised in 1758 turns on the summit with the wind. The tower climb is more than 200 open wooden stairs, and the view runs the length of the archipelago.

Time45 min – 1 hr
CostChurch free, tower ticketed
Best atLate afternoon
TipThe tower stairs are open-tread; skip them if heights are a problem
Map↗ Cultural sights
2

Grisia and the old town

Old town· Grisia, 52210 Rovinj, Croatia

Grisia climbs from the Balbi Arch to the church, and it is the spine of a town that was an island until the channel was filled in 1763. Houses stand flush to the water, the lanes barely take two people, and washing hangs above them. Walk it before the day boats land.

Time1–2 hr
CostFree
Best atEarly morning
TipEvery lane to the left drops back to the sea, so you cannot get lost for long
Map
3

Golden Cape Forest Park

Forest park· Zlatni rt (Punta Corrente), 52210 Rovinj, Croatia

Fifty-two hectares of pine, cypress and laurel on the headland south of town, planted from 1890 by the Trieste industrialist Georg Hütterott and protected since 1948. Paths run the whole way round to swimming rocks, and the old quarry faces are used by climbers.

TimeHalf day
CostFree
Best atMorning
TipWalk in along the Lone bay promenade rather than driving to the gate
Map↗ Golden Cape
4

Batana House Eco-Museum

Museum· Obala Pina Budicina 2, 52210 Rovinj, Croatia

A batana is the flat-bottomed wooden boat Rovinj's fishermen have always rowed, and this small museum on the harbour is built around it. More than nine tenths of what is shown was given by local families. UNESCO added the project to its register of good safeguarding practices in 2016.

Time45 min
CostTicketed
Best atLate afternoon
TipThe square outside is where the boats are built and repaired in summer
Map↗ Website↗ UNESCO listing
5

Red Island (Crveni otok)

Island· Crveni otok, 52210 Rovinj, Croatia

Two islands joined by a causeway, a short crossing off the harbour: St Andrew, where Benedictines founded a monastery in the sixth century, and Maškin beside it. Pine paths, rock ledges into clear water, one hotel and no cars. Check the last boat back before you settle in.

TimeHalf day
CostBoat fare
Best atMorning
TipMaškin is the quieter half, and the causeway takes two minutes to cross
Map↗ Boat schedule
6

Balbi Arch

Landmark· Trg maršala Tita, 52210 Rovinj, Croatia

The baroque gate of 1679 stands where the town's landward gate did, and it is still how you enter the old town from the main square. A Turk's head is carved on one face and a Venetian's on the other, with the lion of St Mark above. It is named for the mayor of the day, Daniel Balbi.

Time15 min
CostFree
Best atAny time
TipStand under it and look up before you start the climb to Grisia
Map
7

Rovinj Heritage Museum

Museum· Trg maršala Tita 11, 52210 Rovinj, Croatia

Founded by a group of Rovinj artists in 1954 and housed in a baroque palace on the main square. Old Master paintings from the Venetian centuries downstairs, archaeology from the hillforts inland, and contemporary Istrian work in the rooms above.

Time1 hr
CostTicketed
Best atMidday
TipHours are seasonal, so check the museum's own page before walking up
Map↗ Website
8

Rovinj Aquarium

Aquarium· Obala Giordano Paliaga 5, 52210 Rovinj, Croatia

Opened on 10 May 1891 as the zoological station of the Berlin Aquarium, which makes it one of the oldest institutions of its kind anywhere. It is still the public face of a working marine research centre, and the tanks hold what lives in the Adriatic outside the door.

Time45 min
CostTicketed
Best atAfternoon
TipIt is small, so pair it with the harbour front rather than making a morning of it
Map↗ Aquarium
9

Lim Bay

Nature· Limski kanal, 52210 Rovinj, Croatia

Not a fjord, whatever the signs say: a ten kilometre drowned river valley cut by the Pazinčica, limestone slopes on both sides. It is a protected landscape and a marine reserve, and the rafts on it grow the oysters and mussels served all over Istria.

TimeHalf day
CostFree, boat trips ticketed
Best atMorning
TipExcursion boats leave the Rovinj harbour front
Map
10

Monkodonja hillfort

Archaeology· Monkodonja, 52210 Rovinj, Croatia

A Bronze Age hillfort on an 81 metre hill inland, walled in dry stone and lived in from roughly 1800 to 1500 BC. Digging since 1997 has made it one of the best understood settlements of its age in this part of Europe. A marked trail with panels crosses the walls and gates.

Time1–2 hr
CostFree
Best atMorning
TipNo shade on the hill, and the last stretch of track is rough on a low car
Map↗ Istria Tourist Board

Rovinj, mapped

Rovinj · 4 spots
AllLandmarksMuseumsFoodFree

Rovinj travel FAQ

How do I get to Rovinj?+
Pula airport is about 36 km south, forty minutes by road, with buses meeting flights for the bus station. There is no railway in Rovinj. In summer, Venezia Lines and Adriatic Lines run fast boats from Venice in about two hours forty-five minutes.
How many days do I need in Rovinj?+
Two to three. One for the old town, the bell tower and Golden Cape, one for the water, whether that is Red Island, St Catherine or Lim Bay. A third buys you Pula, Poreč or a cellar inland without rushing any of them.
Do I need a car in Rovinj?+
Not in town. The old town is a pedestrian knot of stepped lanes and the beaches south of it are a walk or a short cycle. For the wineries, Monkodonja, Lim Bay and the hill towns, a car saves a day of waiting on buses.
When is the best time to visit Rovinj?+
May, June and September: warm sea, open restaurants and room on the promenade. July and August are hot and full, though they hold the Grisia exhibition and Rovinj Night. Winter is quiet, and much of the seasonal town closes.
Are there sandy beaches in Rovinj?+
No. Rovinj swims off rock and pebble, from the concrete terraces at Mulini to the wild slabs inside Golden Cape. Water shoes are worth packing. For something softer underfoot, take the boat to Red Island and use its shaded pine coves.
Where to swim

Best beaches in Rovinj

Six swims within twenty minutes of the old town. All of them rock or pebble, none of them sand.
All 6 beaches →
Monte Mulini

Mulini

Concrete · Walkable

Concrete terraces, easy steps into the water and a bar, ten minutes south of the harbour.

Map
Lone

Lone Bay

Pebble · Walkable

The long bay between Mulini and the forest park, pine shade behind the shingle.

Map
Old town

Baluota

Rock · Old town

The town swim: a shelf of rock under the old town walls, and the best view back at it.

Map
South of town

Cuvi

Pebble · Walkable

South along the promenade, shallow and shaded, the straightforward one with small children.

Map
Zlatni rt

Škaraba

Rock · Walk

Wild rock inside Golden Cape, down a path through the pines. No facilities at all.

Map
South of town

Veštar

Pebble · Car

A sheltered bay south of town past Polari, and the calmest water within reach of Rovinj.

Map
Where to eat

Best restaurants in Rovinj

Six kitchens, from the only two Michelin stars in Croatia to a fishermen's tavern on the harbour front.
All 6 restaurants →
ACI marina

Agli Amici Rovinj

Tasting menus · Two stars

Two Michelin stars, the first pair awarded in Croatia. Two tasting menus, one sea, one land.

Map↗ Michelin Guide
Old town

Monte

Modern Istrian · One star

Croatia's first Michelin star, a few steps below the church. Book well ahead in season.

Map
Grand Park

Cap Aureo

Modern · One star

One star, on the fifth floor of the Grand Park Hotel, plant-led cooking and the town below.

Map
Sv. Križa

Puntulina

Seafood · Mid-range

Tables cut into the rock under the old town, on the sunset side. Seafood, and no shelter if it turns.

Map
Riva

Kantinon

Konoba · Mid-range

The fishermen's tavern on the harbour front: homemade pasta, stews and grilled fish.

Map
Polari

Barba Danilo

Seafood · Fine dining

Out at Polari south of town, a serious kitchen in the unlikeliest setting, beside a campsite.

Map
After dark

Best bars & cafes in Rovinj

Four terraces, three of them on the rocks the old town is built on.
All 4 bars & cafes →
Sv. Križa

Mediterraneo

Rock bar

Cushions on the rocks below Sv. Križa, drinks passed out through a hatch. Sunset, and little else.

Map
Sv. Križa

Valentino

Cocktails

Champagne and cocktails on the same rocks, lit from under the water, and going thirty years.

Map↗ Website
Obala Pina Budicina

Zanzi Bar

Cocktails

Wicker chairs and low tables on a terrace over the harbour, busiest at happy hour.

Map
Old town

Havana

Rum bar

Palms, oil torches and rum in an open-air garden off the harbour, with Latin music late.

Map
On the water

Best islands & boat trips in Rovinj

Three crossings, all boarding on the harbour front, none of them a whole day unless you want one.
All 3 islands & boat trips →
Rovinj archipelago

Sveta Katarina

Boat · 5 min

Five minutes across from the harbour: one hotel, wooded shore, a path around the whole island.

Map
Rovinj archipelago

Crveni otok

Boat · Half day

The bigger island south of town, two halves joined by a causeway. Take the day, not the hour.

Map
Limski kanal

Lim Bay by boat

Boat · Half day

Excursion boats run up the ten kilometre inlet and back, usually past the shellfish rafts.

Map
Istrian cellars

Best wine & olive oil in Rovinj

Six producers within an hour, two of them on Rovinj's own doorstep. Book, because none of this is walk-up.
All 6 wine & olive oil →
Rovinj

Dobravac

Winery

A family winery on the edge of Rovinj, sparkling through to dessert wines, tastings by arrangement.

Map
Rovinj

Vivoda

Winery

A small Rovinj cellar whose Malvazija carries the name of the town's own saint.

Map
Bale

Meneghetti

Wine & oil

Vines, olive groves and a tasting room at Bale, twenty minutes inland. Reserve, there are no walk-ins.

Map↗ Website
Vodnjan

Chiavalon

Olive oil

Vodnjan, 7,500 organic trees, and a tasting that takes you through five oils in order.

Map↗ Website
Vodnjan

Brist

Olive oil

Also Vodnjan: oils pressed from restored century-old Buža trees, compared side by side.

Map
Poreč

Agrolaguna

Wine & oil

The Poreč estate behind Vina Laguna, and the largest olive grower in Istria at 60,000 trees.

Map
Collections

Best museums & galleries in Rovinj

Four rooms worth an hour each, all of them within ten minutes of the harbour.
All 4 museums & galleries →
Trg maršala Tita

Rovinj Heritage Museum

City museum

A baroque palace on the main square, founded by local artists in 1954. Old Masters and Istrian work.

Map↗ Website
Obala Pina Budicina

Batana House

Eco-museum

The eco-museum of the town's own fishing boat, on the harbour, and the best hour in Rovinj.

Map↗ Website
Obala Giordano Paliaga

Rovinj Aquarium

Aquarium

The public face of the marine research centre, open since 1891 and small enough to see quickly.

Map
Grisia

Grisia in August

Open-air show

For one Sunday a year the street itself is the gallery, and it has been since 1967.

Map
Beyond town

Best day trips in Rovinj

Six trips down the coast and into the hills, none of them more than an hour from Rovinj.
All 6 day trips →
Pula

Pula

Roman Istria · 40 min

The Roman amphitheatre still stands to its full height, forty minutes down the coast.

Map
Fažana

Brijuni

National park · Boat

Fourteen islands and a national park, reached by the park's own boat from Fažana.

Map↗ National park
Poreč

Poreč

UNESCO site · 30 min

The Euphrasian Basilica's sixth-century mosaics, listed by UNESCO, half an hour north.

Map↗ UNESCO listing
Motovun

Motovun

Hill town · 1 hr

The hill town above the truffle forest, an hour inland, with walls you can walk right around.

Map
Grožnjan

Grožnjan

Hill town · 1 hr

A hill town handed over to artists and musicians, and quiet outside the summer courses.

Map
Bale

Bale

Village · 20 min

Twenty minutes inland, a Venetian village with few visitors and the Meneghetti estate beside it.

Map
What's on

Festivals & annual events in Rovinj (2026)

Time your trip around the town's biggest dates.
May to July

Avantgarde Jazz Festival

International names playing a run of concerts spread across the front half of the season.

Mid-May

Rovinj Photodays

The region's photography festival, with the finalists hung across the old town for a weekend.

July

Rovinj Summer Festival

Classical, pop and folk concerts staged in the churches and squares through the month.

August

Grisia open-air exhibition

For one Sunday the whole street is hung with work, as it has been every year since 1967.

Late August

Rovinj Night

Rovinjska noć: open-air concerts on the harbour front and fireworks over the water.

Early September

Eufemia Festival

A free weekend of music and Istrian food along the promenade and the squares behind it.

16 September

St Euphemia's Day

The city day: the saint's sarcophagus is opened, masses run through the day, and a fair fills the Riva.

Late September

Weekend Media Festival

The region's communications industry takes over the town for four days at the end of the season.

Getting around

Getting to and around Rovinj

How to arrive and move around the town.
PUY

Pula Airport

Istria's airport is about 36 km south, roughly forty minutes by road. Buses meet flights for Rovinj bus station, and taxis and transfers wait outside the terminal.

Map↗ Website
1.5 km

Bus station

Rovinj has no railway, so the bus station is where everything overland arrives. It sits about 1.5 km from the old town, ten minutes on foot around the harbour.

Map
2 hr 45

Catamaran to Venice

Venezia Lines and Adriatic Lines run seasonal fast boats across to Venice, about two hours forty-five minutes, up to three times a week at the height of summer.

↗ Adriatic Lines
Local

Island boats

Boats to St Catherine and Red Island leave the small pier and the Delfin pier through the season, and the tourist board publishes the timetable.

↗ Boat schedule
Traditional food

Must-try dishes in Rovinj, Croatia

The classics to order before you leave.

Fuži

The Istrian pasta, rolled and pinched into tubes. With truffle in autumn, with game the rest of the year.

Maneštra

The thick house soup of beans, potato and cured pork, simmered for hours. Every family differs.

Boškarin

The long-horned Istrian ox, nearly lost and now back on menus from taverns to starred kitchens.

Istarski pršut

Istrian ham, air-dried in the bora and cut thin. Less salty than the Dalmatian version.

Lim Bay oysters

Grown on rafts up the inlet, opened at the water's edge and eaten with nothing on them.

Brudet

Mixed fish stewed with tomato, wine and garlic, served with polenta rather than bread.

Supa

Warmed red wine with sugar, pepper and olive oil in a jug, with toasted bread dipped in it.

Fritule

Small fried doughnuts with citrus zest, made at home for feast days and sold at festivals.

Rovinj fact sheet

Rovinj at a glance

The essentials worth knowing before you go.
Country
Croatia (Republika Hrvatska), in the European Union and the Schengen area
Region
Istria County, on the west coast of the Istrian peninsula
Population
12,968 in the city and 11,629 in the town itself (2021 census)
History
Venetian from 1283 to 1797; the old town was an island until the channel was filled in 1763
Name
Rovinj in Croatian, Rovigno in Italian, and both are official
Language
Croatian and Italian, on the street signs as well as the paperwork. English is standard in tourism
Currency
Euro (EUR) since 1 January 2023, when it replaced the kuna
Time zone
Central European Time (UTC+1), summer time UTC+2
Calling code
+385, with 052 for Istria County
Airport
Pula (PUY), about 36 km south. Trieste and Venice are the next options
Power
230V, 50Hz, type C and F sockets
Emergency
112 for everything, or 192 for police and 194 for an ambulance
Ideal length
2–3 days
Getting around
On foot in the old town, boats to the islands, a car for the rest of Istria
Tourism board
↗ Website

Interesting facts

  • Rovinj was an island until 1763, when the channel between it and the Istrian shore was filled in.
  • The 4.7 metre copper St Euphemia raised on the bell tower in 1758 turns with the wind.
  • The aquarium opened in 1891 as the Berlin Aquarium's zoological station and still backs a research centre.
  • UNESCO added the batana eco-museum to its register of good safeguarding practices in 2016.
  • Grisia has been hung with paintings for one day every August since 1967.

Headed to Rovinj?

Get our one-page Rovinj cheat sheet plus a fresh destination every Thursday.