Rovinj, Croatia: Destination #3
Rovinj, Croatia quickly became one of our most favorite towns along the Istrian Peninsula (and possibly one of my favorites in the WORLD)!
Rovinj is a sea port town only about 3 hours away from Venice, Italy so the Italian vibes are VERY strong and I kept forgetting I was in Croatia.
The endless cobblestone streets. The colorful buildings. The fresh seafood. The history. I loved all of it.
Our rental in Rovinj was one of my favorites on our whole trip— It required a steep climb, but was spacious with *amazing* rooftop views of the old town and overlooking the Adriatic Sea and Rovinj Market.
Rooftop views from our room at Hotel Irundo Rovinj
*Note to self: Sometimes the balcony IS worth a little splurge 😉
Link to Hotel Irundo Rovinj:
http://www.booking.com/Share-8SeKfO
Things to do in Rovinj, Croatia:
Standing 60 meters (~196.5 feet) tall atop the town’s highest hill, the St. Euphemia bell tower was designed in the same style as the tower at St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, Italy. It is incredible to climb this tower that was built in the mid-1600s (before the current church), and includes a statue of St. Euphemia that acts as a weather vane on top.
On vacation, Jeff and I are on a mission to hike up ALL the old church bell towers… The climb to the top of St. Euphemia bell tower was BY FAR the SCARIEST wooden staircase I have ever seen and included 192 rickety stairs that required concentration of foot placement.
St. Euphemia Bell Tower
The views at the top are ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL and worth all the sweaty palms and shaky knees! We strongly recommend hiking up the bell tower to take in the views of Rovinj– totally worth the 20 kunas (~$3) per person!
Views from top of St. Euphemia bell tower- Rovinj, Croatia
*Fun fact: Inside this church, Relics of Saint Euphemia are preserved in a Roman sarcophagus from the 6th century (but adapted in the 15th century)! Check out the story of Saint Euphemia:
https://www.inforovinj.com/eng/rovinj/znamenje/legenda-sv-eufemija.asp
In less than a 10 minute hike (all downhill) from St. Euphemia church, you can be on the marina side of Rovinj eating the freshest seafood from the Adriatic Sea.
Fresh seafood with these views is always recommended!
Per Rick Steves’ recommendation, we tried to visit the beautiful Mediterraneo Bar, but were bummed to find it was closed (another reason for us to revisit 😉).
Instead, we stumbled across Valentino Cocktail & Champagne Bar by accident, and were so lucky to have the entire place to ourselves to watch the sunset!
Rovinj, Croatia
We *may* have stayed for an extra drink or two, soaking in the sunset that was shining through the clouds. 🥂
Valentino Cocktail & Champagne Bar on the rocks- Rovinj, Croatia
We really enjoyed our time in Rovinj and strongly recommend stopping here for 2-3 days if visiting Croatia or nearby Venice, Italy!
See you again, Rovinj!
Next stop #4 –> Pula, Croatia
The Traveling Coats 