Croatia – First Stop Rovinj

We left Trieste and headed over the border from Italy, drove 20kms through Slovenia, and into Croatia. At the border of Slovenia and Croatia, we were actually stopped and asked to show our passports!

The local town is called Rovinj (pronounced Rovine) and was once an island, fortified in the middle ages, and as the narrow channel separating it from the mainland filled with soil and sand, so it became a peninsular with the “old town” and the harbour and newer town behind it.  It was, and still is, a major fishing port, then a major ferry port, connecting people to Venice and other parts of Italy and Croatia.

The town has been “owned” by lots of people, whose influence is still clearly visible, it started as part of the Byzantine Empire in 6^th century, then part of the Frankish Empire, it became part of the Republic of Venice up to 1797, then Napoleonic then Austrian. According to the last Austrian census in 1911,  97.8% of the population were Italian speaking.  It was then Italian from 1918 to 1947, then Yugoslavia, until 1991 when Croatia declared independence and it became the 3^rd largest town in Istria, the region in the north of the country.

The old town is dominated by the Cathedral of St Euphemia, accessed via cobbled narrow streets that wind to the top of the hill; the cathedral houses a sarcophagus holding the remains of Saint Euphemia, who died in 312AD, and who’s coffin floated out to sea before being washed ashore here in Rovinj in 800AD.

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The harbour is popular as a place to sit and admire the comings and goings of locals, boats and people staying on the neighbouring island’s hotels.  There are 2 islands within 15 minutes boat ride that have just hotels on them, access to the island, hotel and it’s beaches is open to everyone.

Our camp site is on the edge of the coast, our pitch is just set back off the front row, all the front pitches were taken when we arrived!  The site is large, certain bits are being modernised and is to a good standard, several pools, kids play areas, shops, supermarkets, sports hire, and several restaurants and bars.  In the restaurants on site and in the town, popular dishes are “meat or fish platters for 2” – although I challenged David to eat one by himself, he did admit it was far too much and even though we shared it, and enjoyed it, it was too much for us!!

The location is amazing, we have a walkway into Rovinj, 5kms away, along the coastline, through pine forests and night time brings amazing sunsets on the sea.

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