Explore popular tourist destinations in beautiful Istria.

Destinations in Istria will leave every explorer breathless. Numerous locations full of cultural, historical, natural and other sights.

MAGIC PLACE

Svetvinčenat

Svetvinčenat, Savičenta and San Vincenti, are the three names of the same place, which have their starting point in the name of the patron saint, the Spanish martyr St. Vincencije. The Renaissance town of Svetvinčenat is one of Istria's jewels with a rich tourist offer and numerous events that take place in the extraordinarily attractive historical spaces of this town. Savičenta is adorned with the Renaissance square "Placa" with the Morosini-Grimani castle, a symbol of the place itself and one of the most important fortifications of the Venetian army of that time in Istria. An important part of the cultural heritage of Svetvinčent are the preserved and highly valued remains of the wall frescoes found in the church of St. Vincent near the city cemetery and in the church of St. Catherine.

FAMOUS TOURISTIC DESTINATION

Rovinj

The first mention of Rovinj as Castrum Rubini, as far as is known, can be found in the work "Cosmographia" of Ravenna Anonimus. The work, from the 7th century, with a lot of geographical data related to the 5th century from which Rovinj chronicler Benussi concludes that Rovinj was founded in the period from III. to V. century. According to archaeological findings, the surroundings of today's Rovinj were already inhabited in the prehistoric period - the Bronze and Iron Ages, when the Histri culture flourished in Istria, who lived there and traded with the Greeks and Etruscans. The latest accidental findings point to the existence of life already at the turn of the II century. In the 1st millennium on the very island (since 1763 a peninsula) on which today's Rovinj is located.

MAGIC PLACE

Arena – Amfiteatar

The most famous and significant monument, the building from which every tour of the city begins and ends - the Pula Arena - a building where gladiator fights were held. It was built in the 1st century, during the reign of Emperor Vespasian, at the same time as the largest and most famous building of its kind - the Colosseum in Rome. It is elliptical in shape, with a main axis 130 meters long and a shorter axis 100 meters long. In the middle is a flat area - the arena, and the spectators sat on the stone steps or stood in the gallery. It is believed that the Arena could accommodate 20,000 spectators. It was built from local limestone. In the Middle Ages, the Arena was used for knightly tournaments and fairs.

PIECE OF HISTORY

Euphrasian Basilica

The most valuable cultural asset of Poreč, the Euphrasian Basilica, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997. The early Christian complex is the only fully preserved monument from that time in the world. Built at the time of Bishop Euphrasius, in the 6th century, it includes an atrium, baptistery, bishop's palace, mosaics and remains of sacred buildings from the 3rd to 4th century. Thanks to the floor mosaics and preserved inscriptions, all periods of its construction and restoration can be read.

UNTOUCHED NATURE

Lim Fjord

North of Rovinj, about twenty minutes by car, there is one of the most beautiful natural treasures of the Istrian peninsula, the Lim Bay, or as some call it, the Lim Channel or the Lim Fjord. Of course, both expressions are wrong, since the geological formation is interpreted as the erosive action of the Pazinčica, a river that today is mostly a sinkhole. The Lim Bay is a part of the 35 km long Lim Valley (drag), which stretches almost to the center of Istria, the town of Pazin. The bay itself is slightly longer than 10 km, up to thirty meters deep, and about 600 meters wide at its widest point. Quite steep hills rise on both sides, sometimes up to a height of 100 m.

UNTOUCHED NATURE OF THE BEAUTIFUL ISLANDS

National Park Brijuni

Veliki Brijun is the largest, most beautiful and most visited Brijuni island. Its area is 560 ha, and the length of the coastline is 25.9 km. This island is an exceptional example of harmony achieved by the interweaving of nature and human hands. Veliki Brijun is partly cultivated into a harmonious landscape of lawns and landscape parks, and in addition to extremely valuable remains of architectural heritage. It also contains preserved vegetation systems of the West Istrian climate type. Photo: https://www.np-brijuni.hr

HISTORY OF ISTRIA

Motovun

At the bottom of Motovun, the mythical Jason and the Argonauts sailed along the Mirna River, and the first inhabitants who left traces populated this area between 3,500 and 2,200 years BC. Kr. The first mention of the city of Motovun can be found in a document from 804, and after a century of rule by Germano and the Patriarch of Aquileia, in 1278 Motovun asked Venice to accept it under its rule, under which it remained until 1797. During the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in this area grew wood for shipbuilding.