While the south of Croatia is well known and very touristic, I feel that the north of Croatia is often overlooked and I must say that is a huge mistake! However, this also plays to your advantage when visiting the area as it is a much less crowded place where you can enjoy the history and the sea.
When to go: I would say May to September, as usual August in Europe in general gets super busy so if you have flexibility I would try to avoid it.
General advice: rent a car! To give you flexibility and more options to explore hidden gems. Driving in Croatia was super easy and parking in Pula and Rovinj was not very expensive either.
Where to stay: in Pula if you would like to stay somewhere with a swimming pool, I would recommend “Monvidal Residence”, which is a 15 min walk from the city centre. If you prefer a place right in the heart of the city, “Emi Luxury Apartments” is a great option.
In Rovinj, to choose where to stay here is a bit more tricky… the nicest hotels with swimming pools are far away from the city centre and I am not a big fan of that. But a couple of options could be: “Island Hotel Katarina”, not a very luxurious or modern hotel but in a privileged location with swimming pool and great views and grounds. Another option if the swimming pool is not a deal breaker is “Blubini Heritage House”, a really cutely decorated hotel right in the centre.
I would recommend to do one night in each city or if you have more time extend your stay in Rovinj.
Day 1: Pula
Pula holds some of the most incredible roman monuments that I have ever seen given specially that the city is not huge. I would recommend, apart from visiting the main sights, to get lost around the streets in the city centre near the Augustus temple.
Pula Arena - is the only remaining Roman amphitheatre to have four side towers entirely preserved. It was constructed between 27 BC and AD 68 and is among the world's six largest surviving Roman arenas. It is very impressive to see how perfect condition it’s in and how big it is. In our case, we just walked around instead of going in as we read in some blogs that you could see practically the same from inside and outside.
Arch of the Sergii - an Ancient Roman triumphal arch which commemorates three members of the Sergii family who served in the twenty-ninth legion that participated in the Battle of Actium. The Sergii were a powerful family of officials in the colony and retained their power for centuries.
Mosaic “ The punishment of Dirce” – it was found in 1959 during construction work near the Chapel of St. Mary Formosa. The multicoloured mosaic floor, dated to the 3rd century AD, covered the whole floor of the central room of a Roman residential house. The central panel depicts the myth of the Naiad-nymph Dirce, the wife of Lycus of Thebes, who, as punishment for the mistreatment of her niece Antiope, was tied to a wild bull and torn limb from limb.
Temple of Augustus - a very well-preserved Roman temple dedicated to the first Roman emperor, Augustus, it was probably built at some point between 27 BC and AD 14. It was built on a podium with a tetrastyle prostyle porch of Corinthian columns. After the Arena, I think this was my favourite place again just because it is so well preserved, which is amazing considering how long ago it was actually built. The square where it is located is also great so definitely do not miss this stop.
For lunch a very nice stop in the area is “Rendez-vous”, they have a small terrace that is very nice and the seafood and fish were great.
Fortress Kastel - an old fortress built by the Venetians, situated on a hill in the centre of Pula. Because of its dominating position, the fortress was always used for defence of the city, bay and port. The Castle was built between 1630 and 1633.
For dinner we went to “Bistro Alighieri” and we loved it. I would definitely recommend either to go early or to book a table as there was a huge queue at some point. It is located in a very nice and quiet square with a big outside terrace, the spot was fantastic and the food was as well!
Day 2: Rovinj
Rovinj is just 50 min drive from Pula and the road is in perfect condition so it is a very easy drive. Another option to get from Pula is to get the ferry that takes about the same time but the service is only available once a week.
Rovinj, like Pula, is not a huge town so you can walk everywhere. The main things that you shouldn’t miss are:
Old Town – the city centre is full of narrow pedestrian streets which are very charming and full of character, full of little shops and cafes.
St. Euphemia Cathedral – after a steep walk through the narrow streets, you will arrive at the cathedral that is in the heart of Rovinj. The cathedral was built from 1725 to 1736 and contains the relics of Saint Euphemia, which are preserved in a Roman sarcophagus from the sixth century.
Rovinj Port – is the busy part of the town and where you will find most of its restaurants. I would recommend to walk all the way to the “new” port so you can enjoy incredible views of Rovinj old town from there.
Balbi’s Arch - was built in 1678–79 and leads to Grisia Street standing as the old town gate. On one side, there is the carved head of a Turk while on the other is the carved head of a Venetian.
For dinner, ”Rovinj Mali Raj” is a good option for seafood and fish.
If you want to go to the beach, note that all the beaches in this part of the country do not have sand and instead are pebble beaches. A couple of nice options in the area are: Beach Lone Bay (Rovinj), Mulini Beach (Rovinj), Cyclon’s Beach (Pula) and Hawaiian Cove Beach (Pula). However, my tip would be to do a boat day trip from Rovinj that can take you to islands and few hidden beaches in one day. In the Rovinj port you will see a few companies advertising their services.
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