Istria Things to Do

  Mosaics above church roofline
by BruceDunning
 
  • Mosaics above church roofline
      Mosaics above church roofline
    by BruceDunning
  • Grisa is a street inthe middle
      Grisa is a street inthe middle
    by BruceDunning
  • Euphrasian Basilica (Porec, Croatia)
      Euphrasian Basilica (Porec, Croatia)
    by Redang
  • Roman Temple (Porec, Croatia)
      Roman Temple (Porec, Croatia)
    by Redang
  •   Things to Do
    by croisbeauty
 

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

obvious choice - Rovinj

by picek

Rovinj is glamourous. Some say it's the jewel in crown of Istria. You can visit it at any time of year, even on gloomy misty cold day in winter and it will keep shining. One can easily get lost in side streets of the old part which was island in past, separated from continent with a canal. Plenty of well preserved historic architecture to see, many bars, trendy cafes and restaurants to try local food and wines, pleasant tiny squares adorned with ancient and contemporary works. Iconic is the image of settlement clustered above the sea, below the church of Saint Eufemia, whose bell tower dominates panorama. As you approach towards the town's heart from the side, it will reflect within thousands lights on the surface of the sea - the views are enchanting.If you need more history and interesting stories, take a book or ten of them, hundreds were written on Rovinj. Or briefly glance in the...

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Dvigrad

by Nykaenen

Dvigrad is nowadays just a little bit more than a pile of stones. Hardly anything remained intact. Would you believe that five centuries ago it was actually two towns and hence name Dvigrad = Two Towns? The two towns used to stand on opposite sides of the valley, but the other one has completely collapsed and is now nothing more than a plateau with a few stones.Typically, ruined old castles and towns interest us because they were destroyed either in battles or devoured by fire. Dvigrad was simply abandoned by its inhabitants and left to decay. But don't expect great mystery surrounding its abandonment. The reason is very plain -the town which successfully fought enemies was helpless before plague and malaria. It was abandoned it in the 17th century. The little that has remained of Dvigrad seems to be under preservation project. Hopefully it will be preserved from further deterioration...

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Visit the Roman Amphitheatre in Pula

by MikeBird

Possibly the most interesting feature of Pula is the impressive amphitheatre near to the harbour in Pula at the southern tip of Istria. Built by Emporer Vespasian it was enlarged later in the 1st century to entertain around 20,000 spectators on the demise of a few gladiators and wild beasts.You can wander round freely and imagine the events that took place there back in first century AD. Included in the entrance fee ( 20Kuna Adults, 10 students) is access to some underground passages that feature displays about the site. Visit the website below for some photos of the amphitheatre and other Roman/historical features of the city.

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Day trip to the Interior---Draguc

by dustmon

Draguc (drag-ooch) was one of the towns we visited on our excursion into the middle of Istria and one of the best of the day! Our guide told us that there were only about 5 families still living here, and it was mainly used for movie production! He thought that parts of "Red Cliffs"was filmed here just the previous year. There is a small church with some incredible 14th century frescoes on the wall, just open to the air. A real find for photographers, because we normally cannot take pictures of these fragile paintings. Try to get here if at all possible--it is really worth it! There is a small bar if you get thirsty....

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Climb the Campanile in Rovinj

by MikeBird

In the old town of Rovinj you can't miss the splendid Cathedral of St Euphemia perched on the highest point overlooking the narrow, cobbled streets and harbour of the town. It's well worth the small fee to climb up the rather old and battered wooden steps to get to the top where the view makes the effort all worth while. Apparently the bell tower is 60m tall so you might need a short break to get your breath back on the way up. But as you stand still try not to look down - the gaps in the stairs and the drop below might make you wish you'd never started!The Rovinj tourist office website have a terrific photo on their homepage that gives you an aerial view of the town. On the top of the tower is a statue of St Euphemia, loaded on bearings, she spins in the wind!Our trip to Rovinj was certainly one of the highlights of our Croatian winter holiday.

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Motovun: the truffle centre of Istria

by MikeBird

In the middle of the Istrian peninsula is the small hill top town of Motovun. It was very quiet, being the end of December but there were a couple of shops open including one that specialised in Truffles. Apparently the woodland around Motovun is particularly good for hunting this precious fungus. We didn't try any truffle hunting nor could we afford to buy any of them but the friendly shop keeper gave us a little free gift - a box of chocolate coated prunes. I guess they look a bit a like truffles? It was a very unexpected gesture because all we had bought were a few postcards.You can walk around the edge of the hill top town and get a 360 degree view over the countryside. I think all it lacked was a castle though the church on top was second best.We enjoyed our hot chocolate drinks in the cavern like coffee bar by the ancient gate.Continuing inland we moved onto a spa located at the...

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THINGS TO DO IN ISTRIA IN A WEEK

by mediterrane0

Day 4go to exlore the Baredine cave close to Porec, visit the wine producers (Poletti in San Marco village), visit the town of Motovun and buy the truffles from the Motovun forest in many local stores. close to Motovun is Livade where the biggest truffle of the world was found. try to organize with Zigante restaurant truffle hunting demonstration.Go to Groznjan/Grisignana (italian name) and discover the most beautiful town in Istria and it's modern art galleries!Do a hike from Groznjan to Monticello/Montizel or go by bike (10km) on the former Parenzana train track.Day5Go to Pazin and visit the castle from the 11cent with its Ethnographic museum. Do a cave tour in the area under the castle.do the tour of the little towns with gothic frescos (Beram, Draguc are the most beautiful).Go to Labin, visit the museum and the old town. Swimm in Rabac, 5km south.Day 6Go to Opatija on the east coast....

Istria in 7 days

by mediterrane0

hi there and welcome to our region Istria.Day 1 you can visit the town of Porec starting to walk from some of the bays where normaly are the hotels and reach the downtown. Visit the Basilica Euphrasiana (UNESCO) with the Museum of the sacral art. The old town is little so u will do that in 2 hours.The afternoon u can go south of the town and visit the town of Vrsar (Orsera in italian), and if u have more time go and to Lim fjord (about 30min south, close to Vrsar).From there try to catch the boat to bring u back to Porec.Day 2Visit the national park Brioni islands. Call day before to see what time they have tours (included in the entrance fee) in your language (English,Italian, German, French or Croatian). you need to come to Fazana and from there there is 15min ride by boat. This is also included in the price of the entrance fee.The visit is 4h but u can stay longer. You will visit the...

Hum / Colmo

by diocletianvs

Hum has all the attributes of a small town: a church, walls, town gates, campanile, loggia.... It doesn't matter it only has 17 inhabitants, it is still considered a town - in fact, it proudly claims it is The Smallest Town in the World. The town is dominated by huge neo-Baroque Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Town streets have mostly rural feel, but just as you start wandering if this is really a town or a village you will find a museum around the corner and some real graffiti art nowhere else but inside the cemetery chapel! The Glagolitic graffiti inside the Chapel of St. Hieronymous date back to 12th century when frescoes were made. Hum was one of important Glagolitic centres (Glagoljica was a script used in Croatia during the Middle Ages), and on the road between Hum and Roc there is a series of modern sculptures that make the Glagolitic Alley.

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Buzet / Pinguente

by diocletianvs

Buzet is one of largest settlements of inland Istria, and most of its population lives and works in a valley under the hill that is occupied by old Buzet. Like other hilltop towns of Istria, it takes some effort (and lots of stairs) to reach it. Two town gates from the 16th century are still there, and the central place on its main square belongs to the local church. On one of the squares there is a well preserved Baroque public well, that tells the story of communal organization and public services that were offered to local residents in ancient towns. The view from the hill opens towards the valley of river Mirna, but nowadays it is mostly obstructed by modern developments. The lower town, on the other hand, has some good restaurants that offer dishes with truffles - a local specialty found in the surrounding forests. Every September an enormous omelette with truffles is prepared here...

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Fun things to do in Istria

Top 3 Hotels in Istria

Hotel Histria  Pula

 4 Reviews and 103 Opinions  57-71 euros per person in a double room, half board -most expensive in Pula -very big (if you like... 

 Hotels in Pula

Hotel Istra  Rovinj

 1 Review and 203 Opinions  This excellent hotel is situated on a separate island - Red Island or St. Andrew Island.... The... 

 Hotels in Rovinj

Hotel Mediteran  Porec

 1 Review and 122 Opinions  This is their CENTRAL BOOKING telephone number: PLAVA LAGUNA hr 52440 TEL. 410 101 All these hotels... 

 Hotels in Porec

212 Hotels in Istria
 
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Reviews and photos of Istria attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Istria sightseeing.

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Things to Do: Cities in Istria
  1. Pula Things to Do
  2. Rovinj Things to Do
  3. Porec Things to Do
  4. Opatija Things to Do
  5. Rabac Things to Do
  6. Brijuni National Park Things to Do
  7. Vrsar Things to Do
  8. Umag Things to Do
  9. Motovun Things to Do
  10. Pazin Things to Do
  11. Groznjan Things to Do
  12. Livade Things to Do
  13. Hum Things to Do
  14. Flengi Things to Do
  15. Beram Things to Do
  16. Sveti Lovrec Pazenaticki Things to Do
  17. Vodnjan Things to Do
  18. Labin Things to Do
  19. Buje Things to Do
  20. Bale Things to Do
  21. Sveti Petar u Sumi Things to Do
  22. Marija na Krasu Things to Do
  23. Stancija Valkanela Things to Do
  24. Svetvincenat Things to Do
  25. Buzet Things to Do
  26. Zminj Things to Do
  27. Vizinada Things to Do
  28. Savudrija Things to Do
  29. Paz Things to Do
  30. Kanfanar Things to Do

More Cities in Istria

 

Questions and Answers

bushman73 profile photo

Q:  Hi,i plan to visit venice in September 2012 from my base in porec and would like to know what is the best way to get there,by... 

leics profile photo

A: I have not made this journey but as there is a direct ferry from Porec to Venice it would seem sensible to take that. I am sure coach or train would take much longer than... 

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