Must-see attractions in Istria

  • Euphrasian Basilica.

    Euphrasian Basilica

    Poreč

    Top billing in Poreč goes to the 6th-century Euphrasian Basilica, a World Heritage Site and one of Europe’s finest intact examples of Byzantine art. Built…

  • Ancient ruins of arena

    Roman Amphitheatre

    Pula

    Pula’s most famous and imposing sight is this 1st-century oval amphitheatre, overlooking the harbour northeast of the old town. It's a huge and truly…

  • Rovinj, Croatia - May 22, 2018: St. Euphemia's Basilica, Rovinj, Croatia. Аn ancient church with a bell tower.; Shutterstock ID 1138512785; Your name (First / Last): Anna Tyler; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: destination-image-southern-europe

    St Euphemia's Church

    Rovinj

    Built from 1725 to 1736, this imposing structure – the largest baroque church in Istria – dominates Rovinj from its hilltop location in the middle of the…

  • Pula Croatia, Istria Peninsula 17.09.2018..Temple of Augustus..Arch of the Sergii..Pula Communal Palace; Shutterstock ID 1232040358; Your name (First / Last): Anna Tyler; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: destination-image-southern-europe

    Temple of Augustus

    Pula

    Fronted by a high porch supported by six Corinthian columns, this small but perfectly proportioned temple was built sometime between 2 BC and AD 14. It…

  • VODNJAN, CROATIA - MAY 8: Church of St. Blaise and bell tower on May 8, 2014. Vodnjan or Dignano is a old town in Istria County, situated 10 km north of Pula ; Shutterstock ID 193015502; Your name (First / Last): Anna Tyler; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: destination-image-southern-europe

    St Blaise’s Church

    Istria's West Coast

    This handsome neobaroque church was completed in 1800 but commenced 40 years earlier, when Venice was still the style-setter for Istria. With its 63m-high…

  • Medieval Castle Pazin in Istria, Croatia; Shutterstock ID 1026890800; Your name (First / Last): Anna Tyler; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: destination-image-southern-europe

    Castle

    Central & Eastern Istria

    Looming over the chasm, Pazin’s castle is the largest and best-preserved medieval structure in all of Istria. First mentioned in AD 983, the castle has…

  • Pazin Chasm

    Central & Eastern Istria

    Pazin’s most renowned site is undoubtedly this 100m-deep abyss, through which the Pazinčica River sinks into subterranean passages forming three…

  • Group of moon jellyfish glittering in dark blur water, Pula aquarium, Croatia.; Shutterstock ID 673227595; Your name (First / Last): Anna Tyler; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: destination-image-southern-europe

    Pula Aquarium

    Pula

    Not just any fish tank, this extraordinary aquarium occupies an entire 19th-century military fort – one of 55 built to defend the Austro-Hungarian Empire…

  • Partisan Memorial

    Pula

    Officially known as the 'National Liberation Resistance Fighters & Fascist Terror Victims in Istria Memorial', this monument honours the many thousands of…

  • Geržinić

    Central & Eastern Istria

    This award-winning winery in the hamlet of Ohnići, 14km northeast of Poreč, has been in the same family for a century. It cultivates 10 hectares of…

  • Morosini-Grimani Castle

    Central & Eastern Istria

    The northern part of the main square is occupied by this beautiful 13th-century fortified palace. Its present appearance, including its towers, are a…

  • Istria Historical & Maritime Museum

    Pula

    Since ancient times the 34m hill at the centre of Pula's old town has been fortified. The current star-shaped fortress was built by the Venetians in the…

  • Labin Public Museum

    Central & Eastern Istria

    The ground floor of this museum, housed in the baroque 18th-century Battiala-Lazzarini Palace, is devoted to archaeological finds. Upstairs is a…

  • Golden Cape Forest Park

    Rovinj

    Covered in oak and pine groves and boasting 10 species of cypress, this verdant expanse was established in 1890 by Baron Hütterott, an Austrian admiral…

  • Arch of the Sergii

    Pula

    Also known as the Golden Gate (Zlatna vrata), this majestic arch was erected around 27 BC to commemorate three brothers from the Sergius family who fought…

  • Town Walls

    Motovun

    It only takes about 10 minutes to circle Motovun's ramparts and you can get similar views of the surrounding countryside for free, just by walking around…

  • Grisia

    Rovinj

    Lined with galleries and souvenir stores, this cobbled street leads uphill through the old town to St Euphemia. Windows, balconies, portals and squares…

  • Kozlović

    Central & Eastern Istria

    The setting, down in a verdant valley by a bubbling river, and the striking architecture of its tasting room make this Istria's most impressive winery to…

  • Roman Floor Mosaic

    Pula

    One of the intriguing things about Pula is the way that Roman relics pop up in the most unlikely of places. This remarkably well-preserved 3rd-century…

  • Zerostrasse

    Pula

    This underground system of tunnels was built before and during WWI to shelter the city's population and serve as storage for ammunition. Now you can walk…

  • Kotli

    Central & Eastern Istria

    Don't miss this almost-abandoned village, 2.5km off the road to Roč. It's set on a stream which all but dries up in summer, but at other times bubbles…

  • St Francis' Monastery & Church

    Pula

    Built in 1285, Pula's Franciscan monastery has an extraordinary 15th-century gilded altarpiece behind the altar of its cavernous church – but that's not…

  • Church of Sts Vitus, Modest & Crescentia

    Central & Eastern Istria

    The town's skyline is dominated by the yellow sandstone bell tower of its large parish church, which was first mentioned in 1310 and renovated in baroque…

  • Sveti Nikola

    Poreč

    The island of Sveti Nikola lies just short of 500m south of the peninsula. From May to October small passenger boats make the crossing from the wharf on…

  • Baredine Cave

    Istria's West Coast

    Within easy reach of Poreč, Baredine Cave has subterranean chambers with stalagmites and stalactites. The standard admission is by way of a 30-minute…

  • Motovun: A History in Motion

    Motovun

    Tucked away in a courtyard of the Hotel Kaštel, this small museum has interesting displays on the legendary giant of Motovun Forest, the grim lot of the…

  • Batana Ecomuseum

    Rovinj

    This tiny museum is dedicated to the batana, a flat-bottomed fishing boat that stands as a symbol of Rovinj’s seafaring and fishing traditions. Although…

  • Lighting Giants

    Pula

    Don't miss Pula's star evening attraction, an amazing lighting display at the city's 19th-century Uljanik shipyard, one of the world's oldest working…

  • St Jerome's Chapel

    Central & Eastern Istria

    Positioned in a cemetery just outside the town walls, this little 12th-century Romanesque chapel still has the remains of its original frescoes on the…

  • Church of the Blessed Virgin

    Central & Eastern Istria

    Built by the Venetians in 1784, Buzet's pretty parish church has a pale-yellow ceiling with frescos, an elaborate pulpit and baroque altars. There's also…

  • Rovinj City Museum

    Rovinj

    Housed in a 17th-century baroque palace, this museum displays temporary exhibitions on the ground floor, 20th-century and contemporary art on the 1st…

  • Glagolitic Alley

    Central & Eastern Istria

    The road from Roč to Hum has been dubbed Glagolitic Alley in reference to a series of 11 sculptures placed alongside it, commemorating the area’s…

  • St George's Church

    Central & Eastern Istria

    Positioned by the cliffs at the far end of the old town, this church (completed in 1611) was in the throes of a major restoration during research but it…

  • Balbi Arch

    Rovinj

    This elaborate arch was built in 1679 as the main town gate. The top of the arch is ornamented with a Turkish head on the outside and a Venetian head on…

  • Fortress

    Central & Eastern Istria

    Labin's fortress once stood at the highest point of the old town. There's no longer a fort to speak of (although there is a canon) but it's well worth…

  • Umag Municipal Museum

    Istria's West Coast

    Located almost at the tip of the old-town peninsula, Umag's small but well-curated museum displays archaeological finds from the wider area dating from…

  • St Peregrine's Church

    Istria's West Coast

    Abutting Umag's surprisingly large main square is this baroque-style church and its 33m-tall free-standing bell tower (built 1651). If the door's locked…

  • Plaža Girandella

    Central & Eastern Istria

    Rabac's best beach is this series of pebbly coves in front of the immense Valamar Girandella resort complex. It's well maintained by the resort, but most…

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