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 the inside. The winged lion at the top is a symbol of Venice, although this one is unusual in that it has visible genitalia.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Rovinj attractions

1. Rovinj City Museum

0.02 MILES

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

2. Batana Ecomuseum

0.08 MILES

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…

3. Grisia

0.12 MILES

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

4. St Euphemia's Church

0.18 MILES

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…

5. Golden Cape Forest Park

1.06 MILES

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…

6. Sveti Nikola

10.05 MILES

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…

7. Round Tower

10.2 MILES

One of the city's Venetian-era towers; it once guarded the southeastern section of the city.

8. Pentagonal Tower

10.23 MILES

One of the Venetian towers, flanking the main entrance to the old town.

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "croatia/istria/rovinj/attractions/balbi-arch/a/poi-sig/1271674/358799",
      "destination": "Rovinj",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Croatia",
      "city": "Rovinj",
      "position": "superzone"
    }