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rovinj
Rovinj, a wonderful town, the pearl of Istrian peninsula with tempestuous history and beautiful present. The old part of the settlement is lying on a peninsula and, it was first mentioned under the name of Ruigno, Ruvigno, Ruginio. Rovinj is important centre on the Western coast of Istrian region (Republic of Croatia), a meeting point of North Adriatic. It is a city with approximately 15.000 inhabitants.
The presence of man reaches back to prehistoric time. The antique city nucleus, built on foundations of an insular fortification which was a prehistoric settlement (Bronze Age - Iron Age), dates from the 2nd-4th century, and also presents a unique Venetian urban and architectural model, built upon late antiquity and high medieval foundations.
The historic nucleus is piled up on a hill, on a very narrow building area of former island. Rovinj is an important economic centre. The most important companies and enterprises are those connected to hotel-and-tourist sector (hotels, camps, bungalows, private accommodation, etc...), industrial sector (above all tobacco manufacturing and fishing industry), and seamanship and fishing.
natural wonders
Limska Draga fjord:
Flooded karstic canyon, declared "a special maritime reserve" and "an area of outstanding natural beauty". It is a testimony to the climatic changes and geological evolution of Istria. With its emerald green sea and varied vegetation this is one of the most beautiful fjords on the Adriatic coast.
Rovinj islands and mainland:
Described as "outstanding scenic wonders," because of the pristine beauty of the indented coastline and its forests, consisting of holm oak and Alpine pine trees. This area "of outstanding natural beauty" extends from St. Ivan promontory to Barbariga, including all the Rovinj islands and the mainland 500 metres from the shore line.
"Zlatni Rt" Forrest Park:
Apart from thousands of indigenous and domesticated plants this age-old park is also created by many foreign plants, such as the cedar, the pine and some ten species of cypress, which all contribute to the park's distinctly Mediterranean atmosphere. Together with Dubrovnik's Trsteno park, "Zlatni rt" is the most important park on the Croatian side of the Adriatic.
The Palud marsh and the Dvije Sestrice Islands:
The Palud marsh is a "special ornithological reserve." Its brackish water and lush vegetation attract many bird species, either for nesting or as a stop-over on the way to other destinations.
The Dvije Sestrice (Two Sisters) islands are a nesting site for seagulls. Because of its thick holm oak forest the Gustinja promontory is regarded as "a forest vegetation reserve."
Cultural-Historical Sights
Old Town:
The limited space led to the construction of narrow buildings, streets and small town squares. Of particular interest in this town centre are the characteristically designed chimneys. The town itself was declared a cultural monument in 1963.
Town walls and gates:
The old town had seven gates, while three still exist today: the Saint Benedict Gate, the Portico and the Holy Cross Gate. A baroque archway called "Balbijev luk", which today serves as the entrance into the old town, was built on the site of the former outer gate in the seventeenth century.
The church of Saint Euphemia:
The most imposing structure which bears the name of the patron saint of the town. It dominates the whole old town centre. It was built in the eighteenth century. At the top of the sixty-metre-high bell tower stands the copper statue of St. Euphemia, which shows the direction of the wind by turning on a spindle.
The Franciscan Monastery and church:
Built at the beginning of the eighteenth century. This interesting building built entirely in the Baroque style, contains a rich library and a fascinating museum of sacral artefacts. It is situated in De Amicis street.
The castle on the island of St. Andrija:
Now hotel but originally was a Benedictine Monastery established in the sixth century AD. In the fifteenth century the Franciscan order added extensions and it was again refurbished at the end of the nineteenth century by Baron Hutterodt.
