Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Planning Your Time
Rovinj is hardly packed with diversions. You can get the gist of the town in a one-hour
wander. The rest of your time is for enjoying the ambience, savoring a slow meal, or pedal-
ing a rental bike to a nearby beach. When you're ready to overcome your inertia, there's no
shortage of day trips (the best are outlined in this chapter). Be aware that much of Rovinj
(like other small Croatian coastal towns) closes down from mid-October through Easter.
Rovinj, once an island, is now a peninsula. The Old Town is divided in two parts: a partic-
ularly charismatic chunk on the oval-shaped peninsula, and the rest on the mainland (with
similarly time-worn buildings, but without the commercial cuteness that comes with lots of
tourist money). Where the mainland meets the peninsula is a broad, bustling public space
called Tito Square (Trg Maršala Tita). The Old Town peninsula—traffic-free except for the
occasional moped—is topped by the massive bell tower of the Church of St. Euphemia. At
the very tip of the peninsula is a small park.
Tourist Information
Rovinj's TI, facing the harbor, has several handy, free materials, including a town map
and an info booklet (June-Sept daily 7:00-22:00; Oct and May daily 8:00-21:00; Nov-April
Mon-Fri 8:00-15:00, Sat 8:00-13:00, closed Sun; along the embankment at Obala Pina
Arrival in Rovinj
By Car:
OnlylocalcarsareallowedtoentertheOldTownarea(thoughifyou'reovernight-
ing in this area, they may let you drive in just long enough to drop off your bags—ask
your host for details). To get as close as possible—whether you're staying in the Old Town,
or just visiting for the day—use the big waterfront Valdibora parking lots just north of the
Old Town, which come with the classic Rovinj view (July-Aug: 6.5 kn/hour, April-June
and Sept: 5 kn/hour, Oct-March: 2 kn/hour). As you drive in from the highway through
the outskirts of Rovinj, the road forks, sending most hotel traffic to the left (turn off here
if you're staying outside the Old Town); but if you want to reach the Old Town, go right
instead, then follow
Centar
signs, which eventually lead you directly to the two Valdibora
lots: “Valdibora 1” (a.k.a. “Big Valdibora,” farther from the Old Town), then “Valdibora 2”
(a.k.a. “Little Valdibora,” closer to the Old Town). During busy times, the slightly closer
Valdibora 2 is reserved for residents; in this case, signs will divert you into Valdibora 1.
If both Valdibora lots are full, you'll be pushed to another pay lot farther out, along the
bay northwest of the Old Town (a scenic 15-minute walk from town; summer: 5-6 kn/hour,
