"Back to the 80's" a Rovinj Travel Page by Renescheffer

For the first time since 1983 in Croatia again. Last time it was Yugoslavia when i was on the island Hvar. I visited Istria in 1973. I remembered some water pollution and a lack of sandy beaches.
Now there was no water pollution and sandy beaches will become more important next year when our baby is 1.1/2 yr. It was not easy to reach Istria by road. I read about some traffic jams around Ljubljana and i choose to enter via Trieste. But it seems the Italian and Slovenian people (you have to pass this country too) dont like visitors going further to Croatia. Trieste is a mess and road signs are a shame. The EEC authorities should do saometing to this. Istria itself has a new "autobahn" from north to south. The fuel is cheep, 1,06 euro, due too the INA oil company and its former YU connections with Russia. On both sides of Rovinj you will find big tourist settlements. Rovinj itself has only a few small hotels. The charm is the harbour and its restaurants and the old city and of course the sea ans the small islands around.
In the mid of september Rovinj is ot too busy, we heared that Istria is booming again with big traffic jams in weekends at the borders. Prices have a tendence too rise because of a new tax and the -again- great masses of tourists.

Most restaurants are around the harbour. Some of the nicest are on the rocks of the old city at the sea shore. Whe choose Lampo. It was recommended by a Trotter guide and the view is magnificent. The menu was not very expensive . We had a bottle of Zhlatina whine, Prsut (smoked ham), spaggethi with fish and a big fish platter for two and two coffee, for less about 400 kuna (55 euro). When you take housewine and a meat platter instead the bill is about 270 kuna. Other days we stayed in the Villas Rubin settlement. There are 5 restaurants and the quality is not too bad and quiet cheap. The are some fine restaurants inland. When you are there you can ask advice or surf to the German website with restaurant forum: http://www.istrien.info/forum/thema5292.html

What to do on a rainy day or when you dont like to be on the beach all day ? From Rovinj you can make a trip to Pula (30 min) , Porec (30 min) and the Limski canal (20 min). Rijeka and Opatija are an option (about 1,5 hour) and the inland (Pazin). But thats all. And even in a big city like Rijeka you will find less shops then in a small city in the Netherlands.
Most shops are closed between 12.30/13.00 and 16.30/17.00 hr.
The Garda lake region where we stayed a week too has far more options for a day trip.