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…
Must-see attractions in Istria
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Pula
City life in Pula revolves around its gorgeous 1903 succession-style market building, and the produce stalls and cafes that surround it.
Pula
Officially known as the 'National Liberation Resistance Fighters & Fascist Terror Victims in Istria Memorial', this monument honours the many thousands of…
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…
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…
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…
Rovinj
Lined with galleries and souvenir stores, this cobbled street leads uphill through the old town to St Euphemia. Windows, balconies, portals and squares…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Pula
Founded in the 4th century and added to until the 15th, Pula's cathedral still has fragments of 5th- and 6th-century mosaics in its floor. The main altar…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Central & Eastern Istria
Housed in a 1597 building which once served as a court, prison and granary, the town's main gallery promotes recent works of mainly Croatian artists…
