Exploring the Colorful Rovinj

I think I have already mentioned this in a previous post, where I talk about my trip to Pula, but one of the things I love the most about Istria region is that it has a very particular mix between Croatian and Italian culture, which makes it super interesting to visit. 
Each city in this region will have this characteristic, you will feel like you are being part of two countries at the same time and you will find this Italian influence in the architecture, in the road signs and, of course, in the food as well. So, if you are also looking to enjoy a delightful culinary experience this is definitely a region to consider for your trip.

In my particular case, I have decided to go back to Istria because I was very impressed with what I have seen in Pula, that stunning Roman architecture stole my heart and I was looking forward to discovering more of this region, especially a city which I have seen all over Instagram: Rovinj.

The pictures I saw of Rovinj reminded me a lot of Venice for some reason and when I was finally able to visit this city that impression was even stronger! Rovinj is a city full of colors, full of details and full of incredibly enchanting streets perfect to get lost. The Old Town is practically right by the sea so maybe this was what made me think of Venice, even though it doesn't have canals, the water is very present in this city. 

I have decided to do a day trip to Rovinj because I was staying in Rijeka, so I took the bus and in around two hours I was right there! The bus station in Rovinj is very close to the Old Town so I just walked by the coast and found it without any problems. I have to confess that I didn't have much information about what to see and do in the city but sometimes I enjoy doing this kind of trips because in this way I can be surprised by the destination. And this is exactly what happened to me with Rovinj, without even looking for them, I was able to find all the main spots and I also enjoyed getting lost in its streets. 

Firstly, I walked by the coast which is very nice because it's full of pretty restaurants where you can enjoy a delicious meal and also the lovely view of the Adriatic sea and the boats peacefully moving in the water. Then, I was able to find the city's open market, the perfect place to buy fresh fruits, some souvenirs, and many other things. I stopped right here to have lunch and, as I was in Istria, I decided to order a pizza, which was just perfect!

After lunch, I continued walking into the old town and I fell in love with all the beautiful balconies with flowers I was seeing in every single house. Also, I was able to find that cute little spot by the water that I used to see all the time on Instagram. I wished I would have been able to get a picture of myself sitting at that lovely table but there was a lady there, I think she was the owner of the store, and she was enjoying a coffee so I didn't want to disturb her. 

The most iconic Instagram postcard of Rovinj 

I continued my way up to find the Church of St. Euphemia, which has that tall tower you can see in all the pictures of the Old Town. The Church looked lovely and it's totally worth the visit. Also, you can get a very nice sea view from there because this part is a little bit higher than the rest of the city. 

Then I was able to find a few beaches, where there were people swimming and enjoying the sea. I didn't have a swim because I didn't have my towel that day, so I skipped the beach but I don't regret it because it allowed me to have more time to explore the city. I walked a little bit more on the seaside and I found more beautiful cafés and restaurants right by the water, which looked like the perfect place to have some drinks and enjoy the sunset view. 

Around 7 pm I had to go back to Rijeka but I was extremely happy that I was able to visit this incredibly beautiful city! You can see in this post that I went a bit mad and I took a lot of pictures because there were so many lovely details that I just couldn't stop! 
I hope you have enjoyed reading about my day trip to Rovinj and I hope you have found some inspiration for your future trips! I'm sure this would be a lovely place to visit during the Spring months, don't you think? 

What to See and Do in Opatija

During my winter trip to Croatia last year, I had the chance to pass by the beautiful city of Opatija on my way to Pula. I didn't have enough time to visit it then, but I knew I wanted to go back there to walk on those enchantingly glamorous streets!

Opatija is the city with the oldest tourism tradition in Croatia. It used to be the place where the aristocracy from the Austro-Hungarian empire retired for their vacations in both winter and summer seasons because of the nice and mild weather. Therefore, this city was called "the Austrian Nice" and it totally has that opulent and glamorous south of France vibe!

All those summer houses and villas that the Austrian aristocracy had in the region have now become luxury hotels with very interesting spas and wellness centers and they also have the most Instagram perfect café terraces you can imagine! So, this city was very high on my priority list when I decided to go back to Croatia last summer.

My plan was to stay in the nearby city of Rijeka and from there to explore the region of Kvarner, including of course Opatija! I didn't decide to stay in Opatija because of my budget mainly because as most of the hotels there are very luxurious I knew it was going to be a little too expensive for me, but that didn't stop me from enjoying this amazing place!

How to get there? 

If you are staying in Rijeka, like I did, it's very easy to get to Opatija, just by taking the bus! You can take bus number 32, from Rijeka's city center and that will leave you in the center of Opatija in more or less 30 minutes. I can't tell you enough how much I have enjoyed those bus rides! The landscape of the Adriatic coast is absolutely stunning! So make sure to get a window on the bus ;)

What to do on a day trip to Opatija?

Well, apart from taking tons of pictures, I highly recommend that you walk along the Lungomare promenade. It's a 12km walk along the coast from Preluka to Lovran and it connects all the different cities and beaches. It's not necessary that you complete the 12km but it's a very enjoyable walk for sure! 

In the center of Opatija, you can find the Maiden with the Seagull sculpture, which is a symbol of the city and I find it to be a very romantic spot! It's the perfect place to take a pause from walking and sit to enjoy the sea view. 

Another of my favorite spots in Opatija was definitely Villa Angiolina, which was one of the first tourist resorts in the city! It was built in 1844 and renovated in the year 2000. Now it operates as the Museum of Croatian tourism. Even if you don't enter the museum, the building itself is absolutely beautiful and worth the visit! 

Very close to this, you can find the Park of St. Jacob and Park Angiolina, which are two very popular parks that are filled with plant species from all over the world! These parks are stunning and the perfect place to get tons of amazing pictures for your Instagram ;)

Then I would also recommend you to visit Hotel Kvarner, this was the first luxury hotel built in the city and the Adriatic region. This building, which was built in 1884, is so impressive and beautiful that will for sure make you dream and imagine the life of these aristocratic people that came here at that time! I fell in love with the beautiful terrace it has and when I visited I also bought an Ice Cream there, which was absolutely delicious!

A sneak peak of the terrace

It got super cloudy in the afternoon that day

Last but not the least, I encourage you to walk as much as you can here because you will find a lot of charming café terraces, stunning hotel buildings, restaurants and cute places that will make you fall in love with this city!  

Hope you like this guide and I would love to know if you have visited Opatija or if you have heard about this place? :)