Ancient mariners nicknamed Rovinj harbour 'the cradle of the sea'. A sailor's paradise, the archipelago of islands, stretching from here to Vrsar, always ensured, calm, untroubled waters. From the sea, the weathered stone houses of Rovinj's Old Town, with their backs jammed up against the water in a tight cluster, appear to have grown organically from the rocky peninsula. Up close, the narrow cobbled streets that wind between these houses also look more natural than man-made.
The mix of seaside scenery, old architecture and shaded rocky beaches in this idyllic fishing town has been bringing in groups of tourists since 1845, when a steamship line from Trieste first stopped here. Since then, the town has been a star destination on Istria's tourist-crowded coast. And yet tourism has not overwhelmed Rovinj or closed the local fishing trade, which brings fresh catches to its excellent restaurants.
Traditions are celebrated - hence the recently opened multimedia museum dedicated to the local batana fishing boat. Rather than overdevelop, Rovinj has sought to retain its old charm - a charm for which tourists pay a premium. Rovinj is one of Croatia's nicer, and pricier, resort towns.
Rovinj has been settled since at least the seventh century, when it was an island centred around a low, cone-shaped hill sticking out of the sea. The populace overflowed to the mainland, and in 1763 Habsburg engineers attached Rovinj Island to the rest of Croatia, turning it into a peninsula. The hill still defines the shape of the mostly car-free Old Town, and an easy stroll up the spiralling road to the top affords views of surreal beauty.
Some of the best panoramic views are from the Cathedral of St Euphemia (open 10am-2pm, 3-6pm daily), which caps the hilltop. This baroque structure was built in 1736 to house the remains of Euphemia, a virgin martyr, who was fed to the lions by Emperor Diocletian around 304. According to legend, her massive stone coffin disappeared from Constantinople and by some miracle floated ashore in Rovinj, providing a fishing town with a catch from heaven and a patron saint. St Euphemia's tomb and relics can be seen inside the cathedral.
Other sights worth spotting in town are the open-air market and the City Museum (Trg marsala Tita 11, 052 816 720, www.muzej-rovinj.com; open summer 9am-noon, 7-10pm Tue-Sun, winter 9am-lpm Tue-Sat; admission 15kn), next to the Balbi Arch, the original town gate. The museum has historical exhibits as well as contemporary art. Rovinj has a reputation as a home for artists - and galleries.
Grisia, a stone-paved thoroughfare leading up to the cathedral, is filled with scores of galleries and ateliers, selling crafts, kitsch and amateur seascapes. In summer, most of the galleries on Grisia spill out on to the pavement. Every August, in a festival of outdoor shows, anyone selling art can set up shop here.
Batana House
Surely the Med's first multimedia museum dedicated to a fishing boat. The vessel in question is the batana, the traditional wooden boat of the Rovinj region. Still very much in use today, the batana is a living symbol of Rovinj culture. A modern exhiÂbition, the museum uses film, music and interactive displays. It provides a taste of the local lifestyle with guides in traditional costumes and creative workshops where you can try your hand at making fishing nets or demijohns.
Obala Pina Budicina 2 (052 805 266/ www.batana.com). Open June-Sept 10am-3pm, 5-10pm daily. Oct-Bee, Mar-May 10am -1pm, 3-5pm daily. Closed Jan, Feb. No credit cards.