We´ve been to Croatia a few times but we still don´t see everything yet. This time we went to the north, to the region of Istria. The drive took us almost 9 hours by car, due to various restrictions. There are many nice places on the coast of Istria and we decided to stay in Rovinj.

Rovinj is one of the larger towns in Istria and is located between Pula and Porec. Upon arrival, we went to the beach first, because we try to spend as much time by the sea as possible and check-in was possible only in the afternoon. The first beach Cuvi is close to the city and we were quite surprised by how wide it is. After a long time, we enjoy the sea again and on the Adriatic sea, I would say that it was very warm. If you decide to come here as everywhere in Croatia, take your shoes to the water. You will save sharp stones on the way to the sea and out, which I completely forgot.

V Chorvátsku sme už boli pár krát ale ešte sme nevideli všetko. Tento krát sme sa vybrali najsevernejšie, do regiónu Istria. Autom nám sem cesta trvala skoro 9 hodín, kvôli rôznym opatreniam. Na pobreží Istrie je mnoho pekných miest a my sme sa rozhodli ubytovať v meste Rovinj. 

Rovinj je jedno z väčších miest na Istrii a nachádza sa medzi Pulou a Porečom. Po príchode sme sa vybrali najprv na pláž, keďže ubytovať sme sa mohli až poobede chceli využiť čo najviac času pri mori. Prvá pláž Cuvi je neďaleko od mesta a celkom nás prekvapilo aká je široká. Po dlhej dobe sme si opäť vychutnali more a na Jadran by som povedala, že bolo veľmi teplé. Ak sa sem rozhodneš prísť tak ako všade v Chorvátsku vezmi si topánky do vody. Ušetríš si ostré kamienky na ceste do mora a von, na čo som ja úplne zabudla. 

From the accommodation it was close to the sea, but also to the city center, so right after lunch we headed to the nearest beach and if we didn´t go the wrong way definitely it was close. Lone bay beach is very narrow and mostly quite full. But the plus was smaller stones, which made it easier for me to enter the sea. After returning from the beach, we were tired enough of the long journey, but also from the sea, so we left the city tour for the next few days.

Z ubytovania sme to mali blízko k moru, ale aj centru a tak hneď po obede sme zamierili na najbližšiu pláž a keby sme zle neodbočili určite by to bolo blízko. Pláž Lone bay je veľmi úzka a väčšinou dosť plná. Plusom ale boli menšie kamienky, ktoré mi uľahčili vstup do mora. Po návrate z pláže sme boli dostatočné unavení z dlhej cesty, ale tiež mora a taksme si prehliadku mesta nechali na ďalšie dni. 

The next day we headed south in the morning to the Kamenjak National Park, which is located a few kilometers from Pula. You can go to this park by car, but the road is gravel and the fee for entry with a car is 80 kn per day. We risked it and went by car as we didn't have much time and the park is huge. If you decide to go on foot or by bike, it's free. We found a lot of beautiful bays and cliffs from which you could jump into the sea, or just bathe and snorkel.

Na druhý deň sme hneď ráno zamierili na juh do národného parku Kamenjak, ktorý sa nachádza pár kilometrov od Puly. Do tohto parku sa dá ísť autom avšak cesta je štrková a poplatok za vstup s autom je 80 kn za deň. My sme to riskli a vybrali sa autom keďže sme nemali veľa času a park je obrovský. Ak sa rozhodneš ísť pešo alebo na bicykli je to zadarmo. Našli sme tu veľa krásnych zátok a útesov z ktorých sa dalo skákať do mora, alebo sa len tak okúpať a šnorchlovať. 

After drying, we went to Pula. The first steps led to the famous amphitheater, which really looks like a scaled-down version of the Colosseum in Rome. We were completely enchanted and for a moment we felt like in Rome. If you couldn't find it, the harbor was nearby. The rest of the time we just walked around and soaked up the atmosphere of this beautiful city.

Po osušení sa, sme sa vybrali do Puly. Prvé kroky viedli k slávnemu amfiteátru, ktorý naozaj vyzerá ako zmenšená verzia Colossea v Ríme. Ostali sme úplne očarení a na chvíľku sme sa cítili ako v Ríme. Ak by si to nevedel nájsť tak neďaleko bol prístav. Zvyšok času sme sa len tak prechádzali a nasávali atmosféru tohto nádherného mesta. 

On the way back to Rovinj we stopped in the town of Fažana, which also has a beautiful long and wide beach. Fažana itself is not a very big city, but it still has a great atmosphere and a touch of Italy. This effect can be seen whether on colorful buildings or narrow streets. I was very surprised by this place and I would be able to stay here for more than a few hours that we had.

Po ceste naspäť do Rovinj sme sa zastavili v mestečku Fažana, ktoré má aj krásnu dlhú a širokú pláž. Fažana sama o sebe nie je veľmi veľké mesto ale napriek tomu má skvelú atmosféru a nádych Talianska. Tento vplyv je vidieť či už na farebných budovách alebo úzkych uličkách. Mňa toto miesto veľmi prekvapilo a vedela by som tu zostať aj dlhšie ako pár hodín, ktoré sme mali. 

We were quite exhausted by all day, but even that didn´t stop us from going to see "our town" Rovinj. As soon as we came to the center, I felt like we were somewhere in Italy. Beautiful alleys and unique architecture attracted me to stop everywhere and also pulled me into every narrow alley. One walk was enough for me to fall in love with this place, but the three days spent in this place were not enough for me. Unfortunately, during the summer months, this city is very crowded with tourists, so if you want to fully enjoy it, I recommend walking early in the morning or visiting its off-season.

Po celom dni sme síce boli dosť vyčerpaní, ale ani to nám nezabránilo ísť sa pozrieť do "nášho mesta" Rovinj. Hneď keď sme prišli do centra mala som pocit, že sme sa ocitli niekde v Taliansku. Krásne uličky a jedinečná architektúra ma lákala zastaviť sa všade a tiež ma vtiahla do každej úzkej uličky. Mne stačila jedna prechádzka aby som si toto miesto zamilovala, ale nestačili mi tie tri dni strávene na tomto mieste. Žiaľ počas letných mesiacov je toto mesto veľmi preplnené turistami a preto ak si ho chceš užiť naplno odporúčam prejsť sa skoro ráno alebo ho navštíviť mimo leta.

The next morning the weather was not very good, so we decided to visit the nearby town of Bale / Vale instead of the beach. This town is about 12 km from Rovinj and I was fascinated by the beautiful square but also the atmosphere. It is quite small, but it offers quite a lot and we enjoyed it best with coffee at a local cafe.

Ďalší deň ráno nám veľmi počasie neprialo a tak sme sa rozhodli namiesto pláže navštíviť neďaleké mesto Bale/ Vale. Toto mesto je asi 12 km od Rovinj a mňa zaujalo krásnym námestím ale aj atmosférou. Je celkom malé, ale ponúka dosť veľa a najlepšie sme si ho vychutnali pri káve v miestnej kaviarničke.

After lunch sun comes out and so our choice was clear and we went to the beach Zlatni Rt again, but this time we went much further and did well. Most people stay at the beginning and then we found a place just for us, from where there was a great view of the whole of Rovinj and also a great place for snorkeling.

Po obede sa nám vyčasilo a tak naša voľba bola jasná a vybrali sme sa opäť na pláž Zlatni Rt ale tentokrát sme sa prešli omnoho ďalej a spravili sme dobre. Väčšina ľudí ostane na začiatku a ďalej sme našli miesto len pre nás, odkiaľ bol skvelý výhľad na celý Rovinj a tiež skvelé miesto na šnorchlovanie. 

We ended our trip with a great dinner and a walk around the city. We bought a few magnets and enjoyed a beautiful sunset by the sea and the next morning we went back home.

For me, 3 days in Istria were very little and if we had more time we would have determined we would see even more.

Náš výlet sme zakončili skvelou večerou a prechádzkou po meste. Nakúpili sme pár magnetiek a vychutnali si krásny západ slnka pri mori a ďalší deň ráno sme vyrazili naspäť domov. 

Pre mňa boli 3 dni na Istrii veľmi málo a keby máme viac času určili by sme toho videli ešte viac.