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These two towns on the Istrian Peninsula are about 50 miles from Opatija. It required only an hour’s drive to reach our first stop.
Rovinj was formerly an island. In the 18th century, however, the strait was filled, connecting the town with the mainland. In modern times, this has allowed the part once an island to retain its historic character while development takes place principally on the mainland.
Rovinj is the most Italian town on this coast ---obvious, perhaps, in its Venetian-style houses built right up to the water, the tall campanile of its church and the town’s elegant piazzas. Italian is widely spoken and Italian signs are common --- there is even an Italian high school.
St. Euphemia’s Church, crowning the former island, contains the relics of the saint, a young woman who was martyred during the reign of Diocletian.
Here are some sights from our wanderings about town ---
the colorful produce market:
the narrow, cobbled alleyways:
fascinating alcoves:
and this unhurried outdoor scene:
Then, it was off to Pula, home of the sixth largest Roman amphitheater in the world --- and remarkably well-preserved:
Built by the Romans in the first century B.C., this amphitheater could accommodate 22,000 spectators.
Getting the whole structure into a single photograph required quite a hike:
