11 Best Sights in Istria, Croatia

This pretty, waterfront medieval hilltop town just 10 km (6 miles) south of Poreč is situated near the Limski fjord's northern juncture with the sea (and yet another place you can catch a tour of the fjord). Famous since Roman times for its high-quality stone, which helped build Venice, Vrsar is home to the 12th-century Romanesque church Svete Marija od Mora (St. Mary of the Sea), which has three naves. In his memoirs, the Venetian adventurer Casanova fondly recalled the local Teran red wine. Additionally, Croatia's oldest and largest naturist/nudist resort, FKK Park Koversada, is just a couple miles south.

When its residents abandoned Dvigrad's "two towns" suddenly in the mid-17th century—fleeing the combined misfortune of plague and attacks by Uskok raiders—and established nearby Kanfanar, surely they didn't foresee that more than three centuries later, tourists would delight in what they left behind. If exploring ruins is your (or your child's) thing, this is the place for you. Along an isolated road 23 km (14 miles) east of Rovinj, outside the sleepy town of Kanfanar (a short detour if you're headed north toward Poreč, Motovun, or Grožnjan), this huge maze of dirt paths surrounded by high stone walls makes for an adventuresome, imagination-stirring walk. Indeed, just enough restoration has been done to let your imagination "reconstruct" the rest: some of the walls are vine-covered, and much of the place is overgrown with vegetation. Nor is there a single explanatory sign in any language. All this combines to give you the sense that you are discovering this eerie ghost town of a fortress city, even if a few other tourists are also wandering about. The battlements are impressively intact, and toward the center of the fortress you will find the remains of St. Sophia's Church, replete with depressions in the ground that contained the crypts of very important persons. To get here, take the main road east out of Rovinj toward Kanfanar. Just before you cross the railroad tracks and enter Kanfanar, you'll see a sign pointing to Dvigrad, which is to your left; from the sign, the ruins are about 4 km (2½ miles) down an isolated scrub-lined road. A Medieval Fair takes place in May, complete with historical theater, music, jousting, food, and drinks.

The central scene of this large and lovely 3rd-century mosaic—which otherwise features geometric patterns, animals, and plants aplenty—is of the punishment of Dirce, who, according to Greek legend, lies under the enraged bull to whose horns she is about to be fastened. Once part of a Roman house, the mosaic was unearthed after World War II bombings.

The mosaic can be viewed for free by looking down through a grate beside an uninspiring apartment building a stone's throw from the Chapel of St. Mary of Formosa.

Today a public art gallery, St. Thomas was previously a small bright-yellow church dating to the Middle Ages but was rebuilt in 1722. It's on your way back down the hill from the main cathedral, and right after you pass by it, you will pass under a lovely arched hall some 50 feet long with a wood-beamed ceiling. On your left, you'll notice a small courtyard encircled by pastel-painted houses with green and blue shutters and colorful flowers in the window. St. Thomas is part of the Heritage Museum of Rovinj.

Built originally in the 4th century, the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pula's star ecclesiastical attraction—more often called simply St. Mary's Cathedral—was transformed in the second half of the 5th century into a three-nave basilica. Extensive reconstruction began in the 16th century, with the adjacent bell tower constructed in the late 17th century from stones taken from the Arena. Note that the Roman-era mosaic on the floor of the central nave bears a 5th-century donor's inscription.

A kažun is a traditional, dry-stone round structure or hut built in ancient times, traditionally used as a shelter for farmers and shepherds in remote fields. There are still more than 3,000 of these huts in the vicinity of Vodnjan. Kažun Park, an outdoor museum, demonstrates the four stages of kažun construction, from its foundation, walls, and roof to its final appearance. To many citizens of Vodnjan, the kažun is a part of their identity and serves as the pride of the people and the theme of their inexhaustible inspirations.

The Limski kanal is a 13-km-long (8-mile-long) karst canyon, whose emerald-green waters are flanked by forested valley walls that rise gradually to more than 300 feet inland. The canyon was formed in the last Ice Age, and it is Istria's most fertile breeding area for mussels and oysters—hence, you'll find the excellent Viking seafood restaurant on-site. Tours are available from both Poreč and Rovinj, with various agencies and independent operators whose stands and boats are impossible to miss. A reservation a day or two in advance can't hurt, though, particularly in midsummer. Expect to pay approximately €25 for the four-hour tour or €50 for a daylong tour that includes a "fish picnic." You can also visit the canal on your own by car. And hiking enthusiasts can take a trail to the Romualdova Cave, which is open daily from June to September.

Once a year, artists from around the world come to the ancient town of Vodnjan for the Boombarstick and Street Art Festival. They leave behind old stone walls and historic buildings covered with intriguing murals and creative graffiti designs. Art-loving travelers will enjoy wandering the tiny streets of Vodnjan on the hunt for the more than 45 painted murals.

Built by the Sergi family between 29 and 27 BC as a monument to three relatives who were great warriors, this striking monument features elaborate reliefs that even inspired Michelangelo to draw the arch during a 16th-century visit to Pula. The surrounding city gate and walls were removed in the 19th century to allow the city's expansion beyond the Old Town. Locals call it Zlatna vrata, or Golden Gate.

This square is located toward the tip of the peninsula and was the site of Poreč's Roman forum, whose original stonework is visible in spots amid the present-day pavement. Beside it is a park containing the ruins of Roman temples dedicated to the gods Mars and Neptune. It's still an important meeting place, so you will find a variety of cafés, restaurants, and shops around the square.

Standing on the Old Town's main square, you can't help but notice the Balbi Arch, which at one time was the gate to Rovinj's fish market. Notice the Venetian lion with an open book (a symbol of acceptance of Venetian rule without a fight) and a Venetian head on one side and a Turkish head on the other, the symbolism of which hasn't yet been explained. A Latin epigraph is at the top between the two Balbi coats of arms. Also quite prominent on the square is the city's pinkish-orange watchtower, whose base houses the tourist agency. Although it looks Venetian, the tower was erected in 1907. That said, the winged-lion relief on one side is from the 16th century.