Rovinj

Rovinj/Rovigno
—  City  —
City of Rovinj Grad Rovinj - Città di Rovigno
Rovinj, seen from Campanile of Sv. Eufemija church
Coat of arms
Rovinj/Rovigno Location of Rovinj within Croatia
Coordinates: 45°05′N 13°38′E
Country	Croatia
County	Istria
Government
• Mayor	Giovanni Sponza, (IDS)
Area
• Total	88 km2 (34 sq mi)
Elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population (2007)
• Total	13,562
• Density	154.1/km2 (399.2/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	52 210
Area code(s)	052
Website	rovinj.hr

Old town harbor

Rovinj, seen from the southern harbor

Rovinj Old town, seen from Valdibora

Rovinj after sunset

Rovinj (Istriot: Ruvèigno or Ruveîgno; Italian: Rovigno) is a city in Croatia situated on the north Adriatic Sea with a population of 13,562 (2007). It is located on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula and is a popular tourist resort and an active fishing port. Istriot, a Romance language once widely spoken in this part of Istria, is still spoken by part of the residents (also called Rovignese by those who speak it here). There is a centre of History Research which is an institution of the Council of Europe.

Geography

Rovinj is one of nine towns in Istrian County. The climate is Mediterranean. The average temperature is 4.8 °C (40.6 °F) in January and 22.3 °C (72.1 °F) in July. The average annual temperature is 16 °C (60.8 °F). Sea temperature is more than 20 °C (68 °F) from the middle of June to the middle of September. The average annual sea temperature is 16.6 °C (61.9 °F).

From the middle of May to the middle of September the sun shines more than 10 hours a day. The rainfall averages 941 mm a year. The average humidity is 72%. Vegetation is subtropical.

Originally the peninsula on which the city lies was an island, separated from the mainland by a channel. The latter was filled in 1763. Rovinj Archipelago includes 22 islets.

History

Rovinj was already a settlement of Illyrian tribes before being captured by the Romans, who called it Arupinium or Mons Rubineus, and later Ruginium and Ruvinium. Built on an island close to the coast, it was connected with the mainland in 1763 by filling in the channel.

It became part of the Byzantine empire, then in the sixth century part of the Exarchate of Ravenna and in 788 part of the Frankish empire. Then it came under the rule of different feudal lords during several centuries. From 1209 it was ruled by the Aquileian patriarch.

It was from 1283 to 1797 one of the most important towns of Istria under the Republic of Venice. The city was fortified by two rows of walls with three town gates. The remaining town walls date from this period. Close to the pier one can find the old town gate Balbi's Arch, dating from 1680, and a late-Renaissance clock tower. The city got its statutes in 1531.

After the fall of Venice and the Napoleonic parenthesis, Rovinj was part of the Austrian Empire until World War I. According to the last Austrian census in 1911, 97,8% of the population was Italian speaking. Then it belonged to Italy from 1918 to 1947, when it was ceded to SR Croatia within SFR Yugoslavia. During that period much of the Italian inhabitants left the city.

Population

There are around 15,000 people living in Rovinj. 76.31% are Croats, with around 11,500 citizens. Ethnic minorities include 2,400 Italians (16%), Serbs (3.51%), Albanians (2.37%) and Bosniaks (1.81%).

City government

The City Assembly is composed of 19 representatives, coming from the following political parties:

• Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS) 13
• Independent 3
• Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP) 2
• Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) 1

Entertainment and Nightlife

Picturesque town houses with pizzeria

The local entertainment hub is Monvi, a multimedia centre that includes a night club, an open-air theatre, a number of disco bars, a Mexican restaurant and a pizzeria. It is very popular with locals that travel from neighbouring towns and cities to sample some of its entertainment offerings. Monvi regularly hosts concerts and events with big names from the Croatian popular music scene or international house and techno DJs. Outside of Monvi, nightlife is primarily relegated to coffee bars or local pub-type bars. In the summer months, the city is buzzing with young people although it becomes quiet in the winter, with most bars closing early and Monvi centre being open only on certain weekends.

The busiest area is the very centre of Rovinj, extending from the main bus station toward the old part of town. It is where most bars are located and where locals hang out. Popular bars among young locals are La Tabacheina, Buzz and Sax, the latter sharing an extensive open air terrace on the waterfront with a number of surrounding bars overlooking the pier that in the Summer evenings becomes one of the busiest places in town.

Rovinj's waterfront, called Riva, runs alongside the Adriatic sea bay largely parallel to Carrera street. It is lined with ice cream parlors, bars and restaurants.

Every August, Rovinj hosts Grisia, a popular open air art fair wherein local and international artists exhibit their work on the cobbled streets of Grisia.

Also in August, usually on the last weekend, the city hosts Rovinj Night, a popular open air Summer celebration with local food offerings, beverage and sweet stands, live music over multiple stages and a large fireworks display at midnight.

Shopping

The main thoroughfare is Carrera, located in the centre of downtown. The street is lined with shops, boutiques and bars. The street has recently been fully pedestrianised. In the old city centre and in the centre of Rovinj around Carrera there are plenty of different shops, boutiques, jeweller’s shops, souvenir shops and art galleries. A new shopping center is being built nearby city of Poreč, Histria Mall, and is expected to be finished by the end of year 2010.

The city has a food market open year-round, located at the edges of the historic part of town near Valdibora square.

Rovinj is also home to a number of big box retailers, namely Lidl, Plodine and Valalta.

Tourism

Rovinj by the sea

According to the data of the Tourist Association of the Istrian County, Rovinj is the second leading destination in terms of the number of realized overnights. It is also unofficially considered one of the most beautiful towns on the Adriatic coast. The most numerous visitors to the city of Rovinj are Italians, Germans, Austrians, Dutch and British. The two closest airports are Pula and Trieste. Since the recent introduction of low cost flights from the UK to Trieste, Treviso, Venice and Pula the number of UK visitors has increased dramatically. In the Summer season, there is a direct high speed ferry link between Venice and Rovinj, facilitating the transfer of visitors flying into Marco Polo airport to the town of Rovinj. High speed weekly sealinks to the Port of Ravenna and Cesenatico are also available in the summer.

The high tourist season runs from May until early September.

There are numerous hotels in the town itself, and beds are abundant though usually overbooked in the Summer months. Accommodation ranges from private rooms or apartments to bungalows, camping sites and 2 to 4 star hotels. The city's first and only 5-star boutique hotel, Hotel Monte Mulini, opened recently.

In the well-indented coastal area with a number of small bays, hidden within dense vegetation, you will often come across naturists. Although the beaches are not specified as naturist, many people choose to enjoy the sea and the sun in this way with a reserved toleration of other swimmers.

To the south side of the busy harbour in Rovinj, there is Zlatni Rt - Punta Corrente parkland, with many meandering paths through forests to rocky and pebble beaches. Well-kept paths, suitable for cycling as well, go all the way to Palud ornithological reserve 9 miles south of Rovinj. In this part you will also find large number of swimming beaches. The beaches in western part of this area are very frequented. To find more privacy and fewer people, take the road to the tip of Skaraba Cape where you will find a beautiful beach with flat stones suitable for sunbathing.

Natural landmarks and sights

• Church of S. Eufemia
• Zlatni Rt Forest Park
• The Rovinj islands and mainland - These natural sights have been described as "outstanding scenic wonders," because of the pristine beauty of the indented coastline and its forests, consisting of holm oak and Alpine pine trees. This area "of outstanding natural beauty" extends from St. Ivan promontory to Barbariga, including all the Rovinj islands and the mainland 500 metres from the shore line. The Rovinj archipelago consists of 19 islands.
• Limska Draga Fjord
• The Palud marsh and the Dvije Sestrice Islands - The Dvije Sestrice (Two Sisters) islands are a nesting site for seagulls. Because of its thick holm oak forest the Gustinja promontory is regarded as "a forest vegetation reserve."
• Rovinj Town Museum

Transportation

The preferred means of transport for getting around Rovinj is by car. Rovinj is well-connected with the rest of Istria and with larger cities such as Trieste, Rijeka, Ljubljana and Zagreb.

The closest commercial international airports are Pula (20 miles), Trieste-Ronchi (70 miles) and Rijeka-Krk (80 miles). Car rental is available at each of the airports.

Rovinj is served by the Kanfanar railway station (10 miles), which connects the region to Rijeka. However, travelling by bus is preferred to travelling by train due to the limited connections and schedules. The main bus station is located at the north-east end of Carrera.

Education

Primary Schools

• Juraj Dobrila - 8 year Croatian primary school.
• Vladimir Nazor - 8 year Croatian primary school located in the old part of town just above Carrera road.
• Bernardo Benussi - Scuola Elementare Italiana - 8 year Italian primary school.

Secondary Schools

• Zvane Črnje - Croatian secondary (13-18) school.
• Strukovna Škola Eugena Kumičića - Croatian secondary (13-18) school for professional development.
• Scuola Media Superiore Italiana Rovigno (SMSIR) - Italian secondary school.

See also

• Monkodonja

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Croatia

Twin towns — Sister cities

Rovinj is twinned with:

• Adria, Italy (since 1982)
• Camaiore, Italy (since 1990)
• Leonberg, Germany (since 1990)

References

Bibliography

• Cresswell, Peterjon; Atkins, Ismay; Dunn, Lily (10 July 2006). Time Out Croatia (First ed.). London, Berkeley & Toronto: Time Out Group Ltd & Ebury Publishing, Random House Ltd. 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SV1V 2SA. ISBN 978-1-904978-70-1. http://books.google.com/books?id=VZweAAAACAAJ. Retrieved 10 March 2010. 

External links

• Tourist association of Rovinj
• The official site of the Town of Rovinj
• Map of Rovinj
• Rovinj Heritage Museum