Enchanting Istria: sea, boats, cafés and antiquities
– even Roman
ruins
by Lucy Komisar
We were sitting at Sidro, a sidewalk café in the Rovinj harbor sipping
wine and looking at the people strolling on the wide esplanade lined with
pastel-colored houses. In one direction we gazed at a jumble of sailing and
fishing boats. In another we saw the white bulk of the Santa Eufemia church
perched on a hill dominating the town. It was one of those perfect evenings,
which seem to occur often in Istria, the peninsula at the northern part of
Croatia's Dalmatian coast on the Adriatic Sea.
Sidro, which means anchor, opened in 1966, which makes it the oldest
restaurant in town.
It was founded by Krsto Stojanović, grandfather of the owners. He came
from Serbia, on Croatia's eastern border. One of his grandsons told us how
he had gotten to Istria: "In 1966 my grandfather said lot of Italians left
Istria after the Partisans [the fighters against Mussolini fascism] came.
People from Serbia, especially artists, painters, musicians, found in Rovinj
the beauty of the Mediterranean."
Before the Balkan war, there were just a handful of cafés there. After
Krsto died in the 1980’s, his daughter Gordana Paoletti took over the
business. Tourism peaked in the 80s, and then the war came and shuttered
everything. But the family didn't leave. Now her sons Gordan and Vanja run
the place.
 Now lining the harbor
are a few dozen cafés and restaurants running from old local bars to
table-clothed establishments. Sidro is a gem. Its food is a fusion of
Istrian and Serbian cuisines, overseen by a chef who has been at the
restaurant for 40 years. Gordan emerged from the kitchen with a fish platter
so we could choose what we wanted. The meal was superb, built around sea
bass, orada, Croatian sheep cheese, and Malvazija, the very good local white
wine.
After dinner, we wandered around the Old Town, going through a stone
archway up narrow steps lined with cafés and shops. One inventive individual
had placed cushions and stools up a row of steps and landings and served up
recorded jazz with the drinks. We climbed to Santa Eufemia; the 18th century
church that was a ghostly presence at the top of the hill.
Istria and Italy have a long and interesting connection. Istria was
Italian before it was Croatian. In fact, it was Roman before it was Italian.
When the Romans departed, it was populated by the Slavs and in the middle
ages taken over by the Venetians across the Adriatic; they ruled for 500
years. Other forces displaced them, then Italians governed again till World
War II. Almost everyone speaks Italian. Most street signs are in Croatian
and Italian. (Istria is Italian; Istra is Croation.) And there are
astonishing Roman ruins and the very savory influence of Italian cookery.
Monte Mulini
We were staying at Monte Mulini, about a 10-minute walk along the sea
from the Old Town. It is built where there once was a small mountain (monte)
with a mill (mulino). Then in 2008, Maistra, Istria's premier hotel company,
created an elegant five-star boutique hotel, the only one in town. Walking
into the lobby, I was stunned by the view through the three-story high glass
wall that opens onto three levels of terraces and pools, and beyond that the
sea and surrounding nature reserve. All the rooms face the water. Seen from
the terraces, the hotel appeared to have a honeycomb of white balconies.
 Our room was decorated
with modern Croatian art. It had a red chaise and on the balcony stylish
black raffia chairs and a coffee table. From there, I could see a small park
with silvery olive trees and beyond that a few dozen boats in a protected
cove, their masts bereft of sails as they waited to be put to work.
In the morning, we had breakfast on another terrace overlooking the bay.
Croissant and cappuccino never tasted so good. And then I had a facial in
the spa, a soothing multi-colored-lit hideaway to soothe the spirit as well
as the flesh! Just what I needed to feel splendidly radiant for the rest of
the day.
Rovinj is located just halfway along Istria's west coast. It's the
perfect base from which to explore the peninsula.
Poreć
On this day, we went north to Poreć. The site to visit there is the
Euphrasian Basilica, an example of 6th century Byzantine architecture, the
only one standing in Croatia. We stopped to gaze at the mosaics in the apse
which have put the Basilica on UNESCO's list of the world's cultural
heritage sites. Then we wandered around the narrow streets and noticed
signs of the cultural past -- Venetian style wooden balconies on some old
stone buildings.
 Moving up a couple of
centuries from the Basilica, we made a detour inland to the medieval
fortified hill town of Motovun. The old stone gate is still there, but now
not too far away you will find an outdoor restaurant with a stunning view of
the valley. Cars can drive only to the lower town; you have to climb a lot
of steps to get to the upper town, the historic part. After lunch, we ambled
along the 13th-14th-century wall and peered down to the forest, which is
famous for its truffles.
 Then back home for a
relax! My favorite of Monte Mulini's three curving pools is filled with
water to the top edge directly abutting a small bay, so that nothing breaks
the line to the horizon. A poolside bar is perched like a funny white hat on
the water.
That night we had dinner at the hotel's Wine Vault terrace overlooking
the sea. It specializes in French cooking and has an haute cuisine way of
preparing fish. My favorite was brancin or sea bass. We reached the terrace
through the Wine Vault's interior room, an elegant space with vaulted
ceilings, terracotta brickwork, red plush chairs and candles set on a high
hanging shelf that puts out soft light for diners. Nearby are stored more
than 500 choices of wine!
A big excursion was planned for the next day, south along the coast to
the island of Brijuni, famous because it was the private preserve of Marshal
Tito, who was a Partisan leader against the Nazis, became the authoritarian
ruler of Yugoslavia and dominated the country till his death in 1980. He was
however, very popular. He practiced Communism "lite," breaking with the
Soviet Union and allowing citizens to travel abroad. They traveled, and they
returned.
Brijuni
To get to Brijuni, you take an open boat from Fažana, which is where we
met our guide Elena. The short excursion took us to a harbor banked by a
couple of hotels that are 100 years old, rebuilt by Tito in the 1950s for
his guests and visiting delegations. In 1984 they were opened to the public
from April to late October. Among the forests of pine, cypress, cedar, and
oaks, there are also some apartments and rental villas.
You can spend hours on the island, but there are highlights.
 Start with the
impressive Roman ruins, which are certainly surprising to find on this
little island. Most were discovered only in the late 1970s. A Roman temple
was connected to a first-century villa. It's a romantic spot and a favorite
for weddings.
Across the island on the west coast is the Byzantine Castrum, with ruins
from the 2nd to 14th centuries, some Roman, some later, including the feudal
period of Charlemagne. We trod gingerly over the stone foundations and
ducked our heads under a stone wall gateway with a decorative brick arch.
Changing pace altogether, Elena zipped us along on our electric cart to
Tito's safari park, constructed to house the animals he got as gifts from
world leaders. There are Shetland ponies from Queen Elizabeth, a passel of
ostriches, and zebras. From some African dictator?
But the pièce de résistance was the dinosaur footprints! You don't
believe it? I took photos! Where were they going? Into the sea? Or was there
land then where the sea is now?
If you still have time, visit the still-working 1600-year-old olive tree
that Romans used to make olive oil. And the still-beautiful fifth-century
church with a 2000-year-old mosaic taken from a temple of Venus.
Are you getting the picture about Istria's Roman ruins? You have a treat
in store when you go further south along the coast to Pula. But that's
another day.
For a last evening in Rovinj, we went to Veli Jože (Old Joe's) in the old
town. It's a casual place and very popular. We sat outside, listening to the
strains of music being played at the port nearby. And we ate more memorable
fish.
Pula
James Joyce taught English at a naval base of the Austro-Hungarian
Monarchy in 1904 and 1905 in what is now Croatia. He wrote his brother
Stanislaus in Dublin: "The town I have arrived in lies in the Adriatic,
right above Turkey (?!), Pula is but a bay away from Venice!"
So, when you visit the extraordinary Roman Coliseum in Pula, remember
that Joyce was there before you. This is one of the sixth largest Roman
amphitheaters in the world. It was built by Claudius, then expanded by
Vespatian to accommodate gladiator jousts. Some 23,000 people could watch
the bloody battles. Now it's used for music concerts from opera to rock (an
assault in its own way), for plays and for a film festival. Notice the
stadium seating at the upper left.
Pula is the oldest city on the coast. One myth is that it was founded by
Jason and Medea who were fleeing with the golden fleece. It became a Roman
colony in 40 BC. It was a pretty thriving place in its time, and the Romans
were good builders. The Arch of Sergii was constructed in the first century
BC. The Temple of Romae and Augustus was built in the first century AD. Both
are examples of astonishing simplicity and beauty.
Then jarringly back to modern times. The trip was too short, though we
did venture into the interior – to some delightful wine tastings -- and to
more seaside towns that space prevents describing. When, alas, it's time to
go, you can leave Istria in several ways including by train or plane from
Pula. But if you decide to drive up the east coast, perhaps to the capital
Zagreb or beyond, there's a terrific place to stop.
Mali Raj
In the north of Istria, at the top of the peninsula, is Mali Raj, a fish
restaurant run by Milan Sasar and his family on a bay between Opatija and
Icici. Sitting on a terrace covered by a peaked wood roof, we had a view of
water rippling over the rocks, then of sailboats in a small marina and in
the distance the lights of the islands of Kvarner. Planters of red geraniums
added splashes of color to the white table cloths and plush maroon chairs. A
waiter came with a platter of raw fish. I picked sea bass (brancin), now my
favorite, with blitva, the ubiquitous chopped green.
A final word: go to Croatia fast, before it gets spoiled! Tourism is
sophisticated there. Town maps and events are excellent. People speak
English. Service is first class. Tourists are a major source of income for
Croatia and the people who deal with visitors respond accordingly. And it
isn't cluttered with fast food places and billboards, with mass occupations
of beaches, with treatment of foreigners that is often surly and prices
going through the roof. Croatia is probably half the price of the other
Riviera. For now.
If you go
DK Eyewitness Travel Croatia. I love this book, which focuses on every
interesting place town by town, clearly, with photos and graphics and
information about opening hours and prices.
$25. www.Traveldk.com
Insight Pocket Guide for a mini where-to-go to carry along when a big
book is too heavy.
www.insightguides.com/
Traveling
By train: Take the train through Slovenia to Pula in the south or go by
rail to Rijeka and from there by bus to the northern Istria train station of
Lupoglav which goes down the middle of the peninsula to Pula. Croatia is
part of the Eurailpass system, so if you're traveling by rail around Europe
or in neighborhood countries, including Italy, Slovenia, Hungary and Serbia,
it makes sense to get a railpass. Find the local schedules at
www.hznet.hr and check
www.raileurope.com to see what
Eurailpass combination is best for you.
By plane: Fly to Pula and rent a car. If you plan to stay in Rovinj and
not visit nearby places, take a taxi.
Istria Tourist Board www.istra.hr/en/home
info@istra.hr
(write istra, not istria)
Sidro (Rovinj)
Rismondo 14 (at the harbor)
385
(0)52 813 0471
paoletti@ibr.hr
Full meal with wine about €15 a person.
Monte Mulini (Rovinj) *****
A. Smareglia bb
52210
Rovinj
385 (0)52 636 000 or 800 250
Fax 385 (0)52 800 215
info@maistra.hr;
montemulini@maistra.hr
www.montemulinihotel.hr
99 rooms and 14 suites.
High season €500 a
night, small suites €600 to 700, large suites €1200. low season €300.
Free wifi, spa.
Separate pools for kids.
PorećEuphrasian
Basilica and Bishop's Palace
9am to 7pm June to Aug, 10am to 2pm Apr to May and Sept to Nov.
(0)52
431-595, Free
www.istra.com/porec
Brijuni
You get to the island by boat that leaves
from Fažana.
Once there, you can visit Brijuni with a private guide you
have arranged or on open trolleys with English, Italian, German or Croatian
guides. The trolleys don't go to the zoo or the dinosaur tracks. Or you can
rent a bike. There's also a golf course and clubs rental.
www.brijuni.hr
Veli Jože (Rovinj)
Svetoga Kriza 1 (in the old town
near the harbor)
385 (0)52 816 337
Pula
Amphitheatre, Flavijevska ulica, (0)52 219 028,
9am to sunset.
Tourist office forum 3,
385 (0)52 212 987.
www.pulainfo.hr.
Mali Raj, (Opatija)
Maršala Tita 191,
51 410
Opatija,
385 (0)51 704074
info@mali-raj.hr,
mali.raj@ri.t-com.hr
www.mali-raj.hr
pension with 10 rooms.
Photos by Lucy Komisar
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