TravelinToTurkey

I thought I posted this message earlier, but I cannot find it anywhere, so I'm assuming that it did not post. I have three days to visit Pula and Opatija. How should I distribute my time (assuming that I will have already visited Porec and Rovinj, so day trips from Pula won't be needed)--2 days in Pula 1 in Opatija or 1 day in Pula 2 in Opatija? Which place has more sights and things to do? I like to walk everywhere--Are the sights more widely-dispersed in one of those towns as compared to the other, thereby requiring more time? I would definitely like to catch a concert in the amphitheater in Pula. Many thanks!!

Catbert

Click on your name to find your old post. Sometimes you have to click twice to find the most recent.

I would rather stay in Rovinj longer than either Pula or Opatija. But if you're seeing a concert at the amphitheater you probably will want to spend the night in Pula. It has more archeological spots to visit (by foot is possible) and you can also take a boat tour. Opatija is more resort-y. Pula is more of a working town. Rovinj is my favorite Istrian town.

tower

Opatija has a marvelous ocean front walk..and the town, albeit touristy, is a throwback to the days of the Empire, architecture and all...Austro-Hngarian nobility loved coming here...
Stu

TravelinToTurkey

Catbert and Tower: Thanks for your input! Catbert: Don't worry--I plan to spend a day in Porec and 2 DAYS IN ROVINJ before moving on to Pula and then to Opatija and then down the coast. Actually, I was thinking perhaps I should use Rovinj as a "home base" from which to visit Porec as a day trip (from Rovinj), but I don't want to spend 2 hours (1 hour each way) on the bus in order to do that. What do you think? (P.S. In case you're curious about my screen name, Turkey--Turkiye--was this year's trip, and I hope to return again some year soon, because I absolutely loved it!!)

Catbert

I stayed in Rovinj for 4 days and did a day trip to Pula. I didn't visit Porec. The bus to Rejika (right next to Opatija) was 3 hours. I didn't mind any of my bus rides because they gave me a chance to see much of the Istrian Peninsula.

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/6ce90/5e23a/ for some great information about Porec.

I'm still looking forward to my first visit to Turkey.

Ruby15

My suggestion is to do Pula as a day trip from Rovinj ( it's not that far 30minutes by bus) and have a day or two in Opatija. I like Opatija due to its architecture from Austro-Hungarian days. You could also see the church at Trsat which is a pilgramage site. Opatija is quite small and everything in walking distance, Pula is a city much more spread out. Porec is only 30 minutes by bus from Rovinj, ( at the most, depends on the bus driver!) It's worth doing at you pass through the Lim fjord, or over it depending on which route the bus takes. Scenic which ever way you go.

Tsvetana

Rovinj is the most beautiful town on the Istrian peninsula by far. We stayed there for 3 days in September, and it was just the right amount of time for us. A word of warning about the Lim Fjord--the 4-hour boat tour to the end of the "fjord" was a huge waste of an afternoon. More and more of the same flat scenery dampened our spirits about half an hour into the trip. The boat captains kept pouring grappa to themselves, which in the end got us circling around Rovinj with some rather drunken captains on board. We started to wonder whether we'd have to swim the last leg of the trip. . Well, we made it to the shore and in the end witnessed a most stunning sunset over the Adriatic sea.

Porec seemed quite deserted and uneventful. True, we only took a brief walk along the promenade and had lunch, but it seemed enough and we were ready to leave after that.

Catbert

I thought that boat ride was kind of nice. It was very hot when I was in Rovinj and the boat ride was cooler. I even enjoyed the captains although I soon passed on the grappa. They gave me a lot of interesting info about Istria.

rotaka

Rovinj Rovinj Rovinj aka Rovigno...such a charming place with such a great energy and atmosphere. You could do Pola/Pula in 1 day, 2 days tops and the energy is not so great.