Rovinj
 

i start theee days there on Sat. Have a guide book but so many wonderful things make it hard to chose. Your top few? I love lovely seaside views, medieval castles, old towns, charming villages and local markets. Is Pula market worth a trip to Pula? I liked the market in Split. It didn’t think it was a must see. I have a car.

We spent 3 nights in Rovinj 8 or 9 years ago in April. The town was picturesque with Venetian influences and a lovely seaside setting. Sunsets were downright magical, as a soft pink and tangerine light touched the sea and the waterfront with a warm and wonderful glow. Really, Roving was a travel memory that will always stay with me. The first full day we spent there, we rented bikes and peddled south to the Punta Corrente Forest Park and Golden Cape area, packing a picnic. We rented an apartment with a kitchenette, so that morning we visited the little market in town and bought ingredients for our picnic and our dinner. It was really not much of a market but adequate for our needs. On our second day, we drove our rental car to Motovun, a quaint hilltop town with pretty views, and wandered around, stopping in a cafe on the town wall and visiting a few small shops. At that time of year, we felt like we had the town to ourselves. But the highlight of our second day was again the sunset in Roving. We travel slow, as you can see, and you could probably pack in a lot more to see, as it is a beautiful area. We enjoyed it so much.

Rovinj is a town in an area called Istria, which I mention because I'm sure your guidebooks will be more useful if you look in the right section.

I'm glad I saw the Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč -- another location within Istria.

Rovinj is lovely but small. It makes a great base for exploring Istria but you don't need much time to see the town itself. As mentioned above, the sunsets are lovely. Rovinj is a great place to come back to at night. I enjoyed morning walks around the harbor, too when it was so quiet and almost no one was out except a few fisherman and some stray cats.

I didn't think much of Pula myself. I'd seen plenty of good Roman ruins in Rome and didn't find Pula's that exceptional, and I didn't find Pula especially charming.

Many people explore the interior hill towns in Istria - and you have a car, so it should be very easy. Of the hill towns, Groznjan was my favorite. Motovun was nice but touristy and the largest of them I think.

Our few days in Rovinj were largely spent soaking up the charm of the town itself and walking in the nearby Punta Corrente park by the seashore. Our plan to explore the small villages in the hinterland was frustrated by the unavailability of a rental car for a single day.
Two of my personal highlights: first was surviving the climb up the tower on the rickety steps at St Euphemia church and second was dining on a tiny balcony (there's only one) at restaurant Monte. Worth reserving if you can; it might help your cause if you pose as inveterate smokers. The food is a step up from the usual offerings, both in terms of quality and presentation.

Pula is usually visited for it's Roman amphitheatre and not for the market. Other famous places in the area are the caves of San Cassiano (Skocian) and Postojna as well as the stud of Lipizza. For well known castles, you may check Miramare and Duino.
The closest Islands are Lussinpiccolo (Mali Losinj) and Brioni.
The basilica at Parenzo (Porec) is a gem (as said above).

-Postojna as well as the stud of Lipizza. For well known castles, you may check Miramare and Duino.-

These are a bit of a trek from Rovinj and involve a border crossing. Hopefully she has made it to the Pula ampitheatre and the basilica in Porec. And enjoyed some of the walks and sunsets in Rovinj proper.