Attractions in Porec and Area
Besides enjoying your stay at Otilija B&B, there are many attractions to see in Porec which could make your vacation even more satisfying. Check out some of the places below that we recommend and you are sure to enjoy a fulfilling experience.
- Euphrasius Basilica
- Porec Old Town
- Lim Fjord (Lim Fyord)
- Baredine Cave
- Rovinj
- A Day Trip to Venice
- Groznjan Jazz Festival
- Motovun Film Festival
- Brijuni Island
- 1. Euphrasius Basilica
- Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 6th Century Byzantine Euphrasius Basilica is known for its beautiful mosaics on gold backgrounds. It was built and named for Bishop Eurphrasius and was constructed in the mid 500s on the small Oratory of St. Maurus Martyr, built in the 4th Century. During the summer months classical music concerts are held in the Basilica. (source: www.planetware.com; photo by Georges Jansoone JoJan)
- 2. Porec Old Town
- Porec Old Town is a quaint cobbled town with a medieval feel. But there is also the second-century Temple of Neptune, which stands hidden away at the sea end of the main street. Further along the main street (Decumanus) there is a beautiful Romanesque house with a wooden balcony, decorated with flowers in the summer. (photo by Georges Jansoone JoJan)
- 3. Lim Fjord
- South of Porec, about a 20 minute car-ride, or 30 minute boat-ride away, one of the most beautiful natural resources of the Istrian peninsula, Lim Bay, is located, also known under the name of the Lim channel of the Lim fiord. The water in the bay is partly brackish, because of its underwater sources of sweet water and it is thus suitable for the growth of plant and animal life and it is also a well-known fish and oyster farm (oysters, mussels, giltheads, sea basses.). All these delicacies can be tasted in two restaurants on the very coast of the bay. Free climbing lovers will find a suitable cliff on the northern side, where during the summer time fans of this extreme sport are doing their daily climbing tour.
- 4. Baredine Cave
- This cave is a treasure chest of stalagmites and stalactites, underworld sculptures created through time. In one of the atriums you can see a crater that is 4m wide and 66 m deep which goes down to the underground lakes, and five halls, five galleries of abstract and realistic sculptures, the animals of the underworld, human fish and endemic animals that live only in this environment, miniature see-through crabs and insects. (source: www.travel-through-croatia.com; photo by Georges Jansoone JoJan)
- 5. Rovinj
- Jules Verne, the father of science fiction, in search of unique places for his novels, chose Rovinj as a setting for some chapters of his novel 'Mathias Sandorf'. Just as he was, many a writer has through centuries equallv been enchanted by Rovinj and its beauties. As a matter of fact, many records written in the past centuries could be read as little guide books. This ancient settlement (3rd centuny) was first mentioned by, Anonymous of Ravenna at the beginning of 8th century. Just like in the past, a traveller gets always attracted by its exuberant beauty which made a Roman chronicler, almost two thousand years ago, note down - In Istria Roman patricians feel like Gods... (source: www.istra.com; photo by MRB)
- 6. A day trip to Venice
- Porec is nicely situated almost opposite Venice, and so it's very easy to take a 2-hour boat trip across for the day. Cruise up past St. Mark Square and the Grand Canal. The day trip is well worth it if all you want to do is say you've been to Venice and then impress friends with a mountain of photos. (photo by G.dallorto/Venice)
- 7. Groznjan Jazz Festival
- Groznjan is a 14th-century Venetian town, known nowadays as Town of Artists - an arts colony, where, since 1965, painters, sculptors and musicians come to live and work. During summers, from July to early September, concerts and music events are held almost every day, like concerts of classical music, a jazz festival etc. (source: www.find-croatia.com)
- 8. Motovun Film Festival
- Motovun Film Festival is entirely dedicated to films made in small cinematographies and independent productions, films that broke out through their innovation, ideas, and the power of their stories. The international Motovun film festival which was founded in the year 1999, at the beginning of August gathers here up to twenty thousand film lovers. (source: www.find-croatia.com) Town of Motovun is an attraction by itself. Motovun is one of the best preserved Istrian hill medieval towns, definitely a must see!
- 9. National Park - Brijuni Island
- The Brijuni islands, found along the southwestern coast of Istria, were proclaimed a national park in 1983. The island has a zoo, pheasant farm and safari park with numerous diverse forms of animal life from throughout the world. The vegetation on the islands is extremely rich - Mediterranean: holm oak, laurel, pine, olive, rosemary and underbrush. Already in classical antiquity the picturesque Brijuni Islands attracted people seeking natural beauty and tranquility, the archipelago has been inhabited since Roman and Byzantine times, and the ruins of Roman villas as well as numerous remains of other buildings and decorative mosaics speak of the attraction of the archipelago. National Park Brijuni includes the surrounding sea with exceptionally preserved sea fauna.