Rovinj Old Town and the St Euphemia Bell Tower

What it is

Rovinj's old town occupies a former island, now joined to the mainland, with colourful houses crowded down to the water and cobbled lanes climbing towards the church of St Euphemia, at the very top. Its bell tower, about 58 m, can be seen from any point on the coast and is the city's silhouette. It is a two-hour walk on your own, with the climb up the tower as a reward.

The climb along Grisia

From the harbour, enter the old town through the Balbi Arch and climb Grisia street, a cobbled street of cascading steps that leads to the church esplanade. It is Rovinj's artists' street: since August 1967, the Rovinj City Museum has organised here each year a one-day exhibition in which painters hang their works in the open air.

The church of St Euphemia

In its place there was first a small church of St George. In the mid-10th century, according to tradition, the sarcophagus of St Euphemia miraculously floated to the shore at Rovinj, and a new three-nave church dedicated to her was built. The present one was begun on 8 December 1720 to a design by the Venetian Giovanni Scalfarotto and finished by Giovanni Dozza in 1736. It is the most important example of Baroque on the Istrian coast: it measures 51 m long and 30 wide. The facade was made between 1861 and 1865.

Inside, look out for:

• The sarcophagus of St Euphemia, behind the saint's altar: it is of Proconnesian marble, made in Aquileia around the 3rd or 4th century. Through a small window you see the saint's body, her face covered by a wax mask of 1953.
• The high altar, with statues of St George with the dragon, St Mark with the lion and St Roch with the dog, by Alvise Tagliapietra.
• The Last Supper of 1574 and two other canvases in the choir, attributed to Pietro Pergolis, which returned to the church in 2013 after restoration.
• The silver altar front of the Blessed Sacrament altar, of 1777, by the silversmith Angelo Scarabello.

The bell tower

It was begun on 7 October 1654 to a design by the Milanese Alessandro Manopola and finished in 1687, in the style of Venetian bell towers. At the top, a 4.70 m copper statue of the saint, placed in 1758, turns in the wind like a weathervane. The climb is by a steep interior staircase; at the top you have the whole old town, the harbour, the islands and the coast. It is not for anyone with vertigo or for small children.

Price and hours

Entry to the church is free and the climb up the bell tower costs €4. The hours change with the season: in spring and summer it opens more hours than in autumn and winter. Respect the services: it cannot be visited during Mass. For queries, the parish office is at G. Garibaldi 1.

Getting there

The old town is pedestrian. Leave the car at one of the Rovinj municipal car parks, such as Valdibora, and go in on foot; at car parks with a barrier you pay on leaving.

When to go

Climb the bell tower first thing or in the late afternoon and go down to the harbour by the sea side at sunset. In July and August the old town fills up mid-morning.

With children

The church and the walk, yes. The bell tower, only with older children who do not fear heights. The Grisia stairs are not for pushchairs.

Where to eat and sleep

For a planned dinner, Monte, with a Michelin star, at Montalbano 75; it is closed until mid-April 2027. To sleep opposite the old town, about 800 m along the promenade, the Grand Park Hotel Rovinj.