Rovinj on 23 June offers a free guided city tour with traditional songs and flavours of the sea
On Tuesday, 23 June 2026, Rovinj will host a new edition of the Feel the breeze of Rovinj programme, a free guided city tour intended for everyone who wants to discover the cultural and historical heritage of the old town centre with professional guidance from a local guide. According to the programme of the Rovinj-Rovigno Tourist Board, the gathering is scheduled for 10:00 in front of the Tourist Board headquarters at Trg na mostu 2, and the tour lasts approximately two hours. The programme is conceived as a walk through the most recognisable Rovinj streets, squares and viewpoints, but also as an encounter with less visible elements of local everyday life, from craft traditions to musical and gastronomic heritage. Participation is free, but registration is required no later than one hour before the start of the tour at the email address info@rovinj-tourism.hr. When registering, it is necessary to specify the desired language of guidance because, according to the organiser’s announcement, Croatian, Italian, English and German are planned.
Departure from Trg na mostu and a two-hour route through the old town centre
According to the announcement of the Rovinj-Rovigno Tourist Board, the starting point of the tour will be Trg na mostu, a space practical for this kind of programme because it is located at the point where the central part of the city meets the old town centre. The route includes Garibaldi Street, the family shoemaking workshop in Zdenac Street, Bregovita Street, the viewpoint, the Church of St Euphemia, Grisia Street, Porečka Street, Garzotto Street, Veli trg, the Gate under the Wall, the city harbour, Marshal Tito Square, the city clock and the Batana Ecomuseum. Such an itinerary leads participants through an area in which different layers of Rovinj’s history are clearly recognisable: from narrow stone streets and the defensive traces of the old town to the harbour and maritime heritage. The organiser announces shorter stops at the most interesting points, giving the tour a rhythm suited to sightseeing, photography and listening to the stories of the local guide. For visitors planning to stay longer than the tour itself, it is useful to check accommodation offers in Rovinj in advance, especially because the programme takes place during a period of increased summer arrivals.
The old town centre of Rovinj is described by the City of Rovinj-Rovigno as a protected historical ensemble, and official city data state that the protection decision was issued in 1963 and that the cultural and historical ensemble is today listed in the Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia. In this area, Romanesque-Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical architectural elements are especially recognisable, including windows, balconies, portals, stairways and tightly clustered houses on the slope below the Church of St Euphemia. Precisely because of such spatial density, a guided tour can be more useful than an independent walk, since some locations at first glance appear to be picturesque passages but actually preserve information about the defensive, religious, craft and everyday history of the city. In its description of the old town, the City of Rovinj-Rovigno also states that, of the former seven city gates, three have preserved their original form, including the Gate under the Wall, which is included in the announced route. The programme is therefore not conceived only as a tour of landmarks, but also as a reading of an urban space shaped by centuries of life on the peninsula.
The Church of St Euphemia as the central point of Rovinj’s identity
One of the key stops on the tour will be the Church of St Euphemia, which official city information describes as a Baroque building in Venetian style and the largest monument in Rovinj. According to data from the City of Rovinj-Rovigno, the church was reconstructed between 1725 and 1736, while on the site of today’s building, until the 10th century, there stood a smaller church of St George. In its historical account, the City also states that the sarcophagus containing the body of the Christian martyr Euphemia was brought to the city in the year 800, after which veneration of the saint gradually strongly marked the religious and identity life of Rovinj. The programme includes a tour of the church, allowing participants to experience the space not only as the dominant view of the old town, but also as a place where sacred art, local tradition and the history of the community meet. Since the church is located on an elevated part of the old town centre, stopping at this point also opens up a view of the city, the coast and the wider Rovinj waters.
The official tourist portal of Istria states that the Church of St Euphemia is the most imposing city building dominating the old town centre, while the sixty-metre-high bell tower stands out with its copper statue of the saint, which turns under the influence of the wind. Such details are important for understanding why the church and its bell tower appear as one of the most recognisable symbols of Rovinj. Journalistic and tourist descriptions of the city often emphasise the view of the bell tower, but a guided tour can further explain how the sacred centre is connected with the urban development of the old town. The ascent towards the church through stone streets and squares reveals the structure of a settlement in which everyday life took place for centuries in a very limited space. This is why this stop is important both for those interested in architecture and for those who observe Rovinj through the relationship between religious, maritime and urban history.
Bitinade, arie da nuoto and a short gastronomic break in Casale Street
A special part of the programme has been announced in the old-town street of Casale, where participants will be welcomed by a musical programme featuring old traditional Rovinj songs, bitinade and arie da nuoto. According to the official description by the Rovinj-Rovigno Tourist Board about Rovinj batanas and bitinade, the tradition of building batanas is inseparable from the musical tradition of Rovinj, while bitinade are presented as an authentic musical expression of the Rovinj community. In this context, the musical part of the tour is not merely accompanying entertainment, but a way of including intangible heritage in the experience of the urban space. Bitinada is especially connected with Rovinj’s fishing and maritime everyday life, so its performance during the walk reminds visitors that the history of the city is read not only from stone façades, but also from language, song and social customs. The programme thus gains a layer that a classic tour of landmarks often lacks: a direct encounter with the local sound and rhythm of tradition.
In the nearby tasting room Osteria Casale, participants will, according to the organiser’s announcement, be able to taste simple fish dishes, such as salted anchovies and similar bites. Such a gastronomic break thematically continues the maritime and fishing heritage of Rovinj, especially the tradition of small wooden boats and the everyday life of people who lived by the sea. In the announcement, the organiser does not state a commercial tasting format or additional conditions other than participation in the programme, so this part should be viewed as an integral component of the interpretive tour. For visitors, it is also important to note practically that the two-hour tour includes walking through old-town streets, climbing towards the viewpoint and the church, and stopping at several points, so comfortable footwear and arriving a few minutes before the start are recommended. Since the tour takes place in the morning, it can fit into a wider daily plan of staying in the city, including a visit to a museum, a walk along the waterfront or continued exploration of the surrounding streets.
The Batana Ecomuseum and living maritime heritage
The announced route also includes the Batana Ecomuseum, one of the most important institutions dedicated to Rovinj’s maritime heritage. On its official website, the Ecomuseum-Ecomuseo “Batana” states that it is dedicated to the traditional wooden vessel batana and to the community that chose it as its symbol. The Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia states that the Ecomuseum “Batana” project is inscribed in UNESCO’s Register of Good Safeguarding Practices for intangible cultural heritage of the world and describes it as a unique approach to preserving the tangible and intangible heritage of Rovinj. According to the same source, the project is based on the initiative of local residents and long-term cooperation between the community and experts, and it includes the preservation of the skill of building the batana, traditional bitinada songs, the local dialect and other traditional values. Including the Batana Ecomuseum in the programme therefore has clear interpretive value: it connects city streets, the harbour, music and fishing tradition into one whole for participants.
Official information from the Batana Ecomuseum states that the batana is the most widespread traditional vessel in Rovinj and that it reflects the continuity of local maritime heritage. In a tourist sense, the batana is not only a museum object, but a symbol of a way of life that shaped the relationship between the city and the sea for decades. Through its programmes, the Ecomuseum interprets the boat, the people who built and used it, customs connected with fishing, music and food, as well as contemporary efforts to preserve this heritage. In the announced tour, this story naturally continues from the city harbour and the old streets along which craftsmen, fishermen, merchants and families once moved. In this way, a visit to the Ecomuseum is not experienced in isolation, but as the final or one of the central elements of a walk through the city’s memory.
Visit to the Church of St Francis of Assisi and the monastery collection
The organiser announces that the tour also includes a visit to the Church of St Francis of Assisi and the monastery collection. According to the announcement, the collection preserves a large number of liturgical objects as well as valuable paintings and sculptures, which extends the tour beyond Rovinj’s best-known views. Such a stop is important because Rovinj’s sacred heritage is not limited only to the Church of St Euphemia, even though it dominates the city panorama. Less prominent churches and monastery collections often preserve objects that help us understand the artistic, ritual and social connections of the city with Istria, the Adriatic and the wider Mediterranean sphere. For visitors who know Rovinj primarily for its coast and old town, this part of the programme can reveal a less familiar layer of cultural history.
In a journalistic context, it is important to emphasise that this type of tour does not depend only on the number of landmarks, but on the way in which they are connected into a story. Departure from the tourist board, passage through the old town centre, visits to church spaces, a musical encounter in Casale Street and the inclusion of the Batana Ecomuseum create a programme that combines tangible and intangible heritage. Thus the visitor is offered not only a list of locations, but also an explanation of how space, the sea, craft, faith and tradition shaped the recognisability of Rovinj. Such interpretation is especially useful in cities where tourist traffic can easily reduce the historical centre to a backdrop for a short walk. A guided tour enables a slower and more informed encounter with the city, with the local guide playing a key role in connecting facts, anecdotes and a broader cultural context.
Registrations, languages of guidance and practical information
To participate in the programme, it is necessary to register no later than one hour before the start of the tour by sending a message to info@rovinj-tourism.hr, states the Rovinj-Rovigno Tourist Board. The desired language of guidance should be indicated in the registration, and Croatian, Italian, English and German are offered. Such a linguistic structure corresponds to the multilingual character of Rovinj and its tourist audience, as well as to the official bilingual identity of the city, which uses the name Rovinj-Rovigno in public communication. The start is scheduled for 10:00, and the meeting with the guide is planned in front of the Tourist Board at Trg na mostu 2, so participants are advised to arrive somewhat earlier so that the group can be organised without delay. Since the tour lasts about two hours and passes through the stone streets of the old town, it is practical to bring water, sun protection and footwear suitable for walking on uneven surfaces.
- Event: Feel the breeze of Rovinj, free guided city tour
- Date: Tuesday, 23 June 2026
- Time: 10:00
- Meeting place: Rovinj-Rovigno Tourist Board, Trg na mostu 2
- Duration: approximately two hours
- Languages of guidance: Croatian, Italian, English and German
- Registrations: no later than one hour before the start at info@rovinj-tourism.hr
The programme takes place in the summer part of the year, when interest in city tours, cultural content and shorter interpretive programmes in coastal destinations is especially pronounced. For this reason, timely registration is important although participation is free, especially for those who want guidance in a specific language. The route is suitable for visitors coming to Rovinj for the first time, but also for those who have already walked through the old town centre and want to gain a more structured insight into its historical and cultural layers. In the case of a longer stay, the tour can be connected with additional visits to museums, churches, the waterfront and city viewpoints, and it is useful to check accommodation near the old town centre of Rovinj in good time. According to the available information from the organiser, no fee is stated for the tour itself, and the main condition for participation remains prior registration with the selection of the language of guidance.
Sources:
- Rovinj-Rovigno Tourist Board – official announcement of the Feel the breeze of Rovinj event for 23 June 2026 (link)
- City of Rovinj-Rovigno – data on the old town centre and cultural-historical landmarks of Rovinj (link)
- City of Rovinj-Rovigno – historical data on the Church of St Euphemia (link)
- City of Rovinj-Rovigno – data on the protected cultural and historical ensemble of the city of Rovinj (link)
- Ecomuseum-Ecomuseo “Batana” – official information on the batana, the ecomuseum and Rovinj’s maritime heritage (link)
- Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia – data on the Ecomuseum “Batana” and UNESCO’s Register of Good Safeguarding Practices for the world’s intangible cultural heritage (link)
- Istria County Tourist Board – data on the Church of St Euphemia and its bell tower (link)