Rovinj was an island once, and it still behaves like one. The old town sits on a rounded rock, a peninsula that was joined to the mainland by filling in a channel in 1763, and every street climbs steeply toward the top, where the church of Saint Euphemia stands with its tall bell tower. The tower, about sixty metres high, was modelled on St Mark's campanile in Venice, and it is topped by a copper statue of the saint that turns with the wind. From the foot of the hill, the town looks like a pile of pastel-coloured houses, red roofs and narrow lanes tumbling into the harbour.
The Venetians ruled Rovinj for more than five hundred years, from the late thirteenth century until the fall of the republic in 1797, and the town still has a strong Italian flavour. Many of the street signs are bilingual, Italian is widely spoken among locals, and the old customs of fishing and boat-building continue in the harbour. The wooden fishing boats called batanas, flat-bottomed and painted in bright colours, are on the local heritage list, and an eco-museum celebrates them. Saint Euphemia, whose marble sarcophagus is said to have drifted ashore here in the ninth century, is still the town's patron.
The streets of the old town are cobbled, steep and slippery, and no place for a motorcycle, so park at the edge and walk. The best views are from the harbour, from the church terrace, and from the Golden Cape, or Zlatni Rt, a forested peninsula south of the town with pine woods, picnic spots and rocky coves for swimming. In summer the town is packed with visitors, and the narrow alleys fill with artists selling paintings, cafés and ice cream stalls. Early morning and evening are the best times, and spring and autumn are much quieter.
The riding in the Istrian interior is excellent, with good roads, little traffic and a gentle rhythm of hills, vineyards and olive groves. From Rovinj, roads lead inland to villages such as Bale and Svetvinčenat, with their old walls and loggias. Istria is known for its truffles, olive oil, and wines, particularly the white Malvazija and the red Teran, as well as prosciutto and fresh seafood. Cafés and konobas, the small family taverns, line the harbour and the back streets.
Rovinj is a proper town with about thirteen thousand people, and it has fuel stations, supermarkets and all services. Fill up here before heading into the hills, where villages are small and stations are sparse.