Pearls of Red Istria: Pula – Rovinj – Porec
Description:
We will travel along the western part of the coast of the Istra Peninsula, the zone of the so-called "Red Istria". Where did that name come from? We will talk about this during our tour.
The first city on our way is the majestic ancient Roman Pula, the largest city of the peninsula.
We will plunge into the times of Ancient Rome, learn where the Istra peninsula takes its name, why Pula turned into an ancient Roman colony, then transfer to the middle of the 19th century, when the city received its second wind, learn why the “building boom” broke out in the city and specialists from all over the kingdom of Austria-Hungary began to gather in it.
We begin our tour in the ancient Roman Pulse Amphitheater, built in the 1st century AD, which on the one hand is an open-air museum, and on the other - a concert venue where concerts of local and foreign "stars" and events of the annual summer international film festival are held. In winter, the amphitheatre is turned into a skating rink with music and lighting for children and adults. Wonderful sight!
Many times the pulse amphitheater took part in the filming of feature films. For example, “Titus” (Titus) is a 1999 feature film based on the tragedy of William Shakespeare “Titus Andronicus”, directed by Julie Taymor, with actor Anthony Hopkins in the title role.
In one of the miraculously preserved underground rooms under the amphitheater arena is a Museum with an exhibition dedicated to the production of wine and olive oil during the time of ancient Rome. Interestingly, the process of production of that precious cold pressed oil has not changed from the times of Ancient Rome to the present day.
We will see the main square of the city Forum, which did not change its name from ancient Roman times, learn how many pagan temples out of the three that once existed have been preserved to this day, get acquainted with the beautiful ancient Roman mosaic “The Punishment of Dirk”, accidentally found at the end of the Second World War under the rubble of buildings, the Arc de Triomphe, built at the expense of a local resident at the end of the 1st century BC, take a photo with the Irish writer James Joyce, sitting at a table in the cafe of the old city, and find out what the future writer was doing in the early twentieth century.
Interestingly, fate brought together in 1904 two future famous writers in our region, a young James Joyce and a little boy Vladimir Nabokov. What adventures did James Joyce take to Pula? Why does the Nabokov family come to our region for vacation? We'll talk about that, too.
We will walk along the well-preserved section of the fortress wall surrounding the city, learn what parts of it have been preserved since the times of ancient Rome, how the restoration of ancient Roman heritage was carried out during the times of Austria-Hungary, why the city after the end of the First World War goes for a couple of decades under the jurisdiction of Italy. There are so many questions that we will find answers to.
We will walk through the pulsating catacombs that will lead us to the Venetian fortress, towering on a hill above the old city. We will talk about the famous prisoners of this fortress and discover many more interesting things.
The next city on our way is Rovinj. We will take a walk through the Croatian “little Venice” – the old town of Rovinj, where the walls of narrow and tall by medieval standards houses grow directly out of the water, a city that until the middle of the 18th century was on an island that later turned into a peninsula. How did this happen? We'll find out on our tour.
Narrow, centuries polished by sea water brought by the wind, the streets of the city are a real labyrinth in which you can get lost, and lead us up to the church of St. George. Euphemies that dominate the old town.
Well, daredevils will be able to climb the 60-meter church bell tower, built in the 17th century on the model of the Venetian bell tower on St. Petersburg Square. The stamp, which is decorated with the figure of a saint, is more than 5 meters high, and offers a beautiful view of the city of Rovinj and the archipelago of 22 Rovinj coastal islands, the largest of which is the island of St. Paul. Andria and St. Catarina Island.
From the top of the hill we will go down the famous “street of artisans” with numerous art galleries and admire the works of local craftsmen, see the arch “Balbi”, built in the 17th century, during the reign of the mayor Daniel Balbi on the site of the old city gate, which is decorated with one of the many Rovinj Venetian lions, walk along the street that once represented the sea strait separating the island of Rovinj from the mainland, to fully feel the charm of this town, from which no one leaves indifferent.
At the end of our journey, the city of Porec awaits us, where we will visit the early Christian Euphrasian Basilica, which has been under the protection of UNESCO since 1997. On the way to Porec, you can stop to admire the phenomenon of nature - Lima Bay, where the oyster farm is located, learn about the complex process of growing mussels and oysters and try sea delicacies in one of the restaurants located on its banks.
The price includes:
Comes to: Individual , Group
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