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Porec in Croatia - holiday resort in beautiful Istria

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We visited Porec in Croatia. Are you getting tired of pictures of charming villages and towns in Istria? In fact, there are a whole bunch of these cosy seaside resorts with medieval quarters, marinas and crystal clear waters. We've already reported on Fazana, Rovinj and Vrsar. Now it's time for Porec in Croatia.

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Porec in Croatia

On the western part of the peninsula Istria, on the Adriatic Sea, is the holiday resort of Porec. Here you will find beautiful beaches, cosy harbours and lots of hotels, restaurants, cafés and bars.

One city - many conquerors

Porec in Croatia has a long and dramatic history. Already inhabited by Illyrians before antiquity, a few hundred years before Christ it was conquered by the Romans, who built a fortress and a town that is the foundation of the city that exists today. In the 5th century they built the Basilica of Euphrasius, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Porec i Kroatien

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the city has been ruled by many different empires, including the Byzantine Empire (from 529), the Republic of Venice (from 1267), the Austrian Empire (from 1797), Italy (from 1920) and Yugoslavia (from 1947). Today, Istria belongs to Croatia, but traces of other eras of history can be seen in both architecture and food culture.

Porec i Kroatien

Cobblestone streets and alleys

Porec is a charming town with cobbled streets and cosy alleys. There are plenty of small shops selling clothes, jewellery and handicrafts, and the town is full of restaurants and cafés. It is also home to the historic Marafor Square, which used to be a central square surrounded by important administrative buildings.

porec i Kroatien
Porec i Kroatien

Harbour and boats

Porec is a harbour town and the quays are full of boats, ranging from fishing boats to boats that take tourists on tours. It's really cosy to just stroll along the quay, perhaps with an ice cream in hand.

Dinner with truffles

When it comes to food, Istria is known for wine, olive oil, ham and fish, among other things, but the most important ingredient in gourmet cuisine is... truffles. Our dinner at the restaurant Sveti Nikola therefore had to go in the sign of the truffle! After a small appetiser with fish and basil cream, we ordered a creamy mushroom and truffle soup for a starter.

The main course was beef fillet with foie gras, truffles and pine nuts, served with grilled vegetables. Finally, we went to the "chef's choice", with samples of different desserts. We were very pleased with the visit - both with the food and the beautiful view of the sea!

Aptitretare på restaurang Sveti Nikola i turistorten Porec
Appetisers at the Sveti Nikola restaurant
Efterrätt: Kockens val
Dessert: Chef's choice

Huge campsite and 'tourist train'

Where did we stay? Well, on the absolutely enormous campsite Bijela Uvala. We have come to realise that campsites in Istria are often very large. How about 500,000 square metres with 2000 pitches (including 390 cabins)? The campsite also has eight restaurants, three swimming pools and two shops.

Bijela Uvala

We had a great view of the water from our motorhome. The only downside to the campsite was that it was not within walking distance of the city centre. Instead, we had to walk to a nearby hotel and jump on a "tourist train" that snaked between all the tourist hotels on the way into the centre. It worked great and we got some sightseeing on the way, but we don't offer photo evidence of us in the colourful train, haha.

Strand Porec
Peter tittar ut från husbilen på Bijela Uvala i Porec, Kroatien
Peter looking out from his campervan on Bijela Uvala

See more near Porec in Croatia

There is a lot to see and experience in Croatia! Here are suggestions for some great places, not too far from Porec:

  • Hum - The world's smallest city
  • Rovinj - Charming medieval town in Istria
  • Vrsar - Small town in Istria with big surprises
Kroatien
All our top tips about Croatia. Click on the image!

Facts about Porec in Croatia

  • What country? Croatia
  • County? County of Istria
  • Language? Croatian (many also speak English)
  • Residents? 17 000 (2015)
  • Currency? Kuna (HRK)
  • Price point? Cheaper than Sweden
  • Time difference? None

Travelling to Porec in Croatia

  • Car: Driving from Zagreb to Porec takes about 3 hours (toll road). To drive from Opatija to Porec takes about 1 h 15 min. Travelling time from Pula is just under an hour.
  • Bus: You can take a bus from many different cities in Croatia.

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