Hi! We are narrowing down an itinerary for July. We're an extended family of 12 (parents, active grandmother, kids who are in their teens + 20s) and we're all experienced travelers. We're starting in Austria: flying into Vienna for a couple of days, then driving the F1 race at the end of June with a base in Graz. Then we have a choice of going 1) to Rovinj for 3 nights (house right in town) and Bled for 4 nights (house in the countryside), or 2) spending the second whole week on the Istrian peninsula but less centrally located (rent a house inland or in a smaller town). We will have multiple rental cars for the whole crew, so transportation is not a problem.
This may just be a case of personal travel style. I'm leaning toward doing both Rovinj and Bled because I'd love to see the different landscapes, but I can see the appeal of staying put in one place for longer, too. Is there enough to do on the Istrian peninsula besides the beach, for those of us who like to mix in sightseeing and day trips? Are both places going to be mobbed with tourists? Any other insights? Thank you!