Hi,
My wife and I are staying three nights in Rovinj in about ten days. We will have a car and are considering side trips. Would a trip to Trieste or Ljubljana make sense? We're also considering Pula and the hill towns. I'd really appreciate any insight you may have .. will border crossings slow us down?
With short time in Istria, I would not go to Trieste or Ljubljana. Definitely do Pula and hilltop villages, also consider Opatija Riviera and Istrian East coast. Border crossing times are relative to when you go, date/week day/weekend.
Porec is another coastal town in Croatian Istria. Very colorful buildings (different from Rovinj). It is, however, very touristy, and I don't know what the parking arrangements are.
Pula wins my vote over the other 2 cities.
Border crossings in August will take hours each way.
Pula is my least favorite Istrian town. Big and hard to find the beauty.
Aside from Rovinj, we absolutely love Novigrad. Porec is a zoo in the high season. Vrsar is endlessly charming. Groznjan is a better hill town than Motovun, but there are many other quaint hill towns if you know where to look. A winery or olive oil facility visit is excellent. Consider Kamenjak peninsula for some beautiful scenery.
This website has been very helpful to us on our annual Istrian visits:
