Things to do in Poreč: old town sights and day trips

Poreč old town: a Roman street plan on a peninsula

The old town stands on a peninsula that, according to the Poreč tourist board, is about 400 metres long and 200 metres wide. Roman surveyors divided it into regular blocks. Much of this street grid survives today, together with the ancient names of its two main axes, the Decumanus and the Cardo Maximus. In the first half of the 1st century the settlement received town status and the name Colonia Iulia Parentium. Later, Venice shaped the town more than anyone else, ruling Poreč for around 500 years from 1267.

A good place to start is Trg Slobode, Freedom Square. From here you enter the Decumanus, the longest street in the old town. Right at its beginning stands the Pentagonal Tower from 1447, with a relief of Saint Mark on its outer wall; the restored tower now houses a restaurant. Palaces from several periods line the Decumanus, such as the Gothic Palace from 1473 at number 5, with its floral Gothic facade and triple windows.

From Villa Matea in the north of Poreč, Trg Slobode is a 15 to 20 minute walk, so you can leave the car at home. You can find more about the area around the house under Location.

Euphrasian Basilica: the UNESCO World Heritage Site

The most important cultural monument in Poreč is the Episcopal Complex of the Euphrasian Basilica. It has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1997. Bishop Euphrasius built the present church in the mid-6th century, along with an atrium, a baptistery, a bishop's palace and a small memorial chapel. According to UNESCO, Christianity was established here as early as the 4th century; remains of the earlier churches found in excavations are on display. UNESCO describes the ensemble as the most complete surviving complex of its type.

Inside, the highlight is the main apse. Its mosaics show the Virgin and Child at the centre, flanked among others by Bishop Euphrasius himself and by Saint Maurus, the martyr and patron saint of the town. Beside them you can see the Annunciation and the Visitation. Above the capitals of the columns, Euphrasius's monogram is carved into round medallions. Opposite the entrance to the basilica stands the octagonal baptistery, and the bell tower was added in the 16th century.

The 6th-century Bishop's Palace now houses the Museum of Church Art, with stone monuments, original mosaics from the 4th and 5th centuries, and sculptures and paintings from the 14th to the 18th century. The basilica is still the cathedral of the Diocese of Poreč and Pula. According to the tourist board, classical concerts are held there once a week in July and August. Tickets for the complex are sold at the entrance.

Trg Marafor, the Roman temples and the Romanesque House

In Roman times, Trg Marafor was the forum, with public buildings and temples. Just a few dozen centimetres below today's square lies the original ancient pavement, and part of it is visible on the north-west side. North-west of the square you can see parts of the wall and the foundations of the Great Temple from the beginning of the 1st century, and in the park to the west, fragments of a temple attributed to Neptune, the god of the sea. Bars and restaurants now occupy the ground floors around the square.

On the Decumanus, right next to Marafor, stands the Romanesque House from the 13th century, one of the rare surviving examples of Romanesque residential architecture. Its distinctive wooden balcony was added later. Since its renovation in 2024, the house has shown the exhibition «Living culture in Poreč in the 19th and 20th centuries» on three floors. Opening hours are limited, so check them with the tourist board before you go. The Canon's House near the basilica also dates from the 13th century; its Romanesque facade with the original stone portal has survived.

The waterfront, the Round Tower and Sveti Nikola island

It is easy to walk all the way around the old town. From the Obala dr. Ante Šonje shore on the north side you look out over Peškera Bay, then you continue along the Matka Laginje shore to the Obala Maršala Tita waterfront. This way you follow the line of the former town walls around the entire old town.

On the way you pass the Istrian Assembly Hall, a former Franciscan church from the early 14th century. From 1861 the Istrian Parliament met here; today it hosts exhibitions. On Narodni trg stands the Round Tower from 1475. Its former watchtower is now a bar with a terrace overlooking the waterfront and the island of Sveti Nikola.

According to the hotel operator on Sveti Nikola, the boat ride from the waterfront pier to the island takes about five minutes. Ask at the harbour which boats day visitors can use and when they run. To find out where to swim around Poreč, read our beach guide.

Poreč in one day: a walking route

If you only have one day in Poreč, the old town is enough to fill it. Distances are short and every stop is on the small peninsula. A possible plan:

• Morning: walk to Trg Slobode, then along the Decumanus past the Pentagonal Tower and the palaces.
• The Euphrasian Basilica with its atrium, baptistery, apse mosaics and Bishop's Palace; allow plenty of time.
• Trg Marafor with the temple remains, then the Romanesque House.
• Afternoon: a loop along the shore following the former town walls, with a stop at the Istrian Assembly Hall.
• Evening: the terrace on the Round Tower with a view of Sveti Nikola or, in July and August, a concert in the basilica.

Day trips from Poreč: a cave, the Lim Bay and Istrian towns

Many places in Istria are easy to reach by car, and parking at the villa is free. For how to get to Poreč in the first place, see our travel guide.

• Baredine Cave: according to the tourist board, this show cave lies about 8 kilometres from Poreč. The guided tour takes about 40 minutes and follows a 300-metre path through five chambers down to an underground lake at a depth of 60 metres. According to the operator, the cave is also home to the olm, the cave salamander. The temperature inside is about 14 degrees and there are 270 steps, so bring a jacket and sturdy shoes.
• Lim Bay (Limski kanal): often called a fjord, the bay near Vrsar is in fact a sunken karst valley, almost 13 kilometres long and protected since 1964. Underground freshwater springs make the water less salty, and mussels and oysters are farmed in the bay. The Istria tourist board suggests fish and seafood in one of the restaurants by the bay afterwards.
• Rovinj: according to the Poreč tourist board, the town lies just south of the Lim Bay, and its old town began life on an island. The 60-metre tower of the Baroque Church of Saint Euphemia offers a view over the rooftops and the harbour, and artists exhibit their work in Grisia street.
• Motovun: this medieval hilltop town in the north of Istria overlooks the Mirna valley. Narrow lanes and steps lead up to the town walls, which the Istria tourist board calls the best-preserved fortification system in Istria. The walk along the walls with views over the Mirna valley is part of the paid Motovun Impressions tour.
• Novigrad: this small town on the west coast, north of Poreč, invites you to walk along its historic fortifications, watch the fishermen at work in the harbour and see the loggia by the sea.
• Pula: at the southern tip of Istria stands the Roman amphitheatre, built in the 1st century under Emperor Vespasian, with room for about 20,000 spectators. In the underground passages, an exhibition shows how olive oil and wine were produced in antiquity.
• Venice by boat: according to its website, Venezia Lines runs day trips by high-speed catamaran from Poreč harbour between April and October. The crossing takes about two hours, followed by around 45 minutes through the lagoon. You need a passport or identity card at check-in.

Things to do in Poreč when it rains

Even in bad weather there is plenty to see in and around Poreč. According to its operator, Baredine Cave is open in bad weather too. In the high season, from the end of June to the beginning of September, more visitors come on such days and waiting times get longer. With your ticket you receive a group number and an approximate entry time.

In the old town you stay dry inside the basilica and the Museum of Church Art in the Bishop's Palace, and in the exhibition at the Romanesque House when it is open. If you prefer a drive, combine a rainy day with Pula and the exhibition in the passages beneath the amphitheatre. Zlatko, your host, speaks English and is happy to give you more tips about the area.