Four days in Istria with Bale as your base

Stay in Bale for four days of coastal towns and northern Istria. This driving itinerary lets you choose between longer visits and time for a swim.

From Bale you can explore a different part of the peninsula each day and return to the same accommodation. Spend the first day in the village and on its coast, the second in the northern hill towns, the third around Pula and the southern tip, and the fourth in Poreč and Rovinj. Change the order to suit the weather and visiting arrangements. This itinerary assumes you have a car for trips beyond Bale.

Day one: Bale's old town and coast

Begin your walk through Bale on Tomaso Bembo Square, in front of the Soardo-Bembo palace. Its façade between two towers marks the entrance to the compact old town. Follow the stone streets towards the parish church, then return to the village centre for lunch. You can cover this walk without moving your car between stops.

In summer, set aside part of the day for the beaches near Bale. The sea is some distance from the old town, so allow a separate part of the day for the coast. Outside the swimming season, spend more time exploring the village and tasting olive oil.

Day two: Oprtalj, Grožnjan and Motovun

In Oprtalj, walk from the loggia through the town gate to the square with St George's Church and its detached bell tower. Keep a short visit to this central area. The frescoes in nearby churches merit a separate visit, but this route does not assume that every church is open.

Continue to Grožnjan, where the Fonticus gallery occupies the former granary above the Renaissance loggia. Walk the streets within the walls and stop here for lunch. If you want longer in the galleries or in Oprtalj, finish your excursion after these two towns.

For the full route, add Motovun. The climb through Gradiziol leads to the town gates and upper square, with views across the Mirna valley from the walls. Walking the walls requires a separate ticket, distinct from entry to the town. All three stops involve more driving and walking. Choose two if you want a longer visit to each town.

Day three: Pula and the option of Kamenjak

Spend the morning in Pula walking from the Arena towards the Forum and the Arch of the Sergii. Park outside the old town for this route. If you also want to visit the fortress or museum collections, give the rest of the day to Pula rather than trying to fit in every destination.

For a summer combination of sightseeing and swimming, follow a shorter city visit with a drive towards Premantura and Kamenjak, south of Pula. This takes you further south, not back towards Bale. Lower Kamenjak and the Medulin archipelago form a protected landscape. Combine one cove with a short walk, perhaps to the dinosaur footprints at Grakalovac. Motor vehicles pay a seasonal entrance charge, while walkers and cyclists enter free. In cold or rainy weather, stay with Pula's cultural attractions.

Day four: Poreč, then Rovinj

Drive from Bale to Poreč. From the Pentagonal Tower, follow Decumanus towards Marafor, the site of the Roman forum. The Euphrasian complex includes an atrium and baptistery as well as the basilica and its mosaics. Do not schedule a visit inside the complex on a Sunday or holy day of obligation, when tourist visits are not available. Sightseeing inside the basilica is also prohibited during worship. Allow time for lunch and the waterfront before leaving for Rovinj.

Stop in Rovinj on the way back towards Bale. From the harbour, enter the old town and climb towards St Euphemia's Church. Expect uphill walking and stone paving. If a longer visit to the Euphrasian complex matters more to you, keep Rovinj to the harbour and lower streets. Allow two days for lunch, galleries and extended sightseeing in both towns instead of rushing through the final day.