Even though Rovinj is in Croatia, this underappreciated Istrian port is closer to Venice than to Zagreb or Dubrovnik — and it shows via clustered, pastel-shade houses and piazzas. A boutique hotel in the old town’s web of cobbled lanes, the Melegran makes an ideal base, in walking distance of harbour-front fish restaurants and Mulini’s pleasant, pebbly shore. Book the chic duplex suite for its sea-view terrace and consider signing up for guided truffle hunts, wine tours or island-hopping on speedboat trips.
