'A captivating medieval town with sun-drenched beaches and full-on modern entertainments, charming Novigrad proves you can teach an old town new tricks.'
Picture this: you're sipping cappuccino on a sun-baked harbourfront eyeing the yachts in the marina. As the town clock rings in the twelth hour, you start drooling over the thought of a lunch of freshly made pasta served with light, zesty Croatian wine. And en-route to finding the perfect rustic konoba, you meander into a stunning walled old town webbed with cobbled lanes, Venetian-style houses and ornate churches. Sounds good? Well, it's all here in Novigrad. But one of the beauties of this town is that it's not all about history and harbour fronts. Whilst its old quarter sits on a beautiful peninsula, its modern areas spread along the coast either side, creating a playground for sun-and-sea lovers. Fringed by long pebble beaches and smaller coves, this is the place to chill out, top up that tan and spice things up with some water-skiing or paragliding. Then there's pony-trekking through the countryside too. When it comes to getting sporty, this place won't cramp your style. You'll hardly be short on day-trips choices either. If the old town's got you in culture-vulture mood, catch a bus to Porec. This medieval jewel boasts a mosaic-adorned cathedral that'll stop your breath. Alternatively, do something daring like game hunting or canoeing in the nearby Mirna river valley – it'll be something worth boasting about back home. Come evening, settle down to dinner amid the twinkling restaurants of old Novigrad before dancing to live music on a starlit bar terrace. Or maybe hit a nightclub or hotel casino. Whatever you fancy doing Novigrad will make it happen.
With a history of more than 1,400 years, Novigrad has at different times been ruled by Byzantines, Franks, Germans, Venetians, Austrians, Hungarians and Italians . They all left traces, which can be found at every step in the town's streets and squares, which are packed with magnificent buildings redolent with history.
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Novigrad hotels and apartments
Our hotels and apartments in Novigrad include Hotel Laguna and Hotel Maestral.
More Croatia holiday destinations
Looking for holidays in Croatia? Our Croatia holiday destinations include Baska Voda, Bol, Brac Island, Brela, Brtonigla, Cavtat, Dubrovnik, Hvar, Korcula, Labin, Lanterna, Lopud Island, Loviste, Lovran, Makarska, Mlini, Novigrad, Opatija, Orasac, Orebic, Pjescana Uvala, Plat, Porec, Pucisca, Rabac, Ravni, Rovinj, Ruzici, Sibenik, Stikovica Zaton, Supetar, Trogir, Trpanj, Trsteno, Tucepi, Umag, Zaton Mali and Zaton Veliki.
Beaches
'The purest sea in this part of Mediterranean will soothe your body and soul,' says Novigrad's mayor in a welcome to visitors. Novigrad public beach was built at the end of the 19th century, along with the town's first two hotels, when tourism first took off. As well as the main town beach and private hotel beaches, there are numerous small pebble beaches up and down the well-indented coast
Eating out
Novigrad is home to a good selection of international and local restaurants, but is particularly noted for the many eateries specialising in the regional Istrian cuisine. Based on fresh, local seafood and vegetables grown in the rich, red Istrian soil, dishes are simple but imaginative, bringing out the flavour with judicious use of olive oil, Mediterranean herbs and seasoning. Before eating, you may find your host recommending a glass of Istrian grappa with herbs (rutha) to awaken the palate, with more of the same and a cup of espresso to round off the meal. Istrian cuisine was famous in Ancient Rome more than two thousand years ago, and many gourmets believe it has lost nothing since then.
Nightlife
At night the young and young at heart have the choice of a variety of discos and bars, with the most popular being the Sperone and Aquarius. But there is also plenty of other entertainment, including open air cinema, restaurant and bar terraces with live dancing, and even two upmarket casinos at the hotels Maestral and Rotonda. In summer, on traditional fishermen's nights, streets and squares in the heart of the town are transformed into a huge open-air restaurant.
Shopping
Shopping is pretty much what you would expect in a small town whose main industry these days is tourism. Everything you need from fresh produce in the markets, to a sizeable, well-stocked supermarket, and plenty of clothing and curio shops is on hand.
Local information
Like many of Croatia's tourist destinations, Novigrad has excellent, modern and comprehensive sports and recreation facilities catering to everybody from professional athletes to committed sloths. Unique to the area are hunting trips in the Mirna valley and canoeing on the River Mirna. During August there is a traditional Jazz Festival at various locations at night time, and at the end of August there is a three-day festival celebrating St Pelagus, the patron saint of the town.
Location
Northeast coast of the Istrian Peninsula, north of Porec
Transfer time
About 2 hours
Recommended
Luxury
