Visit the museums in Rovinj, Istria storing the cultural wealth of the city, and explore the galleries in Rovinj exhibiting precious collections, archaeological findings and ethnological items of not only Rovinj but whole Istrian peninsula as well. Have a walk through the interesting Mini-Croatia, a Rovinj outdoor gallery holding Croatia’s most important sites allowing you to meet the country in less than half an hour. Another option is to visit the amazing Rovinj aquarium. Rovinj art scene is opulent and you will have an amazing time exploring Rovinj’s art and visiting many museums and galleries in Rovinj which take pride as one of the most exciting galleries in Istria and museums in Istria.

Rovinj Aquarium

Visit Rovinj Aquarium. In this centuries-old building located inside the Maritime Research Center of the Ruđer Bošković Institute, you can experience all the diversity of the Adriatic underwater world in Rovinj aquarium.

It was opened in 1891 as the Zoological Station of the Berlin Aquarium and it belongs among the oldest institutions of that kind in the world. Aquarium Rovinj abounds in specimens of the local flora and fauna presenting the typical communities that live in Croatian undersea area. Don’t miss out on the exciting underwater world and visit Rovinj aquarium.

Tickets: 5.00 EUR adults / 3.00 EUR organized groups with a guide and students / 2 EUR children up to 12 years old.

House of Rovinj’s Pelinkovac

An original museum dedicated to herbal liqueurs produced in a century-old factory located on the same street has opened in the city center.

The modest exhibition and sales area presents award-winning liqueurs from the Darna factory, from authentic Rovinj pelinkovac to amaro, orahovac and egg liqueur, as well as various others. This museum, or rather boutique, combines tradition and modern expression and offers visitors un opportunity to taste and learn about the characteristics of certain liqueurs. There you can find objects that were once used in production, and the process of producing pelinkovac itself is depicted on the walls. Pelinkovac is a bitter liqueur and is one of the trademarks of Rovinj, which is made according to a secret traditional century-old recipe that, due to technological changes, has undergone minimal changes. However, what gives Rovinj pelinkovac its special aroma and taste is the maturation in oak barrels.

The house of the Rovinj pelinkovac, with meticulously thought-out details of the space, offers a unique experience of getting to know the love for herbs, tradition and liqueur, and is the result of dedicated work that began back in 1925.

Rovinj – Rovigno City Museum

It is located in a Baroque palace of the counts of Califfi from the 17th/18th century. It was established in 1954 at the initiative of Rovinj fine artists. Their idea was to establish a place where cultural wealth could be stored, as well as a place where numerous exhibition activities could be held.

The first director of the museum was artist Zora Matić. The wishes of the founders have determined its contents and activities to these days. The museum operates in the public interest in a twofold role – as a city gallery and a place where more valuable items from the rich museum collection are permanently exhibited: archaeological exhibition, maritime section, collection of works by old masters, contemporary Croatian art and Alexander Kircher’s room. During its 50-year-long existence, rich and valuable collections were created: collection of contemporary art (about 1500), collection of works by old masters, collection of archaeological findings, etnological items, books, documents and photographs presenting the activities of the Pino Budicin Partisan Battalion, and other. Because of the scarcity of space and the rich gallery activity program, only a small fragment of the museum wealth is available for the visitors today. 

Batana House Eco Museum

The museum was founded in 2004 under the patronage of the Town of Rovinj and is dedicated to the traditional wooden batàna vessel and the memory of the Rovinj community which has chosen it as its symbol. Batàna mirrors the continuity of the maritime heritage and the everyday life of local inhabitants. Founded on principles of knowledge, cultural dialogue, interdisciplinary approach and multimedia, the Ecomuseum values the Rovinj heritage and strengthens the identity and particularity of Rovinj as a place comfortable for living and a unique destination. The interpretation and documentary centre of the Ecomuseum (with the permanent exhibition), “the House of Batana” includes an entrance counter with a souvenir shop, three gallery spaces dedicated to batàna and a polyvalent space on the first floor. More than 90 % of the exhibited objects were donated by residents of Rovinj.

The exhibition is of a multimedia type: the short and concise accompanying texts complement the diverse visual and audio contents. A unique method of innovative new technologies was used for the purpose of documenting traditional shipbuilding skills, resulting in slide projections of the process of building a new batàna boat and the repair of the oldest batana. By using the interactive exhibits, visitors choose their own level of information and can interactively follow the conversations of the characters of the exhibition in the indigenous language of Rovinj, and listen to the sound of typical Rovinj songs, bitinàda in the background.

During the summer, the small square in front of the House of Batana becomes a place where intangible cultural heritage is celebrated, i.e. where the batàna boat is built and repaired as a House of Batana cultural and touristic attraction. The experience is further enriched with cultural programmes during which, each Wednesday and Sunday, in addition to the construction or repair of the batàna boat, visitors are offered concerts of traditional Rovinj music and local culinary specialties. Traditional launching of newly built and repaired batàna boats done from the shore itself (the Little Pier) is especially attractive.

The art of batàna building is entered into the Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Croatia, while the Batana Eco-museum is listed on UNESCO’s list of best practices for the preservation of intangible cultural heritage.

Batana Center of Visual Arts

The Batana Center of Visual Arts has operated since 1951 when it was known as the Rovinj -Rovigno Film Club. Through its activities, education and exhibitions, it popularized photography. Since 1990 it has been operating as the Batana Center of Visual Arts. The association of photographers of the Batana Center of Visual Arts organizes public performances, exhibitions, as well as educational and promotional programs through photography, projections of films, videos and information media. The Batana Photo Art Gallery operates as part of the Center, as the holder of the cultural program.

Galleries (Ateliers)

The tradition of painting and the beauty of the city have always drawn artists to spend the summer in Rovinj or to permanently stay here. Today, several eminent contemporary artists live and work in the city. They are the members of Croatian associations of painters and have gained their reputation on numerous Croatian and international art competitions. Some of them open their work areas to public, so you can visit them and get to know them and feel the air of the creative atmosphere that surrounds them.

The list of ateliers–galleries in Rovinj:

Saint Trinity Gallery – Heptagon, Trg na lokvi
working hours: 10-15 & 19-22
artadriheptagon@gmail.com

Kolarić Branko, „A®TELIER“, Silvano Chiurco 1
working hours: 01.05. – 31.10.: 10-15 & 19-23 / 01.10. – 30.04.: by appointment
t. +385(0)989117986, brankokolaric7@gmail.com

Luketić Lada, Trg brodogradilišta
working hours: 10.06. – 30.10.: 11-16 / 01.11. – 01.06.: by appointment
t. +385(0)981808677, ladaluketic@gmail.com

Rapaić Davor, „atelier dr“, Nova 7
working hours: 01.05. – 30.09.: 10-14 & 18-22 / 01.10. – 30.04.: by appointment
t. +385(0)915762695, rapaic.art@gmail.com

Ražov Nikola, Atelier „3R“, Montalbano 13
working hours: 01.05. – 30.09.: 10-13 & 18-23 / 01.10. – 30.04.: by appointment
t. +385(0)953913663, nikolarazov@gmail.com

Svilar Rajko, prof. painter and graphic artist, Atelier „ARS“, Grisia 48 and St. Joseph church
working hours: 01.05. – 30.09.: 10-14 & 18-24 / 01.10. – 30.04.: 10-16 and by appointment
t. +385(0)918890586 & +385(0)52830995, svilar.jelena@gmail.com

Rokvić Tatjana, Artrovinj, Sculpture garden, Kalandra bb
working hours: 01.05. – 31.10.: 11-15 & 19-23 / 01.11. – 30.04.: by appointment
t. +385(0)913632868, rovinjka@gmail.com, www.artrovinj.com

Todorović Zoran Zoto, Fine art gallery, Andronella 5
working hours: 01.05. – 31.10.: 11-15 & 19-23 / 01.11. – 30.04.: by appointment
t. +385(0)915596254, rovinjka@gmail.com

Atelier L&S, Andronella 3
t. +385(0)918915331, marko_bunic@yahoo.com

ARTAFERA Fine Art Gallery, Garzotto 4
t. +385(0)994929386, www.artafera.com

ARTAFERA painting workshops with wine tasting are held almost every day in the old town of the city of Rovinj-Rovigno on the terraces of cafes and hotels. For ARTAFERA painting workshops, it is important to note that:

• participants do not need to have any prior knowledge of painting
• are held under the leadership of an award-winning academic painter
• original, Istrian motifs, made exclusively for workshops, are processed
• workshops last 2-3 hours, and each participant finishes a painting, which he later takes with him (a self-created souvenir!)
• participants get a glass, two,… of local wine

Artafera – Flyer.pdf   

Artafera d.o.o., t. +385(0)994929386, www.artafera.com