Villas in Novigrad

Novigrad travel guide

Novigrad (or Cittanova in Italian) is a charming coastal town from the Venetian era. It has an attractive harbour crowded with local fishing boats and an old town surrounded by fortifications and on the outer side (away from the harbour) a lungamare (promenade) providing a pleasant walk along the coast and an ideal place to sunbathe and swim. The main streets of the town, from which cars are excluded, is crammed with cafes, restaurants, shops and galleries. Nearby a new marina makes it a good base for boating on this coastline. Navigare Restaurant in the marina is a stylish spot for lunch or dinner.If you are staying near Novigrad and go into the town for shopping or a coffee take your swimming kit and you can walk through to the outside of the town walls and take a refreshing dip. Other towns on the west coast of Istria such as Rovinj, Porec and Vrsar are within easy reach. Most of the towns on this coast are communities first established in the Roman era or earlier but the dominant influence that can be seen today is Venetian. Most of the major coastal towns were under the control of the Venetian Republic during the medieval period. A short drive inland from Novigrad takes you to the most scenic part of central Istria with its stunning hilltop town such as Motovun and Groznjan. Here too is the heart of Istria's truffle region and hence many fine restaurants. Wine routes will guide you to the best wineries where wine tasting and guided tours are available. Getting there : Novigrad is 70 kilometres from Pula airport (50 minute drive) and 100km form Trieste airport in Italy (90 minutes drive time).