Located north towards Italy, its compact centre attracting day trippers from over the border, Novigrad can seem like a humble resort town by Istrian standards. It’s neither as posh as Rovinj nor as packed as Poreč, but that’s precisely why this can be a charming location for a relaxing time by the sea. Instead of being crammed with tourist businesses, the seaward tip of Novigrad’s Old Town peninsula has a shaded park and a waterside walkway. Still, for a community of fewer than 4,000 people, Novigrad finds room for a surprising number of decent bars, hotels and restaurants. The more modern part of town stretches less than 1 kilometre east, to the bus station and a small hotel complex.
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