Hotel Eden, Croatia, Istrian Riviera
(Tuesday 23rd September 2008 - 14 nights)

The Istrian Riviera has all the benefits of a warm climate, a beautiful coastline and welcoming resorts. The coastline is laced with secluded bays and small coves lapped by astonishingly clear waters which are perfect for swimming and snorkelling. Sunbathing is taken very seriously here and it will come as no surprise that organised naturism originated here!

It would be easy to spend your entire holiday relaxing in the many pavement cafés, bars and tempting souvenir shops but don’t miss out on finding out about the culture and history of the Istrian Riviera. You’ll come across plenty of evidence of Roman occupation and Italian influence – from the magnificent amphitheatre at Pula to the Venetian-style Renaissance buildings that line the streets of our resort of Rovinj. At Porec modern tourist facilities blend comfortably with Roman remains, medieval towers and the glorious 6th-century basilica of St Euphrasius. Inland the countryside, with its rolling hills, meadows and oak and pine forests, is perfect for exploring.

Rovinj was ruled by the Venetians for 500 years. Their influence is visible in the traffic-free lanes of the harbour and the steep streets twisting between terracotta-roofed buildings around the old Church of St Euphemia, which is Istria's largest baroque building, with a 60m bell tower modelled on St. Mark's, Venice. From this bell tower there are stunning views across Rovinj and nearby islands.

Browse through the market, small shops and boutiques of Rovinj, keeping an eye out for the local brandy and Croatian embroidery - a national speciality. Or just relax at one of the many waterfront bars or restaurants with a glass in your hand watching the world go by.

There are several fascinating excursions available from your resort: Venice, the historical city of fine palaces, piazzas and romance, is just over 3 hours away by high-speed catamaran; Plitvice Lakes National Park features sixteen lakes connected by waterfalls, with a series of connecting wooden bridges to take you around the lakes and over, under and across the rumbling water for an exhilarating walk; or experience the underground world of Postojna Caves with a visit to Lipica stud farm where white Lipizzaner horses are trained for the Spanish school of riding in Vienna.

Hotel Eden

The Hotel Eden is beautifully located in a quiet position with a wooded parkland to one side and attractive seafront paths leading past the yachting harbour to Rovinj, just 1½kms away, on the other. The extensive gardens lead down to the pool area and the sea shore.

Hotel facilities include outdoor & indoor saltwater pools with free sunbeds and pool towels (deposit charged), gym with sauna, mini-golf, bowling-alley, table tennis, outdoor & indoor clay tennis courts. All bedrooms are equipped with a shower, hairdryer, satellite television, minibar, safe, and balcony.

The restaurant offers buffet-style service at breakfast and dinner.

The Weather

The average maximum daily temperature in September is a very pleasant 24°C with seven hours of sunshine (compared to 19° and five hours in London).

Our Opinion

The Hotel Eden is a well-maintained hotel in a beautiful location. It is especially popular with British clients and has been awarded a Gold Medal by Thomsons for its near 100% ratings in customer questionnaires.

The conference room in which we play bridge is spacious and extremely well lit but occasionally there is some noise intrusion from the hotel’s evening entertainment.

The hotel was voted an all-round winner by our group which stayed there in September 2005 and 2006 thanks to the friendliness of the hotel staff and the high standard of food at dinner. In addition the hotel’s location next to parkland in a large conservation area with lots of interesting walks proved popular, as did the waterfront stroll into the fascinating town of Rovinj with its many bars and restaurants.

Your holiday will be directed by Jean and Roy Lowe