Viewpoint Casanova Vrsar, a much-loved lookout on the Croatian coast (Istria)

Viewpoint Casanova looks out over the authentic, rustic fishing village of Vrsar on the Croatian coast. There is plenty to see around it too, thanks to the old centre with its enjoyable bars and little restaurants.

Casanova

• The famous, or notorious, adventurer and writer Giacomo Casanova visited Vrsar a few times.
• He fell for the beauty of the place and wrote about it. Partly for that reason Vrsar honours him.

The viewpoint: the beauty of Vrsar

Now, centuries later, you see what Casanova saw. The beauty of Vrsar.

The romantic buildings, the Croatian coast and the 18 green, uninhabited islands.

You find Viewpoint Casanova on the steep hill; it is signposted.

Of use Google Maps. Once there you enjoy the lovely setting. We can see why Casanova came back.

The harbour and promenade of Vrsar

The eye is quickly drawn to the harbour and the promenade, as it happens. It is worth looking around there too.

Down ‘below’ there are all sorts of places to eat. Pleasant enough, but very commercial and less charming than ‘up above’ in the original hill village.

The food is often good all the same, and dining by the water remains tempting, of course. And the luxurious, large yachts create a hip, small-scale jet-set mood here and there.

Viewpoint Casanova by way of picturesque streets

Back up above, the world looks calmer and more affectionate. Viewpoint Casanova lies in one of the side streets; in the late afternoon there is almost nobody there.

Which makes it a fine place to go before dinner and everything else. Note: there is a reason for the quiet, because it can still be remarkably hot.

Early in the evening it gets a little cooler. But then there may be many more people.

Either way, the walk there already offers fine scenes of picturesque streets.

Where Vrsar is

Vrsar lies on the Croatian coast, a little below Poreč, and far above Pula, in Istria.