Built between 527 and 565 AD at the foot of Mount Sinai for Emperor Justinian, this monastery later took its name from St Catherine of Alexandria, whose remains are said to rest here. It’s more fortress than church, with thick stone walls guarding the Church of the Transfiguration, the chapel of the Burning Bush, and a monks-only library packed with ancient manuscripts. Inside, you’ll find mosaics, religious ornaments, and some of the oldest illuminated manuscripts in the world on display. Outside, don’t miss Moses’ Well and the garden with centuries of history. The place is open most mornings but closed on Fridays, Sundays, and Orthodox feast days. Still active today, the monastery holds importance across Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, and continues its Greek Orthodox traditions uninterrupted.

SOHO Square is a big open-air shopping and entertainment spot near the airport, with a dancing fountain show every hour, loads of restaurants, cafés, and bars, plus extras like bowling, an ice rink, a kids’ arcade, and a small souk-style market.

The main entrance to the Archaeological Museum of Istria (Arheoloski Muzej Istre) is actually one of the original gates that served as an entry point into the old Roman town. The museum carries a fascinating range of archaeological artefacts from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages from the region. You will find architectural highlights on the ground floor, Neolithic and Roman era finds on the first floor, Roman antiquities and medieval period artefacts on the second floor. Due to reconstruction works, closed during 2018 and beginning 2019.