The city of Rovinj is located on the coast of Istria, right below the Lim canal and is one of the most romantic and fascinating places in Mediterranean with an archipelago that includes 22 islets. Rovinj has kept its original architecture with many small squares, art galleries, small cafes, narrow streets and houses closely built that remain untouched and attract visitors from all over Europe, especially during the summer months.
Rovinj is favored with Mediterranean climate, while winters are cool with an average temperature of 4.8 °C /40.6 °F and summers are warm with an average temperature of 22.3 °C /72.1 °F and many days of sunshine. As it is mostly a summer holiday destination, the city and the surrounding area has a lot to offer to the water sports enthusiasts and one of the main attractions and maybe the best dive in the northern Adriatic Sea is the Baron Gautsch Wreck.
Baron Gautsch also called the “Titanic of the Adriatic Sea” was built in 1908 and was a passenger ship 277 ft/84.5 m long and 39.3 ft/12 m wide. The luxurious ship belonged to the Austrian-Hungarian navy and during the 2nd World War was drafted into military service by bringing supplies and troops to Montenegro. On the 13th of August 1914, Baron Gautsch run onto a mine and sunk within 10 minutes.
Today, the impressive ship lies in the sandy bottom of the open sea, just a few nautical miles away from the Rovinj shoreline and can be approached by boat. The wreck is in excellent condition and suitable for advanced divers only. The upper deck is located in a depth of 82 ft/25 m and the lower deck is in a maximum depth of 131.2 ft/40 m. As it is covered with colorful algae and sponges, it is home to a wide variety of fish and moss animals that found refuge in the deep sea. Penetration of the hull is allowed only on the first two decks for safety reasons.
The best season for this dive is from May to September, when the average sea temperature is around 20 °C /68 °F. Keep in mind that diving there can only be arranged through one of the diving centers in Rovinj that have a special permit from the Croatian Ministry of Culture. Baron Gautsch Wreck is certainly one of the best and most interesting dives in Croatia. Don’t miss it!
