Poreč is a city and municipality on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula, in Istria county, Croatia. Poreč is almost 2,000 years old, and is based on a harbour protected from the sea by the small island of Sveti Nikola (Saint Nicholas). The city's population of approximately 12,000 resides mostly on the outskirts, while the Poreč region as a whole has a population of approximately 17,000 inhabitants. The city area covers 142 km², with the 37 km long shoreline stretching from the Mirna river near Novigrad-Cittanova to Funtana-Fontana and Vrsar-Orsera in the south. In 1844 the Steamers Society, the Austrian Lloyd from Trieste, opened a tourist line which included Parenzo. The first tourist guide describing and depicting the city was printed as early as 1845. The Austro-Hungarian aristocracy was the first to discover the area in 1866, when Austrian Archduchess Stephanie introduced the city to the public by sailing into Parenzo's harbor in her yacht Phantasy. In 1867 Archduke Charles Stephen and archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria vacationed here, and in 1868 Charles Ludwig visited the area. The oldest hotel is the Riviera, constructed in 1910. Later came the Parentino and others.Today, tourist infrastructure is intentionally dispersed along the 37 km long coastline, between the river Mirna and the deep Limski Kanal-Canale di Leme. The south hosts self-contained centers like Plava Laguna (Blue Lagoon), Zelena Laguna (Green Lagoon), Bijela Uvala (White Cove) and Brulo. To the north, mirroring centers are Materada, Červar-Porat, Ulika and Lanterna. In the high season, the area's temporary population can exceed 120,000.Poreč's heritage can be seen in the historic town center, in museums and galleries hosted in houses and palaces, many of them still private homes as they have been for centuries. In the off season, weekend visitors from Croatia, Slovenia, Austria and mostly Italy visit the area. Sports complexes are developed and used year-round. During the Croatian War of Independence (1991-1995), these complexes were used to host refugees from other parts of the country.