Best places to visit in Croatia

With a Central European soul and a Mediterranean temperament, Croatia has the right mix for an unforgettable holiday at any time of year. Things to do in Croatia therefore depends on the season you are travelling in and the type of holiday you want to take.

Summer is certainly the busiest season for tourists. Croatia’s tourist reputation is linked to the beautiful beaches along the coast and islands, washed by an incredibly clean and transparent Adriatic.

Along Istria, Dalmatia and the Makarska Riviera you can find more or less well-known seaside resorts, perfect for an unforgettable holiday in the sun.

However, it would be a shame to reduce Croatia to sun and sea. With its ancient villages, quaint fishing villages and beautiful cities of art, Croatia is a perfect destination for a cultural holiday, to which you can perhaps combine culinary delights with fine wines.

The country is also rich in natural beauty such as forests, mountain ranges, gorges and caves, making Croatia an ideal destination for those who enjoy active holidays. Explore Croatia’s hinterland on foot or by mountain bike, go rafting in its rushing rivers, admire breathtaking waterfalls or indulge in a luxury river cruise.

Need more ideas? Here is an essential list of the top tourist attractions in Croatia.

Art cities

With their many historical and cultural attractions, Croatia‘s three main cities– Zagreb, Dubrovnik and Split – are ideal destinations for a weekend or short break at any time of year.

Zagreb

Still untouched by mass tourism, Zagreb is one of Europe’s most underrated capitals. This modern city is full of beautiful parks, historical monuments, magnificent buildings including the Croatian National Theatre, interesting art galleries and a wealth of museums with a variety of themes.

One of Zagreb’s most famous attractions is the curious Museum of Broken Hearts, which exhibits items voluntarily donated by people who have ended an important love affair.

Zagreb is also an ideal destination for a winter holiday, especially if you plan to travel in December: its Christmas market is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe, beating out competition from traditional Austrian and German markets.

Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik is an extremely charming city that bears no comparison to other romantic cities better known to tourists such as Lisbon and Budapest and is easily accessible.

Its thousand-year history, its mighty walls with the blue sea in the background, a fortress high above the sea and numerous viewpoints enchant its visitors, who generally only come here for one or two nights but would like to stay much longer.

Not to be missed is the touching War Photo Limited museum, which uses images captured by international photojournalists to recount the atrocities of the civil war in the former Yugoslavia.

If you have a little more time on your hands, you should also visit the attractions around Dubrovnik, such as the ancient village of Cavtat and the picturesque island of Lokrum.

Split

Another coastal city rich in history, Split is a perfect destination for different types of travellers. Its main attraction is the thousand-year-old Diocletian’s Palace, a small city within a city and a splendid example of Roman architecture.

If you like urban walking, Split offers plenty of opportunities for relaxing strolls along its picturesque waterfront or along Martonmova Street, the city’s most beautiful and historically rich street. For a longer walk, you can climb Marjan Hill, following forest paths, old chapels and viewpoints.

Young people looking for a good time will find a lively nightlife in Split, with a good choice of clubs, bars and discos where they can party into the night.

Islands for summer holidays

When the heat gets stifling, there is nothing better than a refreshing dip in the crystal clear sea. Croatia is the ideal destination for a summer holiday: with its six thousand kilometres of coastline and numerous islands, it boasts an incredible number of beautiful beaches lapped by crystal-clear sea.

For a sea holiday, the islands are the best choice because within a radius of a few kilometres you can find many beaches, both rocky and sandy. The Croatian islands are very different: for example, theisland of Hvar is fashionable and chic, Vis is remote and mysterious, Pag is wild at night, Cres is a natural paradise…

Parks

Croatia is a nature lover’s paradise thanks to its parks surrounded by greenery. Forests and pine forests, dramatic mountain ranges, steep waterfalls, gorges, caves, rivers and lakes await you.

There are no less than eight national parks in Croatia (Plitvice, Krka, Paklenica, Kornati Islands, Mljet Island, Risnjak, Brijuni Islands and North Velebit), to which smaller nature reserves and parks are added.

The most visited are the Plitvice Lakes Park and Krka National Park, both famous for their roaring waterfalls that plunge with force and (much!) noise into placid lakes of turquoise or emerald green.

Unforgettable walks and exceptional photo opportunities await the many visitors to Croatia’s most beautiful parks.