Traveling to Croatia

Travel Information for getting around and too Croatia. Find expert advice and up-to-date information on ferry connections, traveling by bus, flights to Croatia, where to stay in Croatia and other useful travel tips. Dont forget to also check out the regions of Croatia

Plan your holiday in Croatia, including destination guides, itineraries, ferry and bus timetables, hotels apartments and rooms, transport tips and other useful travel advice. Dont forget to read our insider’s guide to regions of Croatia with expert advice about traveling to Dubrovnik, Split, Zagreb, Zadar and other destinations to visit in Croatia.

Split Travel Information

Split, the second largest city in Croatia, is not just a transit point with excellent transport connections by bus, sea, air and train, it is deservedly becoming a destination in its own right. Wondering about safety, weather, traffic or anything else in Split?

Dubrovnik Travel Information

The Dubrovnik – Neretva county (“Dubrovačko-Neretvanska županija”) is the southermost Croatian county with an area of 1782 km2. It consists of Dubrovnikand its surrounding (south to Montenegro and north to Pelješac), Pelješac penninsula, Korčula island, Lastovo island, Mljet island and the Elaphites, the Neretva Delta and Baćina lakes and a part of the hinterland near the south slopes of Biokovo.

It is divided into two parts – a stretch of approximately 9km belongs to Bosnia and Herzegovina and is regulated by border crossing which are subject to customs control.

Costs

Croatia is by no means a bargain destination, and the cost of accommodation – on a par with Western European countries for most of the year – shoots upwards in July and August. Eating and drinking, however, remain reasonably good value.

If you’re staying in hostels or private rooms, self-catering and travelling by public transport, then bargain on spending at least 600Kn/£60/€80/US$85 per person per day. If you are staying in a decent apartment, eating out once a day and enjoying yourselves in the evening, then 850Kn/£85/US$120 per day seems more reasonable. Staying in a good hotel, eating in nice restaurants, renting a car and not skimping on the cocktails will involve a daily outlay of 1500Kn/£150/US$220 or above.

Accommodation will be your biggest single expense, with the average private room costing around 300Kn for a double, rising to 450Kn in fashionable places like Dubrovnik and Hvar. In high season the cheapest doubles in three-star hotels hover around the 800Kn mark, although they can be significantly cheaper in spring or autumn.

As for transport, short journeys by ferry and bus (say from Split to one of the nearby islands) cost in the region of 45Kn, while moving up and down the country will naturally be more expensive (a Zagreb–Split bus ticket, for instance, costs upwards of 130Kn. The prices of accommodation, ferry tickets, international bus tickets and tourist excursions are often quoted in euros, although you can pay in kuna.

About 200Kn per person per day will suffice for food and drink if you’re shopping in markets for picnic ingredients, maybe eating out in inexpensive grill-houses and pizzerias once a day, and limiting yourself to a couple of drinks in cafés; 500Kn a day will be sufficient for breakfast in a café, a sit-down lunch and a decent restaurant dinner followed by a couple of night-time drinks.

Prices often include a sales tax, known locally as PDV, of up to 22 percent. Visitors from outside the EU can claim a PDV tax refund at the Croatian Customs Service for goods over 750Kn, as long as they have kept all original invoices – though the refund can take up to a year to arrive.

Crime and personal safety

The crime rate in Croatia is low by European standards. Your main defence against petty theft is to exercise common sense and refrain from flaunting luxury items. Take out an insurance policy before you leave home and always stow a photocopy of the crucial information-bearing pages of your passport in your luggage – this will enable your consulate to issue you swiftly with new travel documents in the event of your passport being stolen.

Croatian police (policija) are generally helpful and polite when dealing with foreigners, and usually speak some English. Routine police checks on identity cards are common in Croatia: always carry your passport or driving licence. If you get into trouble with the authorities, wait until you can explain matters to someone in English if at all possible. The police are not allowed to search your car or place of abode without a warrant. Should you be arrested, you can be held in a police station for 24 hours without charge. The police are supposed to notify your consulate of your arrest automatically, but often fail to do so.

There are few specific situations in which female travellers might feel uncomfortable and no real no-go areas, although some of the more down-at-heel café-bars can feel like male-only preserves. By Western standards, Croatia’s streets are relatively safe at night, even in the cities.

Electricity

Wall sockets in Croatia operate at 220 volts and take round, two-pin plugs. British and US travellers should purchase a continental adaptor before leaving home.

Entry requirements

Citizens of EU countries need only a valid passport to enter Croatia. Citizens of the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are allowed to enter Croatia without a visa for stays of up to ninety days. Citizens of other countries should check visa regulations with the nearest Croatian embassy or consulate before leaving home.

Visitors to Croatia are required by law to register with the local police within 24 hours of arrival. If you’re staying in a hotel, hostel or campsite, or if you’ve booked a private room through a recognized agency, the job of registration will be done for you. If you’re staying with friends or in a room arranged privately, your hosts are supposed to register you. Failure to get registered only becomes a problem if the police have reason to question you about where you’re staying, which is very rare. Even if they do, official attitudes to registration are flexible: the police often turn a blind eye to tourists and hosts alike if you’re merely enjoying a short holiday on the coast, but can throw you out of the country if you’ve been staying in Croatia unregistered for a long period of time.

There are no customs restrictions on the kind of personal belongings that you need for your holiday, although you are limited to two hundred cigarettes, one litre of spirits and 500g of coffee. It’s a good idea to declare major items – laptop computers, televisions and other electronic equipment, boats – to ensure that you can take them out of the country when you leave. Pets are allowed in, providing you have a recent vaccination certificate. Note that when leaving you can only take 2000Kn of currency with you.

Health

No inoculations are required for travel to Croatia. Standards of public health are good, and tap water is safe everywhere. However, anyone planning to spend time walking in the mountains should consider being inoculated against tick-borne encephalitis.

Minor complaints can be treated at a pharmacy (ljekarna); in cities, many of the staff will speak some English, while even in places where the staff speak only Croatian, it should be easy enough to obtain repeat prescriptions if you bring along the empty pill container. A rota system ensures that there will be one pharmacy open at night-time and weekends – details are posted in the window of each pharmacy.

For serious complaints, head for the nearest hospital (bolnica or klinički centar), or call an ambulance (t 112 or t 94). Hospital treatment is free to citizens of EU countries, including the UK and Ireland, on production of a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC; available online in the UK from w ehic.org.uk; in Ireland from w ehic.ie); nationals of other countries should check whether their government has a reciprocal health agreement, or ensure they have adequate insurance cover.

Insurance

You’d do well to take out an insurance policy before travelling to cover against theft, loss and illness or injury. A typical travel insurance policy usually provides cover for the loss of baggage, tickets and – up to a certain limit – cash or cheques, as well as cancellation or curtailment of your journey. Most of them exclude so-called dangerous sports unless an extra premium is paid: in Croatia this can mean scuba-diving, whitewater rafting, windsurfing and trekking, though probably not kayaking or jeep safaris. If you need to make a claim, you should keep receipts for medicines and medical treatment, and in the event you have anything stolen, you must obtain an official statement from the police.

Internet

An increasing number of hostels, hotels and cafés offer free wi-fi access to their customers, and internet cafésare common in cities and Adriatic resorts. Prices in internet cafés are generally reasonable: expect to pay around 20–30Kn per hour online.

Laundry

Self-service launderettes are hard to come by outside Zagreb and Split, although most towns have a laundry (praonica) where you can leave a service wash.

LGBT travellers

Although homosexuality has been legal in Croatia since 1977, it remains something of an under-ground phenomenon, and public displays of affection between members of the same sex may provoke hostility, especially outside big cities. The younger generation is more liberal in its attitudes to homosexuality, and though there are few recognized gay hangouts, some of the more alternative clubs in Zagreb have a reputation for attracting a tolerant, mixed crowd. Adriatic beaches where same-sex couples will feel comfortable include those around the Istrian resorts of Rovinj and Poreč, on Sveti Jerolim near Hvar, and on Lokrum near Dubrovnik.

A Zagreb Pride march has been held every June since 2005 and, despite the presence of counter-demonstrations in the early years, has become a regular feature of the city’s calendar. The first Split Prideprocession, in June 2011, was notoriously halted by a mass demonstration of an estimated ten thousand homophobes, but has passed off without incident on every occasion since.

The website W friendlycroatia.com offers useful travel tips on various Croatian destinations.

Mail

Most post offices (pošta or HPT) are open Monday to Friday from 7 or 8am to 7 or 8pm, and Saturday 8am to 1 or 2pm. In villages and on islands, Monday to Friday 8am to 2pm is more common, though in big towns and resorts some offices open daily, sometimes staying open until 10pm.

Airmail (zrakoplovom) takes about three days to reach Britain, and eight to ten to reach North America; surface mail takes at least twice as long. Stamps (marke) can be bought either at the post office or at newsstands. If you’re sending parcels to non-EU destinations, don’t seal the package until the post office staff have had a look at what’s inside: customs duty is charged on the export of most things, although newsprint and books are exempt.

Maps

The biggest range of maps covering Croatia is by Freytag & Berndt, which produces a 1:600,000 Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia-Hercegovina map, a 1:300,000 Croatia map, a 1:250,000 Istria and Northern Croatia map and 1:000,000 regional maps of the Adriatic coast.

City and town plans are more difficult to come by, although tourist offices often give away (or sell quite cheaply) serviceable maps of their town or island. In addition, Freytag & Berndt publishes city plans of Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik. The best map of Zagreb is the 1:20,000 plan prepared by the Geodetski zavod Slovenije(Slovene Geodesic Institute), which is available in three versions: one published by a local firm in Zagreb, a second published by the Hungarian firm Cartographia and the third by Freytag & Berndt. All the above are available from shops in Croatia.

Money

Croatia’s unit of currency is the kuna (Kn; the word kuna, meaning “marten”, recalls the medieval period when taxes were paid in marten pelts), which is divided into 100 lipa. Coins come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 lipa, and 1, 2 and 5 kuna; notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 kuna.

The best place to change money is at a bank (banka) or exchange bureau (mjenjačnica). Banks are generally open Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm, and Saturday 8am to 11am or noon. In smaller places they normally close for lunch on weekdays year round, and aren’t open at all on Saturdays. Exchange bureaux are often found inside travel agencies (putničke agencije) and have more flexible hours, remaining open until 9 or 10pm seven days a week in summer if there are enough tourists around to justify it. The larger post offices also have exchange facilities, offering rates similar to those in banks. Exchange rates in hotels usually represent extremely poor value for money.

Naturism

Naturism (denoted locally by the German acronym “FKK”) has a long history on the Adriatic coast. There are self-contained naturist holiday villages in Istria (the biggest are just outside Poreč, Rovinj and Vrsar), and naturist campsites in Istria and the island of Krk. Throughout Croatia, you’ll find isolated coves or stretches of beach where it is OK to be nude, providing it is at a discreet distance from the main family-oriented sections.

Opening hours

Shops in Croatia are usually open Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm, and on Saturdays from 8am to 2 or 3pm, though we have listed exact times throughout the Guide. City supermarkets often stay open late on Saturdays, and open on Sundays as well. On the coast, during summer, shops introduce a long afternoon break and stay open later in the evenings to compensate. Office hours are generally Monday to Friday 8am to 3 or 4pm.

Tourist offices, travel agents and tourist attractions often change their opening times as the year progresses, generally remaining open for longer during the summer season (usually June to September).

On the coast, museums and galleries are often open all day every day (sometimes with a long break in the afternoon) in July and August, and closed altogether in the depths of winter. At other times, things can be unpredictable, with attractions opening their doors when tourist traffic seems to justify it. In big cities and inland areas, museums and galleries are more likely to have regular opening times year-round, and are often closed on Mondays.

Churches in city centres and well-touristed areas usually stay open daily between 7am and 7pm or later, but many in smaller towns and villages only open their doors around Mass times. Churches or chapels that are known for being architecturally unique or that contain valuable frescoes may have set opening times and admission fees (in which case we’ve mentioned them in the Guide); otherwise you’ll have to ask around to establish which of the locals has been nominated as holder of the key (ključ). Monasteries are often open from dawn to dusk to those who want to stroll around the cloister, although churches or art collections belonging to the monasteries conform to the opening patterns for museums and churches outlined above.

Phones

Croatian phone booths use magnetic cards (telefonska kartica), which you can pick up from post offices or newspaper kiosks. They’re sold in denominations from fifteen up to one hundred units (impulsa). Generally speaking, a single unit will be enough for a local call, and the fifteen-unit card (costing around 15Kn) will be sufficient for making a few longer-distance calls within the country or a short international call. It’s best to avoid making international calls from your hotel room: charges can be extortionate.

If you want to use your mobile phone abroad, check the likely call costs and be aware of any charges for data roaming (you can turn off your data roaming facility).

Croatia’s mobile phone operators (T-Com, VIP and Tele 2) all offer pay-as-you-go SIM cards that you can use during your stay. However, you’ll first need to check that you have a phone that isn’t automatically blocked by your home operator when you insert a foreign SIM card. It will cost you around 200Kn for the card (although a certain amount of this fee is in the form of prepayment for your future calls), after which you can purchase prepay top-ups in increments of 50Kn and upwards.

Public toilets

Public toilets (zahod or WC) are rare outside bus or train stations, although every restaurant and café-bar will have one.

Smoking

Croatia is one of the few countries in Europe to introduce a total smoking ban (in May 2009), only to rescind it mere months later. At present, smoking is banned in restaurants, large cafés and the larger club-gig venues, but is permitted in cafés and bars that are smaller than 50 square metres, and smoking zones in clubs.

Time

Croatia is one hour ahead of the UK, six hours ahead of US Eastern Standard Time, nine hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time, ten hours behind Australian Eastern Standard Time and twelve hours behind New Zealand. The clocks go back and forward by one hour in late October and late March, in line with other EU countries.

Tipping

Tips (napojnice) are not obligatory, and waitstaff don’t expect them if you’ve only had a cup of coffee or a sandwich. If you’ve had a round of drinks or a full meal, it’s polite to round up the bill by ten percent or to the nearest convenient figure.

Tourist information

The best source of general information on Croatia is the Croatian National Tourist Office. The tourist office can also supply brochures, accommodation details and maps of specific towns and resorts.

All towns and regions within Croatia have a tourist association (turistička zajednica), whose job it is to promote local tourism. Many of these maintain tourist offices (turistički ured or turistički informativni centar), although they vary a great deal in the services they offer. All can provide lists of accommodation or details of local room-letting agencies, but can’t always book a room on your behalf. English is widely spoken, and staff in coastal resorts invariably speak German and Italian as well. Opening times vary according to the amount of tourist traffic. In July and August they might be open daily from 8am to 8pm or later, while in May, June and September, hours might be reduced to include an afternoon break or earlier closing times at weekends. Out of season, tourist offices on the coast tend to observe normal office hours (Mon–Fri 8am–3pm) or close altogether – although there’s usually someone on hand to respond to emails and enquiries.

Travellers with disabilities

Many public places in Croatia are wheelchair accessible, especially in larger cities, though in general access to public transport and tourist sites still leaves a lot to be desired. There are a growing number of wheelchair-accessible hotels, though these tend to be in the more expensive price brackets and they are not spread evenly throughout the country. Tourist offices throughout Croatia will usually find out whether there are any suitable accommodation facilities in their region if you ring in advance, but be sure to double-check the information they give you – some tourist offices optimistically state that establishments have disabled facilities, when in fact they don’t.

Travelling with children

Croatia is a family-oriented society and children are made welcome in hotels, restaurants and cafés, though this does not necessarily mean that facilities for children are widespread. Although some hotels, beaches and town centres will be equipped with play areas and parks, many will not. However, most Croatian beaches are full of other children – so finding playmates is not difficult. Families stay up quite late on the Adriatic – it is common to see children running around town squares and pavement cafés after 10 or 11pm. International brands of baby food, disposable nappies, formula milk and other supplies are widely available in Croatia. Breastfeeding in public is becoming more common among the current generation of Croatian mums, though Croatia is still a conservative country and discretion is advised. Baby-changing facilities are usually available in shopping malls and in the larger motorway service stations, but might be few and far between elsewhere. Whether you come across high chairs in restaurants is very much a hit-and-miss affair.

Most Croatian hotels have three- and four-bed family rooms and suites, and each resort area will have a wide range of self-catering apartments of varying sizes. Hotels and apartment owners are generally very welcoming towards families with young children, but this does not necessarily mean that they will be equipped with the cots and children’s beds that you might need, and they may expect you to improvise with sofa beds instead. Many of the big international accommodation-booking websites are rather vague about the provision of cots and children’s beds, and it’s often better to book accommodation the old-fashioned way through a local agency who will be in a much better position to find exactly what you need. There are no hard-and-fast rules regarding pricing policy in hotels and private accommodation, some apartment owners are very flexible and may provide an apartment with a child bed for the same price as a two-person studio; make it clear what you want when booking and see what is available. A lot of Adriatic towns have narrow stepped streets; so if you are travelling with a buggy, be sure to ask about ease of access.

Travelling by public transport in summer can be a hot and crowded affair so make sure you include plenty of liquid and other essentials in your hand luggage. On buses and trains, babies and toddlers travel for free providing they do not take up a seat of their own; children under 12 travel at half the adult fare. Folded pushchairs and buggies can be transported in the hold of the bus for a nominal luggage fee (7–10Kn). On ferries and catamarans, under 3s travel free, those aged 3–12 get a fifty percent discount.

Covid News Regarding Travel: 

The Croatian Public Health Institute introduced special health inspection measures on 2 February for persons arriving from China or had been in China recently.^[8] On 3 February, Beroš met with Stella Kyriakidou, the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, and Janez Lenarčič, the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, to discuss the situation with the coronavirus.^[9] Following a meeting with the EU health ministers on 13 February, Beroš said that the closure of EU borders is a possible measure.^[10]

Beroš adopted a decision to establish a quarantine unit at the Hospital for Infectious Diseases “Dr. Fran Mihaljević” in Zagreb on 21 February, for suspected or confirmed infected persons with coronavirus.^[11] A Croatian citizen who spent time on the Diamond Princess cruise ship was quarantined in that unit on the following day. He had no symptoms, but was placed in a 14-day quarantine as a precautionary measure.^[12]Plenković said that the Crisis Headquarters will meet on a daily basis and that the Government will take any measure necessary to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.^[13]

Timeline

On 19 March, the number of recorded cases surpassed 100. On 21 March, it surpassed 200. On 25 March, it surpassed 400. On 31 March, it surpassed 800. On 12 April, it surpassed 1,600. On 14 April, the number of active cases reached its peak of 1,258. On 28 April, the number of active cases dropped below 800. On 7 May, it dropped below 400. On 17 May, it dropped below 200. On 26 May, it dropped below 100. On 3 June, it dropped below 50. However, on 20 June, the number of active cases hit 50 again, surpassing it the next day. On 23 June, it surpassed 100 again. On 25 June, it surpassed 200 again. On 28 June, it surpassed 400 again. On 5 July, it surpassed 800 again. On 6 July, the number of recorded cases surpassed 3,200. On 15 August, the number of recorded cases surpassed 6,400. On 5 September, the number of active cases reached the new peak of 2,771. On 10 September, the number of recorded cases surpassed 12,800. On 19 October, the number of recorded cases surpassed 25,600. On 1 November, the number of recorded cases surpassed 51,200. On 22 November, the number of recorded cases surpassed 102,400. On 12 December, the number of active cases reached the new peak of 25,270. On 27 December, the number of recorded cases surpassed 204,800.

On 4 April, the number of recovered cases surpassed 100. On 9 April, it surpassed 200. On 13 April, it surpassed 400. On 21 April, it surpassed 800. On 6 May, it surpassed 1,600. On 22 July, it surpassed 3,200. On 27 August, it surpassed 6,400. On 22 September, it surpassed 12,800. On 26 October, it surpassed 25,600. On 9 November, it surpassed 51,200. On 30 November, it surpassed 102,400. On 6 January 2021, it surpassed 204,800.

On 25 May, the number of deaths reached 100, surpassing it the next day. On 7 September, it surpassed 200. On 22 October, it surpassed 400. On 9 November, it surpassed 800. On 27 November, the number of deaths reached 1,600, surpassing it the next day. On 21 December, it surpassed 3,200.

According to Oxford University, as of 24 March, Croatia is the country with the world’s strictest restrictions and measures for infection reduction in relation to the number of infected.^[14] Strict measures, early detection of spread routes, prompt government reaction, extensive media coverage, and citizen cooperation have been credited for successful containment of the pandemic in Croatia.^[15][16]

For the citizens, the Government set up a website koronavirus.hr for all information they are interested in, as well as a new phone line 113 that has volunteers answering their questions.^[17] On 3 April the Croatian Institute of Public Health implemented a Facebook chatbot named Nada,^[18] and on the 14 April, the Government presented a WhatsApp chatbot nicknamed Andrija, after Andrija Štampar, whose purposes are to give personalized advice to citizens who suspect they are infected. Nada and Andrija are also intended to relieve human medical workers of the pressure by “working on the phones 24/7”.^[19][20]

Tourism In Croatia

Tourism is a major industry in Croatia. In 2018, Croatia had 19.7 million tourist visitors who made 110.275 million overnight stays. The history of tourism in Croatia dates back to the middle of the 19th century in the period around 1850. It has been developing successfully ever since. Today, Croatia is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the Mediterranean.

Tourism in Croatia is concentrated in the areas along the Adriatic coast and is strongly seasonal, peaking in July and August.^[1]

Eight areas in the country have been designated national parks, and the landscape in these areas is afforded extra protection from development. Currently, there are ten sites in Croatia inscribed on the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites and 15 sites on the tentative list.

Lonely Planet named Croatia as the top pick destination for 2005,^[2] while National Geographic Adventure Magazine named Croatia as Destination of the Year in 2006.^[3]

Croatia has a rich historical and cultural heritage, and natural beauty. Its greatest advantage in terms of tourism is its Adriatic Sea coast which, according to the 2010 European Environment Agency’s survey, had the second cleanest water in all of Europe. A mild Mediterranean climate with a warm summer and moderately cold winter favor tourism. The tourist offer of Croatia is very diverse and consists of nautical, excursion, diving, congress, cultural, ecological, rural, religious, adventure, hunting or fishing and health tourism.

In 2014, Croatia had 851 registered tourist facilities, of which 605 hotels, 84 campsites, 52 tourist apartments, 41 tourist settlements, 19 apart-hotels and 50 marinas. In all these facilities, there were more than 100,000 accommodation units and about 237,000 permanent beds. In 605 hotels, there were 53,217 accommodation units and 102,430 beds. Out of 605 hotels, 301 had three stars, 192 four, and 29 five stars.^[4] Adriatic.hr is a leading tourist agency providing online booking services on the Adriatic since 2000, they have over 13500 apartments and 500 hotels on offer.

Tourist regions

The Croatian National Tourist Board has divided Croatia into six distinct tourist regions.

Istria

The west coast of the peninsula of Istria has several historical towns dating from Roman times, such as the city of Umag, which hosts the yearly Croatia Open ATP tennis tournament on clay courts.^[19]

The city of Poreč is known for the UNESCO-protected Euphrasian Basilica, which includes 6th-century mosaics depicting Byzantine art.^[20] The city plan still shows the ancient Roman Castrum structure with main streets Decumanus and Cardo Maximus still preserved in their original forms. Marafor is a Roman square with two temples attached. One of them, erected in the 1st century, is dedicated to the Roman god Neptune.^[21] Originally a GothicFranciscan church built in the 13th century, the ‘Dieta Istriana’ hall was remodeled in the Baroque style in the 18th century.

The region’s largest city Pula has one of the best preserved amphitheatres in the world, which is still used for festivals and events. It is surrounded by hotel complexes, resorts, camps, and sports facilities. Nearby is Brijuni national park, formerly the summer residence of late Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito.^[22] Roman villas and temples still lie buried among farm fields and along the shoreline of surrounding fishing and farming villages. The coastal waters offer beaches, fishing, wreck dives to ancient Roman galleys and World War I warships, cliff diving, and sailing.^[23] Pula is the end point of the EuroVelo 9 cycle route that runs from Gdańsk on the Baltic Sea through Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia.

The town of Rovinj contains well-indented coastal areas with a number of small bays hidden within dense vegetation, open to naturists. Although the beaches are not specified as naturist, naturists frequent them.^[24]

The interior is green and wooded, with small stone towns on hills, such as Motovun. The river Mirna flows below the hill. On the other side of the river lies Motovun forest, an area of about 10 square kilometres in the valley of the river Mirna, of which 280 hectares (2.8 km²) is specially protected. This area differs not only from the nearby forests, but also from those of the entire surrounding karst region because of its wildlife, moist soil, and truffles (Tuber magnatum) that grow there. Since 1999, Motovun has hosted the international Motovun Film Festival for independent films from the U.S. and Europe.^[25]Groznjan, another hill town, hosts a three-week jazz festival every July.

Kvarner and Highlands

One of the most varying regions, the entire Kvarner gulf provides striking scenery, with tall mountains overlooking large islands in the sea. Opatija is the oldest tourist resort in Croatia, its tradition of tourism ranging from the 19th century.^[26]

The former Venetian island towns of Rab and Lošinj are popular tourist destinations. The island of Rab is rich in cultural heritage and cultural-historical monuments. Rab is also known as a pioneer of naturism after the visit of King Edward VIII and Mrs Wallis Simpson.^[27] The island offers nature, beaches, heritage, and events such as the Rab arbalest tournament and the Rab Medieval festival – Rapska Fjera. With around 2600 hours of sunshine a year, the island of Lošinj is a tourist destination for Slovenians, Italians, and Germans in the summer months. Average air humidity is 70%, and the average summer temperature is 24 °C (75 °F) and 7 °C (45 °F) during the winter.^[28]

The interior regions Gorski kotar, Velebit and Lika have mountain peaks, forests and fields, many animal species including bears, and the national parks of Risnjak and Plitvice Lakes. The Plitvice Lakes National Park lies in the Plitvice plateau which is surrounded by three mountains part of the Dinaric Alps: Plješevica mountain (Gornja Plješevica peak 1,640 m), Mala Kapela mountain (Seliški Vrh peak at 1,280 m), and Medveđak (884 m).^[29] The national Park is underlain by karsticrock, mainly dolomite and limestone with associated lakes and caves, this has given rise to the most distinctive feature of its lakes. The lakes are separated by natural dams of travertine, which is deposited by the action of moss, algae, and bacteria. The encrusted plants and bacteria accumulate on top of each other, forming travertine barriers which grow at the rate of about 1 cm per year. The sixteen lakes are separated into an upper and lower cluster formed by runoff from the mountains, descending from an altitude of 636 to 503 m (2,087 to 1,650 ft) over a distance of some eight km, aligned in a south-north direction.

The lakes collectively cover an area of about two square kilometers, with the water exiting from the lowest lake to form the Korana River. The lakes are divided into the 12 Upper Lakes (Gornja jezera) and the four Lower Lakes (Donja jezera):^[30] Under the travertine waterfalls Cratoneuron moss sometimes grows, the moss gets encrusted with travertine and fresh moss grows further out, first a crag is formed but later a cave roof forms under the crag. If the water continues flowing the cave becomes progressively bigger. Limestone caves are present as well. The area is also home to an extremely wide variety of animal and bird species. Rare fauna such as the European brown bear, wolf, eagle, owl, lynx, wild cat, and capercaillie can be found there, along with many more common species. At least 126 species of birds have been recorded there, of which 70 have been recorded as breeding.

Dalmatia

Zadar

This region caters to yachting and leisure travel. The Kornati National Park has hundreds of mostly uninhabited islands. Kornat, the biggest of the islands with a total area of 32,525,315 m² (350,099,577 sq ft), comprises two-thirds of the park’s land area. Although the island is 25.2 km long, it is no wider than 2.5 km.^[31] The park is managed from the town of Murter, on the island of Murter, and is connected to the mainland by a drawbridge.

Zadar, the largest city in the region, gained its urban structure in Roman times; during the time of Julius Caesar and Emperor Augustus, the town was fortified and the city walls with towers and gates were built. On the western side of the town were the forum, the basilica and the temple, while outside the town were the amphitheatre and cemeteries. The aqueduct which supplied the town with water is partially preserved. Inside the ancient town, a medieval town had developed with a series of churches and monasteries being built.^[32]

The interior has mixed plains and mountains, with the Paklenica canyon as the main attraction. Paklenica National Park is the most visited climbing site in Croatia, and the largest in Southeast Europe. The close proximity of seawater allows tourists to combine climbing, hiking and water sports. There are over 360 equipped and improved routes of various difficulty levels and lengths within Paklenica’s climbing sites.^[33] The main climbing season begins in spring and ends in late autumn. The Park area contains 150–200 km of trails and paths intended either for tourists or mountaineers. The trails in the Park are marked with boards and mountaineering signs.

The island of Pag has one of the biggest party zones in Europe in the town of Novalja and Zrće. These beaches have all-hours discotheques and beach bars operating during summer months.^[34]

Zadar is connected by land with two exits from the main highway, and by sea with regular line with Ancona, Italy, and by air mostly with Ryanair and Croatia Airlines. Many tourist agencies and tourist service providers such as Croatica.eu offer group plans. Most tours are offered by local private owners and small local companies.

Šibenik

This is another yachting region, dotted with islands, and centered on Šibenik and the Cathedral of St James, a UNESCO World Heritage site.^[35] Several fortresses, remnants of the Renaissance era (which includes St. Nicholas Fortress) surround the city.

The interior has the Krka National Park with waterfalls and religious monasteries.^[36] Skradinski Buk has attractions and facilities available among various footpaths, sightseeing tours and presentations, boat trips, restaurants and a museum. Roški Slap, located near Miljevci, is the second most popular attraction of the Krka National Park in terms of numbers of visitors, and whose cascades can be visited throughout the year. Roški Slap may be reached by excursion boat operated by the Krka National Park, although the falls can also be reached with a public road. Inside the park is the island of Visovac which was founded during the reign of Louis I of Hungary, home to the Roman Catholic Visovac Monastery founded by the Franciscans in 1445 near Miljevci village.^[37] The island can be visited by a boat tour from Skradinski Buk. The park also includes the Serbian Orthodox Monastery Krka founded in 1345.

The area around the city of Knin has medieval fortresses and archeological remains. The recently discovered Roman town Burnum is 18 km far from Knin in direction of Kistanje, which has the ruins of the biggest amphitheater in Dalmatia built in 77 AD, which held 8,000 people, during the rule of Vespasian.^[38] The nearby villages Biskupija and Kapitul are archaeological sites from the 10th century where remains of medieval Croatian culture are found including churches, graves, decorations, and epigraphs.^[39]

Split

The coastal city of Split is also the second largest city in Croatia, and is known for its unique Roman heritage which includes UNESCO-protected Diocletian’s Palace.^[40] The city was built around the well-preserved palace, which is one of the most complete architectural and cultural features on the Croatian Adriatic coast. The Split Cathedral stems from the palace.

The Makarska Riviera is a stretch of coastline that offers beaches, clubs, cafes, kayaking, sailing, and hiking along the Biokovo range. Makarska, Brela, Omiš, and Baška Voda are the most popular.

The large islands of this region, include the town of Hvar, known for its fishing and tourism industries. Hvar has a mild Mediterranean climate and Mediterranean vegetation. The island promotes itself as “the sunniest spot in Europe”, with over 2715 hours of sunlight in an average year.^[41] Cultural and artistic events within the Hvar Summer Festival take place throughout the summer, from late June to late September. These events include classical music concerts performed by national and international artists, and performances by amateur groups from Hvar.^[42] The Gallery of Modern Art in Hvar is located in the Arsenal building, in the lobby of the historic Theatre of Hvar. The permanent display contains paintings, sculptures, and prints from the collection, and temporary exhibitions are organised within the Museum project Summer of Fine Arts in Hvar.^[43]

The Cathedral of St. Stephen and the Bishop’s Palace have a Renaissance-baroque style, and a façade with three-cornered gable and a Renaissance Bell Tower in Romanesque style from the 16th century, created by Venetian artists.^[44]

Other notable islands in the region include Brač, Čiovo, Šolta, and Vis.

The old city of Trogir is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains a mixture of influence from the Hellenistic period, Romans, and Venetians with its Greek architecture, Romanesque churches, Renaissance and Baroque buildings.^[45] Trogir is the best-preserved Romanesque-Gothic complex in Central Europe. Trogir’s medieval core, surrounded by walls, comprises a preserved castle and tower and a series of dwellings and palaces from the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods. Trogir’s grandest building is the Cathedral of St. Lawrence, whose main west portal is a masterpiece by Radovan, and the most significant work of the Romanesque-Gothic style in Croatia. Another notable attraction is the Fortress Kamerlengo.

Dubrovnik

One of the best-known Croatian tourist sites is the fortified city of Dubrovnik with its Renaissance culture. The highlight is the Sponza Palace which dates from the 16th century and is currently used to house the National Archives.^[46] The Rector’s Palace is a Gothic-Renaissance structure that now houses a museum.^[47][48] Its façade is depicted on the reverse of the Croatian 50 kuna banknote, issued in 1993 and 2002.^[49]

The St. Saviour Church is another remnant of the Renaissance period, next to the Franciscan Monastery.^[50][51][52] The Franciscan monastery’s library possesses 30,000 volumes, 22 incunabula, 1,500 valuable handwritten documents. Exhibits include a 15th-century silver-gilt cross and silver thurible, an 18th-century crucifix from Jerusalem, a martyrology (1541) by Bemardin Gucetic and illuminated Psalters.^[50] Dubrovnik’s most famous church is St Blaise’s church, built in the 18th century in honor of Dubrovnik’s patron saint. Dubrovnik’s baroque Cathedral houses relics of Saint Blaise. The city’s Dominican Monastery resembles a fortress on the outside but the interior contains an art museum and a Gothic-Romanesque church.^[53][54] A special treasure of the Dominican monastery is its library with over 220 incunabula, numerous illustrated manuscripts, a rich archive with precious manuscripts and documents and an extensive art collection.^[55][56][57] The main feature of Dubrovnik is its walls that run 2 km around the city. The walls run from four to six metres thick on the landward side but are thinner on the seaward side. The system of turrets and towers were intended to protect the city.^[58]

An excursion along the coast south of Dubrovnik to the area of Ljuta offers popular daytime cruise excursions with scenic views including water streams, historic water mills and the mountain range east of the coastal plateau.

Just off the coast of Dubrovnik is the forested island of Lokrum. The small island has a castle, a thousand-year-old Benedictine monastery, and a botanical garden initially started by archduke Maximilian in the 19th century. Peacocks and peahens still roam the isle, descended from the original peafowls brought over by Maximilian.

The nearby islands include the historical island of Korčula. The Catholic inhabitants of Korčula keep alive old folk church ceremonies and a weapon dance, the Moreška, which dates back to the middle ages.^[59] Originally danced only on special occasions, in modern times there are performances twice a week for tourists.^[60] The main town’s historic sites include the central Romanesque-Gothic Cathedral of St Mark (built from 1301 to 1806), the 15th-century Franciscan monastery with Venetian Gothic cloister, the civic council chambers, the palace of the former Venetian governors, grand 15th and 16th-century palaces of the local merchant nobles, and the city fortifications.

Further along the Adriatic are the forests of Mljet island. Over 72% of the island of 98.01 square kilometres (37.84 sq mi) is forest. Its geological structure consists of limestone and dolomite forming ridges, crests and slopes. A few depressions on the island of Mljet are below sea level and are known as blatine (“mud-lakes”) or slatine (“salt-lakes”). During the rain seasons all blatine are filled with water and turn to brackish during dry seasons.

Central and Northern Croatia

The northern part, with the hilly area of Zagorje and Međimurje, is dotted with castles and spas, and the old city of Varaždin. In Međimurje there are spasand facilities for recreation in Vučkovec and around Sveti Martin na Muri, both in the northern part of the county and near the Mura. There are also more than 200 clubs for various sporting and recreational activities such as mountaineering, fishing, bowling, CB radio, parachuting and flying small aircraft, including unpowered gliders and powered hang gliders. Hunting also attracts numerous hunters in low game and birds.

In Čakovec Castle there is a Međimurje County Museum and an art gallery. In Šenkovec, in the chapel of Sveta Jelena and in the church of Sveti Jeronim in Štrigova, there are Baroque frescoes of Ivan Ranger dating between 1776 and 1786. Prelog is home to the beautiful church of Sveti Jakob, built in 1761.

Varaždin, with its monuments and artistic heritage, represents the best preserved and richest urban complex in continental Croatia. The Varaždin Old Town (fortress) is a medieval defensive building. Construction began in the 14th century, and in the following century the rounded towers, typical of Gothic architecture in Croatia, were added. Varaždin’s Cathedral, a former Jesuit church, was built in 1647, has a baroque entrance, 18th-century altar, and paintings.^[61] Among festivals, the annual Špancir Fest begins at the end of August and ends in September (lasts for 10 days).^[62] At this time the city welcomes artists, street performers, musicians and vendors for what is called ‘the street walking festival’. Varaždin is also the host of the “Radar festival”, which hosts concerts at the end of summer.^[63] It has already hosted musical stars such as Bob Dylan, Carlos Santana, The Animals, Manic Street Preachers, Solomon Burke among others.

The Marian shrine of Marija Bistrica is the country’s largest pilgrimage spot. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims visit the site every year where the 14th-century church has stood. The church is known for the statue known as the “Black Madonna with Child,” dating to the Turkish invasion in the 16th century when the statue was hidden in the church and then lost for decades until its discovery. Behind the church is the process of “The Way of the Cross”, in which pilgrims begin the trek that leads to Calvary Hill. Pope John Paul II visited the site in 1998 in his second tour of Croatia.^[64]

Central Croatia has some natural highlights, such as the nature park Lonjsko polje. The southwest area is known for its forests and wilderness. Baroquechurches are found throughout the area, along with other cultural architecture.

Slavonia

Tourism in this region is just developing, mostly with spas. The area of Baranja has the national park of Kopački rit, a large swamp with a variety of fauna and birds. It is one of the largest and most attractive preserved intact wetlands in Europe, hosting about 260 various bird species such as wild geese and ducks, great white egret, white stork, black stork, white-tailed eagle, crows, Eurasian coot, gulls, terns, common kingfisher, and European green woodpecker. Guided tourist visits by panoramic ships, boats, team of horses or on foot are available, with some packages offering the possibility of photographing or video-recording animals and birds.^[65]

The cultural center is the historical city of Osijek, with its baroque style buildings, such as the Church of St. Peter and Paul, a neo-Gothic structure with the second highest tower in Croatia after the Zagreb Cathedral.

The Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul in Đakovo is the town of Đakovo’s primary landmark and sacral object throughout the region of Slavonia.

There are three major yearly events celebrating folklore in Slavonia and Baranja: Đakovački vezovi, Vinkovačke jeseni and Brodsko kolo.^[66] They present traditional folk costumes, folklore dancing and singing groups, customs, with a parade of horses and wedding wagons as a special part of the program. During the Đakovački vezovi, the Đakovo Cathedral hosts choirs, opera artists, and art exhibitions are organized in the exhibition salon, and during the sports program, pure-bred white Lipizzaner horses can be seen on the racecourse. Ilok and the war-torn city of Vukovar are also points of interest in the area.

Zagreb

Like Prague or Budapest, Zagreb has a Central European feel to it, with a large and well-preserved old town on the hill and a 19th-century city center. The Croatian capital is also the country’s largest cultural center, with many museums and galleries.

The historical part of the city to the north of Ban Jelačić Square is composed of the Gornji Grad and Kaptol, a medieval urban complex of churches, palaces, museums, galleries and government buildings that are popular with tourists on sightseeing tours. The historic district can be reached on foot, starting from Jelačić Square, the center of Zagreb, or by a funicular on nearby Tomićeva Street.

Around thirty collections in museums and galleries comprise more than 3.6 million various exhibits, excluding church and private collections. The Archaeological Museum consists of nearly 400,000 varied artifacts and monuments, have been gathered over the years from many different sources.^[67]The most famous are the Egyptian collection, the Zagreb mummy and bandages with the oldest Etruscan inscription in the world (Liber LinteusZagrabiensis), as well as the numismatic collection. The Croatian Natural History Museum holds one of the world’s most important collection of Neanderthal remains found at one site.^[68] These are the remains, stone weapons and tools of prehistoric Krapina man. The holdings of the Croatian Natural History Museum comprise more than 250,000 specimens distributed among various different collections.

There are about 20 permanent or seasonal theaters and stages. The Croatian National Theater in Zagreb was built in 1895 and opened by emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. The most renowned concert hall is named “Vatroslav Lisinski”, after the composer of the first Croatian opera was built in 1973. Animafest, the World Festival of Animated Films, takes place every even-numbered year, and the Music Bienniale, the international festival of avant-garde music, every odd-numbered year. It also hosts the annual ZagrebDox documentary film festival. The Festival of the Zagreb Philharmonic and the flowers exhibition Floraart (end of May or beginning of June), the Old-timer Rally annual events. In the summer, theater performances and concerts, mostly in the Upper Town, are organized either indoors or outdoors. The stage on Opatovina hosts the Zagreb Histrionic Summer theater events. Zagreb is also the host of Zagrebfest, the oldest Croatian pop-music festival, as well as of several traditional international sports events and tournaments. The Day of the City of Zagreb on November 16 is celebrated every year with special festivities, especially on the Jarun lake near the southwestern part of the city.