"If you fantasize about cruising on balmy days in gem blue waters amidst the shade of ancient roman walled towns, Croatia is the place to turn it into reality…"
This country provides you with a unique combination of all. From breathtaking natural views to warm seas, rich cultural heritage, Roman Architecture, summertime Sun, incredible wine and delicious sea-food. Located in the Balkans this is a top destination amongst travelers.Here, I have made a list of some of the best places to visit on your Croatian vacation to taste the true beauty of this country.
Top 10 places to include in your Croatian vacation's checklist
1. Adriatic coast: The views along the Adriatic coast cannot be beaten! Rent a car and drive across the coast. Don’t rent a giant van, though it's more comfortable as these roads are of medieval times and you might hit other cars or scrape walls. These are gorgeous overlooks you might want to stop and enjoy. Most of the coastal cities (Dubrovnik, Split, and Zadar) are within 4 hours of each other so the drive won’t be long and tiring.
2. Plitvice lakes: Croatia is filled with stunning natural beauty and really well maintained national parks. Visit and take a hike around the whole park. This place is INCREDIBLE! A UNESCO World Heritage Site the beauty of this national park lies in its sixteen lakes interconnected by a series of waterfalls and located inside dense woodland populated by deer, bears, wolfs, boars and rare bird species.
If all those waterfalls make you feel like a swim, check out Krka, a smaller park, but one where you can actually take a dip in waterfall-fed pools!
3.Visit Dubrovnik
- Cruise through Dubrovnik Nicknamed the “Pearl of the Adriatic”, the old city of Dubrovnik is one of the most prominent places to visit in the Mediterranean.
- Located at the southern tip of Croatia off the Adriatic Sea, Dubrovnik was established in the 7th century on maritime trade. The orange rooftop houses sitting in contrast to the blue sky offers charming sights. The Old Town is stuffed with many archaic features such as the old defensive walls, cobblestone streets, magnificent palaces and stunning churches.
- Go cliff jumping on Lokrum Island ( A short boat trip from the main city) to test your limits and bring your senses alive.
4.Hvar: One of the most renowned of Croatian islands is worth at least a day trip. The island's village is a great place to grab a bite of seafood. Bask in the warm and soothing beaches, and snorkel in the azure waters! It’s easy to get to Hvar from the mainland city of Split with the Krlo Star ferry from Split’s port.
5. Brač: This too is easily accessible from the mainland city of Split.( the ferry stops here).It is known as the large, distinctly shaped Bol Beach.Head to Brač to spend a day zipping around the island’s country and coastal cliff roads on mopeds!
6. Museum of Broken Relations-Zagreb: Dedicated to anger, nostalgia, affection, and guilt, this museum is a repository of mementos of relationships gone bad. It has over 2200 mementos. Some are tokens of romance; some of abandoned child’s parent’s gifts to even a police report filed by a parent of the rape of a contributor at 8.Each object has a different story of laughter and sorrow.
7. Cathedral of St.Domnius-Split: Split’s octagonal cathedral is one of the best-preserved ancient Roman buildings standing today Built as a mausoleum for Diocletian, the last famous persecutor of the Christians, who was interred here in 311 AD. The Christians got the last laugh, destroying the emperor's sarcophagus and converting his tomb into a church in the 5th century, dedicated to one of his victims.
8. ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE-Pula Arena: Pula is Istria’s largest city and a working port. It is home to some Roman ruins including the Pula arena, the Temple of Augustus in the Forum, the Arch of Sergius, and a preserved Roman floor mosaic.
- The Pula Arena is the sixth-largest Roman amphitheater and one of the best preserved standing today. Visit the Pula arena walk around the interior, also tour the museum in the subterranean hall below where the gladiators and animals were held. The Pula arena’s outer walls are almost completely intact, and when inside it is easy to imagine how the amphitheater looked in Roman times. Many films are still shot here.
Be it old walls or early Roman architecture or the gem blue waters, Croatia has it all. the best coastal town in our globe.
Happy Travelling!!