Croatia is a small Slavic country, which is very lucky with its geographical location. Its arsenal has the sea, islands, bays, mountains, mineral springs, a warm mild climate and wonderful nature. Add to this the developed infrastructure, delicious local cuisine, and get a great place to relax. What places can I visit in Croatia? You will find photos and descriptions of the country's attractions in our article.
Balkan country
Croatia is located in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula, next door to Bosnia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Serbia and Hungary. It is washed by the Adriatic Sea and stretches for 1700 kilometers along its coast. It includes more than a thousand nearby islands, of which no more than 50 are inhabited. The largest of them are Krk, Cres, Dugi Otok, Ugljan, Pag.
In the northeast, the country's territory is represented by hilly plains, rugged valleys of the Danube and its tributaries Sava, Drava, Kupa and Mura. Almost parallel to the coast stretches Dinar Highlands - the most elevated region of the country. Its highest point is Mount Dinara, which rises 1831 meters above sea level.
The area of the country covers only 56 594 km 2 and is 127th largest in the world in size. Despite this, the nature of Croatia is considered one of the most diverse among all European countries. On its territory, new biological species are still being discovered, and almost 3% of those already discovered are endemic.
Sights of Croatia: what to see?
This country has all the prerequisites for tourism, so vacationers appeared on its horizon in the XIX century. Today it remains one of the most comfortable places to visit, offering travelers entertainment for every taste. The country is conditionally divided into several historical regions, each of which has its own unique attractions.
Istria in Croatia is located on the peninsula of the same name and is famous for its medieval towns (Rovinj, Pula, Porec, Optia), rocky coasts, as well as wine and the purest olive oil in Europe.
The beaches in Istria are mainly made of concrete slabs, so for this pleasure it is better to go to North Dalmatia, where the coast is dotted with small pebbles. There are both quiet family resorts and places for youth entertainment. Southern Dalmatia is represented by mountains, numerous islets, and luxurious resorts. Oysters are grown in this region and they make excellent wine, and its center is Dubrovnik, the most beautiful and expensive city in Croatia.
The northern part of the country is located in the depths of the continent and is less popular. However, there is something to see here. In the central part is the capital of the state - Zagreb, combining the heritage of the Middle Ages and the architecture of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Further east are Zagorje and Slavonia - regions where you can plunge into the musical culture of Croatia and rural tourism, visit ancient castles and folk festivals.
In such a variety of interesting places it is difficult to choose one thing, so we have prepared a list of the best attractions of Croatia, according to tourists:
- Dubrovnik.
- Zagreb
- Plitvice Lakes.
- Trakoshchan castle.
- Pula.
- Paklenica National Park.
- Split
- Rovinj.
- Vis Island and Blue Grotto.
- Park Brions.
- Hvar island.
- Zagorje.
Dubrovnik
In the Middle Ages, Dubrovnik called Ragusa was the capital of the Dubrovnik Republic. At this time, he reached its greatest prosperity, both culturally and economically. For the rapid development of art and science, he was even called the Slavic Athens.
By the way, he had a chance to visit the capital recently - in the series “Game of Thrones”, Dubrovnik “played the role” of Royal Harbor. Filming significantly increased the influx of tourists, of whom there are many in the city.
The old part of Dubrovnik is surrounded by a powerful fortified wall, which is literally mounted in coastal cliffs. The main buildings inside the walls date from the 14th - 18th centuries, among them: the Franciscan Monastery, the Princely Palace, the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, the Sponza Palace, etc. Some of them were rebuilt on the site of older buildings destroyed by a strong earthquake in 1667.
Plitvice Lakes
Plitvice Lakes is a unique creation of nature, woven from many lakes, waterfalls and caves. They were formed due to sediments of the Koran River, which created natural dams and reservoirs for its waters.
The national park opened in 1949 and quickly became one of Croatia's most popular attractions. The water in the local lakes is so clear that even snags lying on their bottom are visible. Beech and coniferous forests grow around ponds, in which forest cats, bears, roe deer and other animals live. There are about 20 caves in the rocks of Plitvice, which can be found beyond the waterfalls.
Pula
It is the largest city in Istria and the oldest on the Adriatic coast of Croatia. Sights of Pula belong to different historical eras, the most ancient of them appeared here before our era. In the past, the city was a Greek colony, then became an important settlement of Ancient Rome. The surviving amphitheater, the Arc de Triomphe, the Temple of Augustus and the Roman Forum testify to its belonging to the great empire.
After the fall of Rome, Pula belonged to Venice, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Italy. It became Croatian only in 1947. Today you can see the Byzantine Basilica of St. Nicholas of the VI century, the town hall of the XIII century and the Kastel fortress, from which you can see the whole city.
At one time, the author of the famous novel "Ulysses" writer James Joyce visited Pula. The monument to him is on the terrace of a small cafe Uliks, which is easy to find on Sergiev Street near the Golden Gate.
Split
The second largest settlement in Croatia after Zagreb is Split. It does not at all look like Dubrovnik or the tiny towns of Istria. Various eras, different and dissimilar architectural styles have intertwined in this city. Modern buildings and shops in it are adjacent to monuments of the 15th century, and even to buildings erected at the beginning of our era.
The main attraction of Split in Croatia is the palace of Diocletian, built in 305. This is the best-preserved example of Roman palace architecture. The complex occupies most of the old city, today within its walls are boutiques, hotels, cafes and restaurants. Part of the palace is the inner open-air square, the temple of Jupiter, converted into a baptistery, and the Catholic Cathedral of St. Duym, which was once the mausoleum of Diocletian. Near Split are the ruins of the ancient city of Salon, founded by the Illyrians before our era.
Vis
Vis is the most populated island of Croatia from the mainland. It is located 50 kilometers about Split and 60 from Makarska. To get to it, you need to swim past the islands of Brac and Hvar. It was with him that the colonization of the Adriatic by the Illyrians, and then the Greeks, began. On Visa there is a Franciscan monastery, ancient amphitheaters and many medieval churches.
Another attraction of Croatia is Komiza, a small village where fishing is the main activity. There is even a museum dedicated to this craft. Around it are also plantations of grapes and aromatic spices of rosemary. Boats depart from the village to the tiny island of Bishevo, in the bay of which is the Blue Grotto. Part of it is filled with sea water and in sunny weather for several hours a day the light is refracted in it so that the entire cave turns blue.
Zagorje
Zagorje is a historical region of Croatia. Sights of this region are significantly different from those on the coast. The architecture of local cities belongs to later eras (Renaissance, Baroque), and nature is represented by smooth green hills.
The most interesting places in the region are the city of Varazdin with the castle of Trakoshchan, Cakovec with the Zrinsky Palace, Krapina and its Museum of Evolution, the Museum of the Old Village in Krumlov. There are several balneological resorts in Zagorje, such as Varazdinsk Toplice, Krapinsk Toplice, Stubichke Toplice, Tukhelsk and Daruvansk Toplice. In the village of Ivanich-Grad there are sources of medicinal oil.