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Top things to do in Croatia
Go island hopping, walk the city walls of Dubrovnik and explore the Plitvice Lakes.
Here are the top things to do on a Croatia holiday, as chosen by our Europe specialists.
Go island hopping
Croatia’s real charm lies in its 1,778km of coastline and 1,185 islands that sit just off the mainland. Studding the Adriatic, they vary from tiny, verdant and unpopulated isles to large, arid outposts supporting ancient towns and villages. There is something for everyone here – wander the medieval streets of Korcula and admire the 13th-century city walls, walk through the green forests of Mljet, relax in a harbour-side restaurant serving freshly caught fish or stop for a dip in the crystal-clear waters of the Adriatic.
Walk the city walls of Dubrovnik
Heavily shelled during the troubles in the 1990's, a walk along the city walls, which offer excellent views of the Adriatic Sea, is a must for any visitor. Up to 20 foot thick and 80 foot high, you can grasp the difficulties any invaders would have encountered.
See the Central Region
The area of central Croatia consists of a series of lowlands in the north, giving way to the hilly area between Samobor and Karlovac, renowned for its wine production. There are also a series of wetlands protected as part of the Lonjsko Polje Nature Park. This is the least visited part of Croatia as it suffered the most during the recent war. However, today it rewards visitors with a myriad of ancient castles, churches, museums, nature parks and pretty town centres featuring baroque architecture, all waiting to be explored.
Explore the Plitvice Lakes
An interconnecting 16-lake National Park located close to the border of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the chain of lakes extends over 7km with various terraces, cascades and waterfalls.
Visit Istria
Istria is a large triangular peninsula stretching out into the Adriatic and bordered by Slovenia. Once part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, it was amalgamated into Mussolini’s Italy in 1918 before its succession to the fledgling Yugoslav Republic in 1945. As a result of its cosmopolitan history and stunning coastline dotted with picturesque villages, the area has always been popular with holiday makers. Pula is the principal city on the peninsula with a rich history dating back to Roman times when the region was the administrative centre. The area is famous for the Plitvice Lakes National Park, granted Unesco World Heritage status.
