touring options in Croatia
In 2018 Croatia achieved a remarkable feat in football, felling traditional giants along the way as they claimed the silver medal at the World Cup, football’s biggest showpiece event. Long before that though, this Dalmatian country has been making tabloid headlines for very different reasons. Its perfect Adriatic location ensures a voyage of historical and scenic sightseeing, serving up excellent weather, beautiful cities and rustic islands that are always talked about by travel magazines. With so many touring options to leave you on the fence, we take a look at the top three:
1) Dubrovnik This quite orange fort town by the seaside is dreamy, and as vacation-worthy, as they come. The city’s Old Walls are its most treasured attraction, offering a scenic two-hour walk around Dubrovnik that spans 2 kilometers of refreshing sea breeze and spectacular sightseeing. The walls date back to the 10th century and perfectly round out a city full of medieval towers and buildings. You can stroll its lovely pebble streets as you work your way to iconic landmarks like Rector’s Palace, St Blaise Church, or the Onofrio Fountain while stopping along the way for a beverage at romantic patio cafes. The terracotta houses are also excellently in the view from the green mountain in the background, which provides an adrenaline-inducing ride with the best vantage point in the town. Peaceful and sunny beaches decorate the coastline, which consists of scintillating caves and hidden bays perfect for a midday picnic. If you’d like to settle down in the Balkans, Dubrovnik is a great place to look up houses for sale in Croatia within fairytale surroundings.
2) Split Perhaps the most famous of all Croatian cities, Split is a magical coastal town that holds the keys to the door of several beautiful Dalmatian islands. The city has a reputation not only as the perfect Adriatic gateway but also as a historical city full of ancient landmarks, friendly natives, and one of Europe’s finest, all-inclusive cuisine. 1700-year old Diocletian’s Palace stands out in that list, providing a commendably intact Roman architecture believed to be among the best preserved on the planet. Its coastline appeal is also just as irresistible as its historical magnetism, providing an abundance of golden coastlines famous for the traditional, local game of picking. You can have your fill of sandy delights at Bacvice, which is the most popular in the town. It tends to be filled with hordes of humanity, in which case, you can opt for the more secluded Firule Beach that provides shallow turquoise excellent for snorkeling.
3) Plitvice National Parks There are eight national parks in Croatia, but none gets as much traffic as the Plitvice Lakes National Park. A maze of viridescent vegetation and emerald ponds in between, it’s not hard to see why given this is a paradise of nature. Birds chirp away melodies on pine trees while you’re bound to come across some friendly wildlife hiking across wooden walkways connection 16 freshwater lakes. Hiking trips through the forest are quite the adventure, especially during winter when the park transforms into an icy beauty. The waterfalls and cascades freeze in place and turn white as the cold sets in and snow gather around trees and slopes to realize a landscape that will remind you a lot of the Mounds Layer cake.
Croatia offers a lot more! Rovinj, Pula, Hvar, Brac, Zadar, and Zagreb are among other excellent Croatian travel destinations you should also look into for your next visit.