Croatia | Moments on Journey

Croatia

Croatia is located on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe. It's a popular summer holiday destination due to its beautiful beaches, Mediterranean climate and medieval coastal towns. Though Croatia has several amazing national parks and it's capital, Zagreb is located inland, the majority of tourism is concentrated on the Adriatic Seas coast.

The Republic of Croatia is divided into regions of Croatia-Slavonia, Istria and Dalmatia. It's part of the European Union but not the Schengen Area, so passports are required for travellers.

Croatia is also among the top 12 retirement destinations as it's wonderful, has a nice weather, rich culture, cheap cost of living (compared to Western Europe) and tax breaks for seniors.

LANDSCAPE

Croatia isn't a large country but very diverse with its flat plains, river valleys, the Dinaric Alps and a long coastline on the Adriatic Sea with over a thousand islands and inlets. The mountains are mostly limestone plateaus or covered in thick forests - the national parks of this region offer amazing lookouts and breathtaking waterfalls and home to the Croatian wildlife, including hares, foxes, boars, wildcats, wild sheep, even wolves and bears! There are many underground rivers and pools in the central and Western Croatia, creating wonderful caves and geologic formations. The beaches are rocky but have beautiful turquoise water, coral reefs with sea life, even seals! Speaking of animals, did you know the Dalmatian dog breed originates from Croatia?

GASTRONOMY

The Croatian cuisine is influenced by the Turkish, Mediterranean and Italian cuisine, including a lot of seafood, pasta, risotto, sardines, meat dishes and pizza, but there're a lot of bakeries too. While you're here, try the traditional dishes, such as peka, black suid risotto, boskarin meat, brodetto (fish stew), Pag cheese or the fritule dessert. Vegetarian and vegans might find it difficult to eat but bigger cities are more and more open to these options too. The Croatian beers ("pivo") are of a good quality and the Dalmatian wines are exquisite but the local specialty is brandy, sljivovica and travarica. Fun fact, Croatia is home the the world's biggest truffle.

TOP DESTINATIONS

Plitvice Lakes National Park

CULTURE

Croatia has a rich culture and varied history - it was home to the world's largest Neanderthal community, lived through Roman and Byzantine Empires, Venetian rulers, Hungarian Kings, the Ottoman invasion, Habsburg Monarchs, two World Wars and a communist Yugoslavia. This history is evident in the Croatian historical and cultural sites, as there are many Roman amphitheaters and ruins, Byzantine basilicas, Venetian palazzos, neo-Gothic cathedrals, medieval walls, castles and fortresses and also Austrian villas.

Also, Croatia is has many ethnic groups of which the Serbs, the Bosnian Muslims, Hungarians, Italians, and Slovenes are the most significant. They are welcoming people but a bit conservative - LGBTQ communities are legal, but not entirely accepted by the deeply Catholic culture.

According to the UNESCO, the Croatian culture has the most "untouchable treasures" of Europe (apart from Spain), including singing traditions, kolo dance, festivals, crafts like lacemaking, wooden toy carving or gingerbread making. Plenty of festivals and events are held throughout the year, for traditions, music, film or religious holidays. Some of the most popular ones are Rijeka’s Winter Carnival, Zagreb’s Christmas market, Dubrovnik Summer Festival and the International Folklore Festival.

The country also has a few famous Croatians and inventions, like the inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla, the cello duo 2Cellos, actor Goran Visnjic, the Maglite torches, the torpedo, the mechanical pencil or penkala.

WEATHER

CROATIA BUCKETLIST

The climate in Croatia depends on the region - the mountains have alpine climate with colder temperature, the inland has continental climate with warm summers and cold winters, while the coastal regions has Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild, rainy winters. For the beach lovers, the best time to visit Croatia is in the summer months, though July and August are the peak season of tourism. May and June or September and October can be ideal if you want to do outdoor activities in a pleasant, sunny weather and less crowd. If you don't mind the colder weather, visit the national parks in autumn or in winter, the waterfalls are magical in autumn colours and even in snow.

GOOD TO KNOW

Language: Croatian, English is widely spoken in popular areas, especially by the younger generations. Italian is the second language in Istria

Money: Croatian Kuna, ATMs are widely accessible and most of them accept international bank cards, but always have some cash with you, many smaller businesses take only cash.

Plugs: Type C and Type F

Tap water: safe to drink

Safety: Croatia is quite safe, though be careful with tourist scams like overcharging - ask the taxi driver to keep the meter on and pay in kuna instead of your home currency. Also, when on the beach, pay attention to sea urchins and watch where to jump from a cliff.

Visa and Passport: As part of the Schengen Area, some nationalities are required visa even for tourism purposes. Over 90 nationalities can travel without visa and the citizens of the Schengen Area countries can travel with an ID Card, while the around 150 other countries are required to apply for a Schengen visa. From 2022, these travelers from outside the Schengen Area will need to apply for an ETIAS visa. Check the conditions here.

Transportation: Train system is rather slow in Croatia, but buses are affordable, safe and reliable way to travel around. However, make sure you get back on the bus on time - Croatian buses are notorious for leaving tourists behind! Boats and ferries are also a good option to travel.

Driving: On the right side. Most cities are car-free but renting a car is a good option to get to one city from another. Watch out for steep and narrow roads along the cliffs.

Tipping: Tips are welcome, generally 10% of the bill, leave it in cash if you can

Walk on the Old Town walls in Dubrovnik

Swim at the waterfalls in Krka National Park

Explore the narrow alleyways of Sibenik

See the Blue Cave of Bisevo

Relax at Zlatni Rat beach

Hear the Sea Organ in Zadar

Visit Korcula Island

Glamping on Obonjan

Island hopping in the Kornati Islands

Ziplining in Cetina Canyon

See the Trsteno Arboretum