What to see in Croatia: 9 must-sees
Discover what to see in Croatia: 9 must-see destinations, from Dubrovnik to Split (Diocletian's Palace). Predominantly UNESCO heritage and city; each entry includes the best time to visit and the link to its official source.
UNESCO Heritage(4)
Follow the 1,940-meter circuit of the city walls, where 15 bastions and 2 towers guard a city founded in 614 that, as the Republic of Ragusa, rivaled Venice from 1358 to 1808. Head down to the Stradun, the 293-meter main street with its marble cafés and restaurants serving fresh fish, and visit the Rector's Palace (1441), the Cathedral of the Assumption (1713), and the 15th-century Goldsmith's. You'll recognize Game of Thrones and James Bond filming locations, and at dusk the western wall offers views of the sunset over the Adriatic.
Walk through the largest Roman palace in the world, where 220 buildings from the 3rd century coexist with shops, restaurants, and apartments, creating the oldest inhabited city in Europe. Diocletian's Palace (AD 305), built by the Roman emperor to retire to after 20 years in power, covers 3 hectares with walls 20 meters high, 16 towers, and 4 gates facing the cardinal points. Inside the palace, the Peristyle (a courtyard with 24 marble columns), the Imperial Baths, the Temple of Jupiter (the 7th-century Cathedral of Saint Domnius), and the Crypt of Saint Lazarus (4th century) show how the Croats transformed an imperial palace into a city. The North Bazaar (Pazar) buzzes with life as fishermen sell the day's catch, fruit vendors call out prices, and tourists walk between history and modernity. Don't leave without watching the sunset from the terrace of Diocletian's Palace, where the Adriatic Sea turns pink.
Walk through the park where 16 turquoise lakes are connected by 92 waterfalls in a landscape straight out of a fairy tale, where water, limestone, and vegetation create a spectacle of color that changes with the light. The Plitvice Lakes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, cover 29,650 hectares of beech forest, where 18 kilometers of wooden walkways wind between the waterfalls and wooden bridges cross the most turquoise lakes on the planet. The colors of the water—from deep blue to emerald green—come from the calcium carbonate that precipitates out of the water, creating travertine terraces that grow 1 centimeter per year. The upper trails offer panoramic views of the whole park, while the lower trails let you get up close to the most spectacular waterfalls, such as Veliki Slap (78 meters). If you visit at dawn, you'll have the park almost to yourself, and the golden light paints the lakes pink.
Behold the largest Roman amphitheater in Europe, where 23,000 spectators once watched gladiators and 28,000 today sit to watch open-air rock concerts, opera, and cinema. Pula Arena (67-70 AD) is the sixth-largest amphitheater in the world and the best preserved in Europe, with its 4 watchtowers, 72 arches, and a 45-meter arena. Its 18-meter-high, 2-meter-thick walls have withstood 2,000 years of earthquakes, wars, and the passage of time. The Pula Festival (July-September) turns the arena into a concert stage where artists such as Sting, Elton John, and Massive Attack have performed. Visitors can walk through the underground galleries where gladiators once awaited their turn, while the arena floor, grass-covered in summer, becomes a perfect natural stadium.
City(4)
Stroll down Grisol Street past cafés, street performers, and craft shops, then climb the hill where pastel-colored houses pile up over the Adriatic to the Church of St. Euphemia (1744), with its 60-meter bell tower. Founded by the Romans as Ervasso, Rovinj was an island until 1763, when a causeway joined it to the mainland. From the walls you'll take in the Istrian coast, and at the seafront restaurants you can sample the catch of the day with local Malvasia, while the interior offers wines such as Teran and Muškat.
Sail to the most elegant island in the Adriatic, where stone houses, marble squares, and turquoise waters enchanted European royalty for centuries of summers. Hvar was a medieval maritime power that rivaled Venice, and its 13th-century walled town preserves Fontik Square (1479), the largest public square of its kind, Španjola Fortress (1551), and the Arsenal (1612). Wander the citadel with its views over the harbor and the Pakleni Islands, admire St. Stephen's Cathedral (1573), and watch the sunset from the walls. Seafront restaurants serve fresh fish with the local Bogdanuša wine, while the cafés on Fontik Square buzz with tourists and locals in the Adriatic summer.
Explore Zagreb, the Croatian capital founded as Tabula in the 2nd century AD and once the seat of Croatia-Slavonia under the Habsburgs. In the Gornji Grad you'll see the Lotrščak Tower, a 13th-century tower, and the Cathedral of the Assumption, built between 1880 and 1902. Head down to Dolac, the country's largest open-air fruit market, where vendors and Danube fishermen fill the stalls with color. Climb to the restaurant terrace to take it in from above and try strukli, a cheese pastry made since the 16th century.
Walk along Zadar's seaside promenade, where the Sea Organ (2005) turns the waves into music and the Sun Salutation (2003) lights up its solar panels at dusk; Alfred Hitchcock called this sunset the most beautiful in the world. Founded by the Greeks as Dionysopolis in 384 BC and capital of the Duchy of Dalmatia, the city preserves the Land Gate (1543) and the 9th-century Church of St. Donatus, built in a Romanesque-Byzantine style. In July and August, the Zadar Festival fills the city with open-air music, theater, and film.
National Park(1)
Stroll the 500-meter wooden walkways as cicadas hum and turquoise water tumbles beneath your feet: Skradin Buk totals 17 falls along 400 meters, dropping 45 meters over travertine. The park, designated in 1985, spans 142 km² of river and forest with 860 plant species and 200 bird species. Take the tour boat to Visovac, the island of the 15th-century Franciscan monastery, and save time for the 22.5-meter Roški Slap and the Bilušića Bucak falls.
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