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Croatia

Travel destinations in Croatia! Do you like beaches with crystal clear water, charming villages or maybe beautiful national parks? Here are our top tips for travelling to Croatia!

Why travel to Croatia?

Croatia is a fantastic country with a lovely Mediterranean climate, a long beautiful coastline and an archipelago with over a thousand islands and islets. Here you can enjoy the sun and swimming, try different water sports or maybe go sailing. The country also offers beautiful nature and no less than eight beautiful national parks.

Croatia is divided into four parts: Istria in the west, Central Croatia, Slavonia in the east and Dalmatia in the south. Here you will find many beautiful and charming towns, with plenty of historical sights. Of course, you can also enjoy good Mediterranean food. Here you will find tips and inspiration for your trip to Croatia.

Travel destinations in Croatia - inspirational reading

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resmål i Kroatien
Peter and Helena Bergström in Croatia, the travel magazine FREEDOMtravel

More destinations in Croatia

resmål i Kroatien

Krk in Croatia

Krk, which is also part of Kvarner Bayis the second largest island in Croatia, connected to the mainland by a bridge. Krk on the similarly named island of Krk, also known as 'Golden Island', is a town with an exceptional history and culture. Here you can experience ...

  • Church of Our Lady of Health
  • Franciscan Monastery and Church of St Francis
  • St Clare Abbey, a Benedictine monastery
  • Sv. Mary of the Angels, an early Christian basilica
  • Frankopan Castle
  • Kamplin Square
  • Convent and Church of St Lawrence
  • Church of St Quirinus and St Margaret
  • City walls
resmål i Kroatien
Source: Alexandar Gospic-Croatian Tourist Board

Cres

Croatia's largest island Cres is located in the Kvarner Bay. The landscape is extremely beautiful with small bays and turquoise crystal clear water. Here there are small charming villages like Lucbenice, Beli, Valun and Martinscica. In the Old Town you can see the Venetian Tower, the Municipal Loggia, the old city walls, the old Roman bridge and the Beli olive mill. Some beaches to experience:

  • Answer. Blaz beach
  • Mali Bok beach
  • Martinsice beach
  • Valun beach
resmål i Kroatien
Source: Alexanar Gospic-Croatian Tourist Board

Losinj

Lošinj is one of Croatia's larger islands.and the eleventh largest in the Adriatic Sea. It is located southeast of Istria and the largest town is Mali Losinj, which is the liveliest. From here you can also get to the quieter town of Veli Losinj.

  • Church of St Martin from the 15th century
  • Church of the Virgin Mary
  • St Anthony - 18th century church
  • Church of St Nicholas
  • Veli-Zal-Mali beach in beautiful Sunny bay
  • Cikat bay
  • A place with over 100 wild dolphins

The island of Susak in Croatia

Susak is a small island in Kvarner Bay.. The settlement has two parts: on top of a small hill is the Gornje Selo the older part of the village where the island's church is located; and Donje Selo is the lower part of the village next to the coast and the small harbour. This island has no roads and you walk around the island in 4-5 hours.

  • Baldarka bay is a nice little bay - north side
  • Bok bay with sand and shallow water - north side
  • Punta valica bay is a nice little bay - north side
  • Spiaza bay is a shallow sandy beach - north side
  • Nasuzanski bay is a bay that is very beautiful - south side
  • Obis bay is deeper with rocks - south side
  • Porat bay which is very quiet - south side
  • Zali bok bay where you are mostly on your own - south side

Rab in Croatia

Rab is a very popular island in Mill Bay, known as 'Happy Island'. How about 30 sandy beaches and shallow crystal clear waters. Rab is recognised by the four bell towers of the Virgin Mary Cathedral, the bell tower of the church of St John the Evangelist, the bell tower of St. Andrew the Apostle and the bell tower of the church of St Justine.

  • Try raska torta (Rab Kaka) of almonds and liqueur from 1177
  • Magical paradise beach Rajska plaža is a must
  • Rapska feather medieval festival in the last week of July every year
  • Dundo Reserve in the Kalifront forest and all the oak trees
  • Pudarica Beach where the sea is particularly clear

Krupa

Krupa is a canyon with a river running at the bottom of the depths, where you can canoe, for example. The Krupa River is a tributary of the larger Zrmanja River. Do not miss the Kudin Bridge located in the village of Golubic. Kuda's bridge was built in the early 19th century and consists of twelve arches. 

Legend has it that it was built by an infatuated young man named Kude who wanted to propose with his wedding guests to his beloved on the other side of the river.

Source: Alexandar Gospic-Croatian Tourist Board

Krcic

The beautiful 22 metre high waterfall in Dalmatia in the Sibernik Knin region. We have this on our bucket list and this is what we want to see.

resmål i Kroatien

Sibernik in Croatia

Here are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the same city and the famous and well-preserved fortress make Sibernik unique. It's also where scenes from Game of Thrones were filmed, and here are a few things to experience in Sibernik.

  • Cathedral of St James
  • Fortress of St Nicholas
  • Pellegrini is one of Croatia's best restaurants
  • Fortress Barone
  • St Lawrence Mediterranean Garden
  • Polyana Square
  • The small fishing village of Zablace
  • Beaches Jadrija
  • St Anthony's canal
  • Fortress of St John
  • Fortress of St Michael
  • St Dominic, St Barbara
  • Palace of the Knights, Palace of the Bishop
Source: Boris Kacan-Croatian Tourist Board

Baljenac

This super-cool island off Sibernik is organised agriculture on an island. The people lived on a neighbouring island called Kaprije and had their crops on the island and built their plots of land with stone plots all over the island.

Figs were grown here, pears and vineyards once upon a time. Rabbits were later planted on the island for growth but they became so numerous that they ate everything they grew. This is so unique that UNESCO will include it on its list of World Heritage Sites in Croatia.

Cliffs

City and Castle in the Dalmatian hinterland which is really, really cool. Klis Fortress from the 7th century is also a location today for the filming of Game of Thrones. A place to stay for!

The island of Vis in Croatia

The town of Vis is located in the large and naturally protected bay Bay of St Georgej. You can check out the church of St George, the ruins of a Roman theatre and much more. A popular festival is held on the last Saturday of July. Here are some of the best beaches on the island:

  • Stiniva was voted 'Europe's most beautiful beach in 2016' and is located west of Mala Travna Bay. Here ABBA filmed some scenes for Mamma Mia part 2.
  • Srebrna is located at Rukavac and is known as the "silver beach". There is also an area for naturists.
  • Stončica-The beach is located near the lighthouse in the north of the island. The water is shallow, making it ideal for families with children.
  • Smokova is a sandy beach on the south-eastern part. 
  • Zaglav is a 15-minute walk from Milna. 
Kroatien

Korčula

Korčula is the sixth largest island in Croatia. and the most populated. The main resort is Korcula Town and people call it "Little Dubrovnik". It is because of its medieval squares, churches, palaces and houses, Vela Luka and Lumbarda. 

Peljesac in Croatia

Peljesac Peninsula, Croatia's second largest peninsula., offers natural beauty, historical sites, lovely sand and pebble beaches, great red wine and seafood, especially oysters from Croatia.

  • Visit the 14th century fortification walls in Ston
  • Harvesting salt in Ston between July-September and getting a livelihood
  • Visit the small fishing village of Kobas
  • Visit a vineyard
  • Hike to the highest popular mountain Sv. Ilija (691 m)

Sipan in Croatia

Sipan is the second of the most beautiful islands. which belongs to the Elafiti Islands off Dubrovnik. The Koločep Channel separates Šipan from the mainland. The island is surrounded by several smaller islands and is known for its many bays and crystal clear waters.

Most of the island is covered by fields consisting of olive groves., vineyards and fig trees. In Suđurađ there is a Renaissance castle belonging to the Stjepović-Skočibuha family. Nearby are the Pakljena Tower from 1529 and the Church of St Spirit.

Lopud

The third beautiful island belonging to the Elafiti Islands outside Dubrovnik, with its famous Sunj beach.

Info and facts about Croatia

  • Capital city: Zagreb
  • Language: Croatian
  • Residents: 4 million (2020)
  • Currency: Croatian kuna (kn)
  • National Day: 30 May

Good to know about Croatia

  • Price mode: Cheap (cheaper than Sweden)
  • Time difference: None
  • Emergency number: 112
  • El: As in Sweden

Travelling to Croatia

  • FlightsFor example, you can fly directly with Ryanair from Gothenburg to Zagreb. The flight time is approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes.
  • Car/caravan: Of course, you can also take your car or motorhome to Croatia. For example, drive through Germany, Austria and Slovenia.

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21 Comments

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  1. Gisela Karlsson says:

    Really lovely pictures and wonderful descriptions of the Croatian coast.
    I can't wait to get there myself.
    Going there now in spring / summer, however, no details are ready. But there will be work anyway, and hopefully a lot of sunbathing when the work band is ready.

    Looking forward to more good and lovely reading
    Kind regards,
    Gisela

    22 February 2016 - 15:55

    Reply

  2. Anonymous says:

    Great to read, we have plans to drive the coastal road down to Dubrovnik in September. // Hasse

    08 March 2016 - 20:55

    Reply

  3. Anonymous says:

    What nice photos, well described and informative. Will be fun to go there this summer. We are looking for ferry information and routes but it was difficult, ended up on your site instead. / Marlène

    12 March 2016 - 22:27

    Reply

  4. Karin says:

    Hi wondering if you know if May is a good month to visit Croatia? I am afraid that it will be too cold. We have at least 25 degrees warm gladly. We have booked a trip to Baska Krk. We are wondering if it is nice there, if it is worth going there take a rental car and explore the area? We have the possibility to cancel the trip. Thank you! 🙂

    10 April 2016 - 7:31

    Reply

  5. Comment by post author

    admin says:

    Gisela Karlsson, hope you have a great trip to Croatia!

    Hasse, the coastal road in Croatia is very nice, and Dubrovnik too!

    Marlene, thanks for the great feedback on our site!

    Karin, we have not been to Croatia in May, but would think it is nice! Our experience from other parts of southern Europe in May is that it can be warm and pleasant during the day, but a little cooler in the evenings. We also experienced quite a big difference between the beginning and end of May... We have not been to Baska in Krk, but another travel blogger was there in August 2015: http://www.lanclin.com/baska-en-liten-turistort-pa-den-kroatiska-on-krk/

    10 April 2016 - 9:34

    Reply

  6. Rose-Marie says:

    What an incredibly professional site and beautiful pictures of Croatia. We have never been to Croatia before but are thinking of going in September. Have some questions that I hope you can help us with? From Split is it easy to get to Bol? Is everything open in the middle of September? Warm and nice in air and water? Mosquitoes? We are thinking of an excursion to the island of Hvar as well, a day trip, or is it enough to explore? Very grateful if you have time to answer all our questions.
    Rose-Marie

    24 January 2017 - 22:55

    Reply

  7. Comment by post author

    admin says:

    Rose-Marie, we're glad you like our site and that you're planning a trip to Croatia! It is easy to get from Split to Bol. You take a ferry from the harbour in Split and it goes to Supetar on Brac. From there you have to take a car or bus across the island to get to Bol (can't remember how long, but maybe 40 minutes or an hour). Everything is open in mid-September! It is only at the end of October that you notice that some things close again. It is warm and pleasant in September (although you can of course be unlucky and get rain, we can not guarantee the weather ;)). The bathing temperature is good, we bathed in Croatia both in October and November 😉 We have not noticed mosquitoes. It is probably excellent to take a day trip to Hvar and look around the city of Hvar, which is very nice! Hope you have a nice trip!

    25 January 2017 - 15:57

    Reply

  8. Kenneth Risberg says:

    Thanks for the great tips and fantastic photos, as usual.
    Do you have any tips for travelling beyond Germany?

    25 February 2017 - 20:01

    Reply

    • Comment by post author

      Helena says:

      You can go down through Poland and the Czech Republic. We have done it once. It was an interesting trip, but took longer ... I don't remember exactly which roads we travelled unfortunately.

      02 March 2017 - 21:10

      Reply

  9. Elisabeth says:

    Many beautiful towns and regions

    26 February 2017 - 22:05

    Reply

  10. Michaela says:

    Hi! Very nice page?
    Looking for info on the villages that are close to Split. Can you recommend any? It should be cosy and genuine and at the same time have a range of restaurants and cafes and close to a nice beach. Like Baska voda? We have looked at Stomberg, Podgora among others.
    Thank you in advance
    Michaela

    07 March 2017 - 16:43

    Reply

    • Comment by post author

      Helena says:

      Glad you like our site Michaela! We have heard that Podgora is nice and also Brela, but have not been there ourselves. We ourselves like Omis, which is a charming little town with an old-fashioned neighbourhood with many restaurants, possibilities for boat trips on the river and also a small sandy beach.

      07 March 2017 - 20:05

      Reply

  11. LinizTravel says:

    Oh I'm dreaming of Croatia 🙂 want so much
    Go there this summer 🙂 hugs

    07 March 2017 - 21:26

    Reply

  12. Daniela / Discovering The Planet says:

    What a great guide. Smart and easy to find your best tips.

    07 March 2017 - 23:20

    Reply

  13. Ann-Charlotte Aronsson says:

    Hi! Great info. We plan to drive to Croatia now in May. Do you have tips on a good travel route, we live in Malmö. Thanks in advance

    13 March 2017 - 13:28

    Reply

  14. lisbeth sageland, says:

    I am travelling on 14 February. how is the weather then and are there restaurants open then? we start the trip in dubrovnik.

    30 November 2017 - 19:33

    Reply

    • Comment by post author

      Helena says:

      Nice that you are planning to go to Croatia Lisbeth! However, I think it is cold in February, it is the middle of winter. Maybe around 10 degrees? In the cities there should be restaurants that are open all year round, but I would think that many restaurants are closed in the winter. Especially on islands and small tourist resorts. We were on Brac in the autumn and after 30 October there was almost nothing open, except the grocery store, the post office and a kiosk.

      02 December 2017 - 10:46

      Reply

  15. Mr Pontus Svensson says:

    hello
    We will drive down to Croatia this summer. Have heard that the island of Brac is lovely! Question. Can you take your car on the boats from split-supets?

    23 May 2018 - 19:59

    Reply

  16. Anonymous says:

    Very nice site. We are going to Croatia in five days and this site made us very excited about the trip.

    05 November 2019 - 16:06

    Reply

  17. Ned says:

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    Why buy an apartment in Croatia?
    Long summers, great sea and only two hours away. The prices are unbeatable. A major financial advantage of buying an apartment in Croatia is its incredible rental potential. Most people can cover all the financial and operational costs of the apartment after a few months of renting.

    Buying an apartment in Croatia is much easier than most people think.
    We at BoKroatien are a unique Swedish agency with long and solid experience of the country. We also have very good knowledge of the laws and regulations when buying apartments in Croatia.

    We have helped several satisfied Swedish families to find and buy apartments in the Croatian town of Trogir, near Split. The apartments are located only 20 minutes from the airport where you can fly in about two hours from Sweden. We organise viewing trips, show the apartments and the city, provide you with all the necessary information and are with you all the way from your first contact with us to key in hand. We are very keen that the process goes smoothly and that you are comfortable with your decision.
    Want to know more? We are just a call away. Contact us today!
    bokroatien.se

    16 February 2020 - 19:21

    Reply

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