Get to know this beautiful region, an elongated coastal strip, about 400 km long and up to 70 km wide in the central part.
The island of Pag is located near Zadar, in the far north of Dalmatia. Due to its bare nature, this unique island is often compared to the surface of the moon.
The town of Novalja on the island of Pag, the island of stone magic, is a recognizable tourist destination with preserved natural beauty, and traditional values of historical and cultural heritage, the most attractive of which is the Ancient Waterworks completely carved in living stone, which represents the most significant archaeological heritage of the island of Pag. It is an underground channel – tunnel, which was built in the 1st century AD during the Roman Empire. It served to supply the town with water from the spring in the nearby Novaljsko polje. The entrance to the water supply is located inside the City Museum, which preserves part of Novalja’s cultural and ethnological heritage.
This city is full of archaeological sites and remains, and the ancient stone streets and the main square will delight you with their typical Mediterranean charm.
There are few places on the Adriatic that, like Novalja, can boast of beautiful natural sand and pebble beaches in their immediate surroundings, which form a kind of ring.
The beaches continue towards Stara Novalja, located in the most beautiful bay on the island of Pag, an oasis of peace and ideal for a family vacation.
Get to know the charming town of Pag, whose stone streets are woven with a thousand-year history, and which will tell you the story of the town.
Pag is also known for its, one of the best Croatian hard cheeses, which is made from the milk of Pag sheep, bred on the island of Pag almost exclusively for their milk. Its unique taste is the result of immortelle and Mediterranean herbs that are fed to the sheep, as well as salt that is deposited on the vegetation by the wind.
We highly recommend you to taste Pag cheese in one of the Pag taverns.
After Pag, we take you to the magnificent Zadar.
Zadar has the most beautiful sunset in the world, even more beautiful than the one in Key West, Florida, which is applauded every evening, said the famous director Alfred Hitchcock during his visit to Zadar in 1964.
Zadar’s waterfront is a wonderful place for walks by the sea and enjoying the lush vegetation. From the waterfront, there is an unforgettable view of the beauty of the Zadar channel, the islands of Ugljan and Pašman, and the open sea in the northwest.
The modern icon of Zadar is the “Sea Organ”, a unique architectural wonder built in the underwater part of the city’s waterfront. There, the sea waves flowing and passing through the musical pipes placed under the sea create an incredible sound, the so-called sea music, which fills the wide area of the promenade by the sea. Given the infinite number of combinations of tides, size, strength, and direction of the waves, the organ produces a fantastic combination of tones and in fact the sea plays its melody, and you enjoy a concert of mystical tones of the “orchestra of nature”.
Explore the Islands
Right across the street from the city of Zadar is one of the largest islands of the Zadar archipelago – the island of Ugljan, also known as the green island, known for growing olives.
Along the eastern side of the island, in natural coves, there are fishing and tourist towns, the most famous of which are Preko, Kukljica, Kali, and Ugljan.
How to get there?
Daily ferries sail to the island of Ugljan from Zadar, i.e. the Zadar ferry port Gaženica. The ride itself takes 25 minutes and the ferry docks at the ferry port in Preko.
You certainly didn’t know this!!
There are olive trees here that are two thousand years old and connected by roads that were built by the Romans just as many years ago.
After Ugljan, get to know the most attractive island near Zadar and one of the most beautiful in the Zadar archipelago – Dugi otok. The longest and one of the largest islands in the Adriatic, whose name is fully justified by its length of about 45 kilometers. It is the “owner” of enchanting cliffs, a salt lake, magical sandy beaches, peculiar bays, and various caves.
It is best known for the incredibly beautiful Sakarun beach with white sand and turquoise blue clear sea, which is on the list of the 30 most beautiful beaches in the world.
Your unmissable destination in the extreme south of Dugi otok is the Telašćica Nature Park, another in a series of precious specialties of Dugi otok. The largest and known to all sailors as the safest natural cove on the Adriatic, Telašćica has two exceptional attractions. The highest rocks, whose height is 160 meters above sea level, will amaze you with their grandiosity.
The Veli Rat lighthouse – built in 1849 and, at 42 meters, the tallest lighthouse on the Adriatic – is surrounded by pine forests and pebble beaches, and from its top there is a unique panoramic view of all parts of the world. Can you imagine and experience a more beautiful scene than when you watch the sun spill its golden rays on the sea surface as it approaches sunset, and the wind brings the smell of the sea and the sounds of a symphony of warblers from the pine tops?
One of the most beautiful Croatian cities is located in the very heart of the Adriatic, at the place where the Krka River flows into the sea. Šibenik, the city of culture, good entertainment, and even better gastronomy, is currently experiencing its second renaissance.
The Barone fortress is one of the most important fortresses in the city, located 80 meters above the city itself, on Vidakuša hill. It was built in 1646. Today, the fortress is, accessible to visitors every day. It houses a slightly unusual museum of augmented reality. It is a technological innovation in which the world that the user sees is expanded with sounds, images, and digital characters.
From here you can go on a one-day trip and enjoy unique sights in the world! One of the most famous attractions and sights located in central Dalmatia is the Krka waterfalls, a national park with its seven magnificent travertine waterfalls and many other natural beauties that should be seen once in a lifetime. The total drop of the cascades and waterfalls in the entire area of the park is 242 meters.
The noble town of Trogir – a town where legends and reality are alchemically intertwined – that’s Trogir. The stone capital of the middle Adriatic is older than Split and Dubrovnik. A thousand-year-old city on whose stone facades traces of history are written. Did you know that in 2016, Trogir was declared the most beautiful city-island in the world as chosen by National Geographic , and since 1997 it has also held the title of the only city in Croatia fully protected by UNESCO.
You will be amazed by the beauty of the heritage of this city and its architecture.
Come to the Trogir waterfront, which will attract you with its relaxed atmosphere, locals drinking coffee and enjoying the sun—one of the most beautiful places in Trogir that offers enjoyment both day and night. The superb promenade by the sea with numerous catering establishments is also the place where yachts and megayachts are moored.
Head to the magical Kaštela. Get to know the beautiful Kaštela bay with seven pearls illuminated by the Mediterranean sun. The town of Kaštela consists of a total of seven settlements that stretch between, the largest Croatian city on the sea and a UNESCO city Trogir.
In the area of the Seven Castles, seven beautiful and interesting castles have something in common, which is that they are located literally on the sea. Throughout history and even today, they have been and remain a great inspiration to various artists who found their inspiration here and immortalized some of them.
Visit the Kaštilac fortress in Kaštel Gomilica, which delighted the Game of Thrones team, and they decided to film the fourth season of this universally popular series here.
If you want a perfect selfie, this is the ideal place for it.
Get to know Split, ” the most beautiful city in the world” as the people of Split would say. One and only Split with a beautiful waterfront, a favorite city promenade, a central meeting place, and the starting point of every sightseeing. The waterfront is full of cafes and restaurants with a beautiful view of the sea and the island of Brač across the street.
At the very beginning of the waterfront is one of the entrances to Diocletian’s cellars and the palace itself. The palace is the heart of the city and was built by Emperor Diocletian, it is rectangular, with four towers and gates on each side. Today, it is one of the best-preserved monuments of Roman architecture in the world, and its special feature is that it is “alive”, that the inhabitants of Split still live in it today, so it is not just a backdrop to incredible history. Get lost in the alleys of the Palace, stop at the Peristyle, visit the Temple of Jupiter and the Vestibule, and be sure to climb the campanile of St. Duje. Find the statue of Grgur Ninski, the work of the respected Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović. Legend says that it is necessary to rub the thumb of Grgur of Nin and call for good luck.
Brač is an island of culture and adventure, an island that is rightly considered one of the most beautiful in the Adriatic. Brač is also the highest island in the Adriatic Sea, and from the 778 m high peak of Vidova Gora, there is a beautiful panoramic view of Bol, Zlatni Rat, and all the central Dalmatian islands.
Bathed in the sun and turquoise sea, rich in traditional and modern events, and permeated with the scent of cypress and pine trees, the island of Brač hides numerous magical places, beautiful beaches, authentic stories, and countless experiences. The globally recognized symbol of Bol is Zlatni Rat Beach, whose appearance changes depending on the tide. It was created by the deposition of fine golden gravel around an undersea reef, extending like a tongue up to 500 meters into the sea. Under the influence of winds, waves, and sea currents, the peak of the “Zlatni Rat” constantly changes its shape, making it different and interesting every time.
THE MASONRY SCHOOL IN PUČIŠĆI is a place you must visit. This school has been operating for more than 110 years and is one of the few in the world that teaches manual techniques of stone processing.
An ancient town with a rich history, the largest and most important town on the island of Hvar, the town of the same name Hvar. Attractive because of the numerous narrow stone streets called “kale”. A walk through the kale offers pleasure and an authentic experience of Dalmatian architecture, blended with beautiful nature and the sun making this city a fairy tale.
Among the cultural sights in the city of Hvar, you should visit the Arsenal, visit the Hvar Theater with the Arsenal, which has its indispensable place in the history of theater in general, given that, upon its foundation in 1612, it was the first civic theater in Europe.
The town of Hvar is the sunniest Croatian island with 2,700 hours of sunshine per year, but it is also the sunniest island in Europe. One of the natural features is the purple fields of lavender that bloom in summer.
One of the most popular attractions is the Fortica Fortress with a spectacular view of the city and the Hvar archipelago. It was built on a hill above the old part of the city in the middle of the 16th century (during the rule of Venice).
Restaurants and taverns offer daily seasonal Mediterranean specialties such as fresh fish and seafood, home-grown lamb, fresh vegetables from local cultivation, and home-made sweets, and at the end you can “water down” everything with locally grown wine.
On the sunny side of the island of Vis, at the foot of the hill Hum, lies the beautiful Komiža, a small town where fishing on the eastern coast of the Adriatic was born. A picturesque place with narrow streets and stone houses pressed together, one of the sunniest places on the Adriatic with 2,600 hours of sunshine per year.
In 2019, the Viški Archipelago Geopark became a member of the UNESCO World Network of Geoparks. It consists of the island of Vis, its surrounding islets, Biševo, St. Andrew, Brusnik, Jabuka and Palagruža. The Vis archipelago has the largest concentration of natural monuments in one place.
BLUE CAVE on the island of BIŠEV
It is located on the eastern side of the island in Balun Bay and is one of the most famous natural monuments of the Adriatic. It was discovered by Baron Ransonet in 1884, and a year later the Tourist Association from Vienna organized for its hundred members the first visit to the Blue Cave, which was the first organized tourist visit to a tourist destination in Dalmatia. The beautiful blue-silver glow is caused by the reflection of sunlight on the sand. The unreal beauty of the cave is difficult to describe, it must be experienced. Depending on the time of day and the angle of refraction of the light inside the cave, as the colors blend into each other, the sea in the cave sometimes has the color of liquid silver.
Medvjeđa cave is located on the southeastern side of the island of Biševo, with its 160 meters it is the longest sea cave on the Adriatic. It used to be the habitat of the Mediterranean fur seal, which is how it got its name.
One of the special features of this destination is the small volcanic island Brusnik, only 13 nautical miles from Komiža. The island is of volcanic origin and is a protected natural monument. Walking on it, you are stepping on hardened lava remains. Its paths have been embellished by time for 150 million years. The unique stone pebbles on the beaches of this island are of volcanic origin, modeled by the sea and time. Sun, turquoise sea, black stone, that’s magical beauty, that’s Brusnik.
Get to know the beautiful town of Orebić on the Pelješac peninsula, made famous by captains and sailors who sailed the world’s seas. Their legacy speaks from the luxurious captain’s houses with spacious gardens and beautiful gardens in which there are plants from all the world’s meridians.
One of the sights that you should visit when you find yourself in Orebić is the maritime museum where you can learn a lot about the history of Orebić, which has been known for centuries for its captains and sailors. Some of the best sailors in the world’s most famous fleets were from Orebić.
One of them, Captain Joza Šunj, was even given a gold watch with a chain by American President Abraham Lincoln as a sign of gratitude for rescuing 22 American sailors in a storm off the coast of Newfoundland.
Orebić is a destination for family tourism, but also for active vacations. Wild Dalmatian nature and crystal-clear sea will win you over.
We present to you the island and the town of the same name, Korčula.
What makes Korčula unique?
Legend has it that Korčula gave birth to the world’s greatest traveler and explorer, Marco Polo, whose museum is located just outside the old city walls. It was opened in 2012 and consists of 7 scenes with high-quality hyper-realistic scenography. You will dive into the world of the world’s first traveler.
Korčula is also unique in its Old Town and its narrow streets with countless stairs and charming passageways where you could explore and get lost in them for days.
Near the town of Korčula, bathed in the scent of plants and the sea, is the beautiful Lumbarda, where near Glavica Sv. Antuna has a unique religious monument that boasts an incredible landscape. You will reach the church via 101 steps surrounded by cypress trees planted in 1708. Climbing to the top of Glavica is worth it because the view of the Korčula archipelago is fabulous.
While the scents of herbs and the sea tempt you in the town of Lumbarda, you can toast with a glass of grk, a wine specific to that place, which is not exported – so it’s a unique opportunity to try it right here. In addition to grk, Korčula is also known for its Pošip, which in 1967 became the first Croatian white wine with a protected geographical origin.
The beautiful town of Metković is located in the heart of the Neretva Valley in the extreme south of Croatia. The town of Metković is the first stop of the magnificent Neretva river in Croatia, a river that has been making its way to the sea for centuries. Towards the end of its journey, this green beauty created a valley that is often called Croatian California. The Neretva River is a ” flowing goddess” for the inhabitants of the regions along its course. The Delta of the Neretva River is one of the few remaining such areas in Europe. It is the only true delta and at the same time the largest river estuary in the Republic of Croatia.
Beautiful Dubrovnik, a city of rich culture and even richer history, full of events where everyone can find something for themselves. The old part of the city of Dubrovnik is in the very heart of the city and the main meeting place for the locals. It was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979 and has since become a favorite summer destination for tourists from all over the world. Surrounded by almost two kilometers long and 22 meters high walls from the 14th century, from which a magnificent view opens, the old town is one of the most recognizable attractions in Croatia, filled with baroque churches, palaces, and monasteries.
The street that you should not miss is the main street, Stradun, where you will see most of the sights, such as the Sponza Palace and the Church of St. Vlah, the protector of Dubrovnik.
Dubrovnik experienced global popularity after filming scenes for the currently most popular series in the world, ‘Game of Thrones’, which was filmed on locations in that city. If you want to visit these locations, the tour lasts three hours and offers a tour of the locations where some of the most important scenes were filmed, such as the battle for Blackwater of Stannis Baratheon.
The old part of Dubrovnik is unique, but don’t forget to go to the Srđ hill from where you can enjoy an unforgettable view of the whole of Dubrovnik, the sea, and the surrounding islands. There is a cable car to Srđ, so you won’t waste too much time.
The best gastronomic experience in Dubrovnik is dining outdoors on beautiful terraces, romantic squares, and streets, with the sounds of good street jazz music while tasting excellent Croatian wines. The most famous wines of the Dubrovnik region are red wines from the Pelješac peninsula, the Plavac mali variety, white wines – Pošip from the island of Korčula, Dubrovnik Malvazija, once known as the “nectar of the gods”, and other wines with a unique taste of the south.
The wonderful ‘pearl of the Adriatic’ is one of those cities whose beauty enchants and remains in the memory for a long time.
Get to know the paradise on earth at Mljet National Park on the most beautiful and greenest island of the Adriatic. The park area occupies about a third of the island in the northwest and is a true paradise for all lovers of primeval nature. The geomorphological phenomenon of salt lakes is one of the recognizable symbols of the national park, and two lakes form its central part.
On the Great Lake is the island of St. Mary – a thousand-year-old pearl, on which there is a Benedictine monastery with the church of St. Mary, built between 1177 and 1198. The island of St. Mary is an exceptional natural phenomenon, but also a cultural and historical artifact.
Mljet is ideal for all those who want to enjoy untouched nature and beautiful beaches, and you will find the shade of pine trees and the smell of the clear blue-green sea on almost every beach in Mljet. Legends like the one about the beautiful goddess Calypso, who captured Odysseus on this very island, speak of its beauty. The beauty of the island was the only beauty that surpassed hers.
They say the gods admired the beauty of Mljet, and even today it remains isolated, somewhat rural, and as if created for an escape from civilization.
Our country is rich in numerous natural and cultural beauties that are known all over the world, from national and nature parks to cultural heritage and unique architectural achievements. Croatia is adorned with about 1,185 islands, which makes it one of the most diverse countries in the Mediterranean and the world. It is impossible to present all these beauties, cities, and places at once.
If you have not heard of Croatia until now, we hope that we have brought you at least a little closer to the beauty, value, and success of a small European country.
Discover the hidden natural beauties and tourist attractions of Croatia!
