Fodor's Essential Croatia: with Montenegro & Slovenia
Whether you want to explore Dubrovnik’s Old Town, go sailing in Split, or drink wine...
Croatia’s splendors extend from the deep-blue waters of the Adriatic coastline to the waterfall-laced mountains of the Dinaric Alps and throughout its medieval towns. From Dubrovnik’s walled city where baroque buildings are surrounded by centuries-old forts to the lively islands of Bra? and Hvar, this Central European country is an exciting blend of glamour and tradition. Croatia’s vibrant, historic cities, sprawling vineyards, gorgeous beaches, and thousand-plus islands give travelers plenty of places to dance, sip wine, sail, and soak up the sunshine.
Fodor's Essential Croatia: with Montenegro & Slovenia
Whether you want to explore Dubrovnik’s Old Town, go sailing in Split, or drink wine...
Top Destinations
Top Destinations
Central Dalmatia
Central Dalmatia’s untamed natural beauty encompasses rocky coastal beaches, steep mountains, and a terrain dotted by olive groves, vineyards, and wild Mediterranean herbs. The wonder...
Southern Dalmatia
A region would be lucky to have just one sight as majestic as Dubrovnik. In Southern Dalmatia, the walled city is only the beginning.Head south...
Istria
Discover a thousand years of rich Istrian history in the hilltop fortresses, early Christian churches, Byzantine mosaics, and Baroque palaces of the region, and treat...
Zagreb and Environs
Zagreb has become a full-fledged hot spot in tourism in recent years, thanks to its year-round festivals, world-class cuisine, and historic architecture. Travelers who still...
Kvarner
Majestic scenery and natural diversity characterize the Kvarner region: the mainland is dominated by a stretch of coast backed by high-rising mountains, while some of...
Slavonia
Somewhere beyond the sea, there is a region called Slavonia. There is no coastline here, which has always meant fewer tourists. What it offers instead...
Northern Dalmatia
Safely protected from the northern Adriatic shore and continental Croatia by the imposing Velebit Mountain, northern Dalmatia offers a whole new set of aesthetic and...
Dubrovnik
Nothing can prepare you for your first sight of Dubrovnik. Completely encircled by thick fortified walls, with a maze of gleaming white streets within, it...
Zagreb
The capital of Croatia, Zagreb has a population of over 800,000 people and is situated at the extreme edge of the Pannonian Basin. The city...
Split
Split's ancient core and its centuries of history are spectacular. This is a city whose heritage dates back to prehistoric times and across the pre-Roman...
Zadar
Dalmatia's capital for more than 1,000 years, Zadar is all too often passed over by travelers on their way to Split or Dubrovnik. What they...
Excursions North of Zagreb
A favorite excursion to the outskirts of Zagreb is to the heights of Sljeme and its observatory. And then there is the peaceful spa town...
Rijeka
Water is the essence of Kvarner, and the region's largest city expresses this simply. Whether in Croatian or Italian (Fiume) the translation of the name...
Osijek
Croatia's fourth-largest city is an often overlooked treasure trove of cultural and architectural attractions. There are music and food festivals, green markets, parties in the...
Rovinj
It is hard to imagine how Rovinj could be more romantic than it is. In a fantastic setting, with centuries-old red-roofed houses clustered around the...
Pula
Today an industrial port town and Istria's chief administrative center (pop. 58,000), as well as a major tourist destination, Pula became a Roman colony in...
Korčula
Southern Dalmatia's largest island, Kor?ula is quietly emerging as the most sophisticated and alluring island in the region. First settled by the ancient Greeks around...
Poreč
A chic, bustling little city founded as a Roman castrum (fort) in the 2nd century BC and swarming with tourists more than 2,000 years later...
Hvar
The island of Hvar bills itself as the "sunniest island in the Adriatic." And it even has the figures to back up this claim—an annual...
Varaždin
Situated on a plain just south of the River Drava, Varaždin (pop. 50,000) is the most beautifully preserved Baroque town in this corner of the...
Krk
It's no surprise—since Krk is one of the largest Croatian islands, hosts the regional airport, and is connected to the mainland by a bridge—that the...
Lošinj
As you approach the southern tip of Cres, you'll see the steep slopes of Osor?ica Mountain on nearby Lošinj. Sheltered by the Alps to the...
Opatija
In the late 19th century, Opatija (Abbazia in Italian) was among the most elegant and fashionable resorts in Europe. Its history as a resort town...
Brač
Well-connected to Split by ferry and catamaran services, the island of Bra? makes for the perfect offshore escape. While it makes for a delightful day...
Rab
Rab presents an utterly fascinating landscape. When you drive southward, down the Magistrala, you see that the island resembles the humped back of a diving...
Excursions South of Zagreb
...
Požega
In the center of a fertile, vineyard-rich valley in Požega-Slavonia County (one of the smallest in Croatia), lies the area that the ancient Romans knew...
Orebić
Backed by the rocky heights of Sveti Ilija (3,153 feet), Orebi? straggles along the coast, facing across a narrow sea channel to the island of...
Vukovar
There’s no doubt that a visit to Vukovar hurts. As you visit the sights, the story of what happened here will slowly unfold, made even...
Pag Island
Telling an urbane resident of architecturally well-endowed Zadar that you are headed to Pag Island for a night or two will make them think you...
Eastern Istria: Labin and Rabac
More travelers are taking time to explore Istria's newest must-stay tourist destination, Labin-Rabac. Located on the eastern coast, these sister towns offer the perfect combination...
Cres
Twisting down the entire length of the Kvarner Bay on its western side is Cres, whose latest claim to fame is that it is the...
Cavtat
While Dubrovnik’s streets are being polished under the shoes of thousands of visitors per day, Cavtat’s pine-covered trails seem comparatively tourist-free. There are secluded swimming...
Lopud
Sometimes you need a break from the city crowds, and the lush, laid-back Elafiti Islands are happy to provide a retreat. Historically, the 13 tiny...
Šibenik
The trademark of Šibenik is its Gothic-Renaissance cathedral, built of pale-gray Dalmatian stone and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which stands on a raised...
Trogir
On a small island no more than a few city blocks in length, the beautifully preserved medieval Old Town of Trogir is connected to the...
Vis
Closed to foreigners until 1989 due to its use as a military base, the distant island of Vis is relatively wild and unspoiled. Built around...
Čakovec and the Međimurje
At the northernmost tip of Croatia, between the Drava River to the south and the Mura River to the north, the Me?imurje region looks small...
Novigrad
Imagine a mini Rovinj of sorts, not quite so well preserved, it's true, and without the hill. This is Novigrad—a pretty little peninsula town that...
Mljet
Mljet is a long, thin island—37 km (23 miles) long and an average of 3 km (2 miles) wide—of steep, rocky slopes and dense pine...
Murter and The Kornati Islands
Built near the ruins of the 1st-century Roman settlement of Colentum, Murter has that unmistakable tourism-driven hustle and bustle in midsummer that Sali doesn't—both because...
Kopački Rit Nature Park
The unspoiled Baranja region, whose name means "Mother of Wine" in Hungarian, is located in northeastern Croatia on the borders of Hungary and Serbia. It...
Motovun
It is an understatement to say that a day exploring the undulating green countryside and medieval hill towns of inland Istria makes a pleasant contrast...
Nin
On a tiny, 1,640-foot-wide island in a shallow, sandy lagoon that affords a spectacular view of the Velebit range to the northeast, Nin is connected...
Ðakovo
?akovo is a peaceful little town, where the din of bicycles and the dribbling of basketballs on a Sunday afternoon outdo the roar of cars...
Makarska
This city's seafront promenade, lined with palm trees and cheerful open-air cafés, looks onto a protected bay dotted with wooden fishing boats. From here one...
Grožnjan
Close to Motovun and a reasonable drive from Pore?, Novigrad, Rovinj, or Umag, Grožnjan is among Istria's preeminent and most beautiful hilltop towns. A Renaissance...
Sali and Telašcica Nature Park
The largest and most westerly island of the Zadar archipelago, facing the open sea, Dugi Otok culminates at its southern end with a spectacular nature...
Samobor
That Samobor has been one of the capital's top weekend haunts since before the turn of the 20th century without really being on the way...
Ston
The Pelješac Peninsula is Croatia at its best. You know that red wine you've been drinking since you got to Dalmatia? It comes from the...
Krka National Park
The Krka River cuts its way through a gorge shaded by limestone cliffs and dense woodland, tumbling down toward the Adriatic in a series of...
Vodnjan
Vodnjan may look a bit run-down at first glance, but there are five really good reasons to come here: its saintly mummies; its collection of...
Paklenica National Park
For mountain scenery at its most spectacular and mountain tourism at its most advanced, you need go no further from Zadar than Paklenica National Park...
Umag
Yet another onetime island, the peninsula town of Umag draws the fewest tourists of any of the major towns along Istria's western coast, even if...
Omiš and the Cetina Valley
An easy day trip from Split, Omiš is a pleasant seaside town with a colorful open-air market and a conglomeration of old stone houses backed...
Ilok
Perched high on the western slopes of the Fruška Gora hills above the Danube and built around a medieval fortress, Ilok, Croatia’s easternmost town, is...
Karlovac
Many tourists taste the beer, but few stop by for a taste of the city. Karlovac is much more than home to one of Croatia's...
Excursions in Lonjsko Polje
An excursion southeast of Zagreb to the Lonjsko polje region along the Sava River will bring you to an area that is rarely seen by...
Lastovo
Very few Croatians have visited Lastovo, though they will all tell you that it's beautiful. Like Vis, Lastovo was a Yugoslav military naval base during...
Delnice
Delnice, which sits on the road between Rijeka and Zagreb, is a breath of fresh mountain air, especially in summer after leaving the crowded hot...
Nacionalni Park Brijuni
When Austrian industrialist Paul Kupelwieser set off for Brijuni by boat from Fažana in 1885, the archipelago had long been a haven for the Austro-Hungarian...
Benkovac
...
Nacionalni park Plitvička jezera
Triple America's five Great Lakes, shrink them each to manageable size (i.e., 536 acres in all), give them a good cleaning until they look virtually...
Prvić
Beyond Šibenik Bay lie the splendidly scattered islands of the Šibenik archipelago, five of which—Zlarin, Prvi?, Kaprije, Obonjan, and Žirje—are accessible by ferry from Šibenik...
Veliki Tabor
On a lofty hilltop stands the massive fortress of Veliki Tabor. The main pentagonal core of the building dates back to the 12th century, whereas...
Sljeme
A favorite excursion on the outskirts of Zagreb is to the heights of Sljeme, the peak of Mt. Medvednica at 3,363 feet...
Marija Bistrice
Other than its famous pilgrimage site, there's not much of interest in Marija Bistrica. Definitely do this as a day trip, unless you want to...
Sisak
The unassuming little town of Sisak was the site of one of the more important battles in Croatia's history...
Jasenovac
Located where the Sava takes on the task of tracing Croatia's long east–west border with Bosnia and Herzegovina until taking a turn into Serbia more...
Trakošćan
Perched resplendently several hundred feet above the parking lot where the tour buses come and go, the romantic white hilltop Dvor Trakoš?an is set amid...
Kumrovec
The former Yugoslavia's late president Josip Broz Tito was born here in 1892, and his childhood home has been turned into a small memorial museum...
Krapina
Zagorje's quaint administrative and cultural center is on the tourism radar screen primarily as the home of krapinski pra?ovjek (Krapina Neanderthal)—no, not the town's one...
Trsteno
A small village on the coastal road between Split and Dubrovnik (E65), Trsteno has been put on the map by its arboretum...
Risnjak National Park
The northern outpost of the forested and karst-peaked Gorski kotar region, Veliki Risnjak is the major peak in this national park, peering over Rijeka from...
Čigoć
The charming village of ?igo? is officially known as the "European Village of Storks" because it draws so many of the migrating birds each spring...
Bizovac
...
Bjelovar
...
Stubičke Toplice
Established in 1805 on the foundations of a Roman-era thermal bath and expanded into a full-fledged complex in 1930, this peaceful spa at the northern...
Dubrovnik
Nothing can prepare you for your first sight of Dubrovnik. Completely encircled by thick fortified walls, with a maze of gleaming white streets within, it...
Zagreb
The capital of Croatia, Zagreb has a population of over 800,000 people and is situated at the extreme edge of the Pannonian Basin. The city...
Split
Split's ancient core and its centuries of history are spectacular. This is a city whose heritage dates back to prehistoric times and across the pre-Roman...
Zadar
Dalmatia's capital for more than 1,000 years, Zadar is all too often passed over by travelers on their way to Split or Dubrovnik. What they...
Rijeka
Water is the essence of Kvarner, and the region's largest city expresses this simply. Whether in Croatian or Italian (Fiume) the translation of the name...
Osijek
Croatia's fourth-largest city is an often overlooked treasure trove of cultural and architectural attractions. There are music and food festivals, green markets, parties in the...
Rovinj
It is hard to imagine how Rovinj could be more romantic than it is. In a fantastic setting, with centuries-old red-roofed houses clustered around the...
Pula
Today an industrial port town and Istria's chief administrative center (pop. 58,000), as well as a major tourist destination, Pula became a Roman colony in...
Korčula
Southern Dalmatia's largest island, Kor?ula is quietly emerging as the most sophisticated and alluring island in the region. First settled by the ancient Greeks around...
Poreč
A chic, bustling little city founded as a Roman castrum (fort) in the 2nd century BC and swarming with tourists more than 2,000 years later...
Hvar
The island of Hvar bills itself as the "sunniest island in the Adriatic." And it even has the figures to back up this claim—an annual...
Krk
It's no surprise—since Krk is one of the largest Croatian islands, hosts the regional airport, and is connected to the mainland by a bridge—that the...
Varaždin
Situated on a plain just south of the River Drava, Varaždin (pop. 50,000) is the most beautifully preserved Baroque town in this corner of the...
Lošinj
As you approach the southern tip of Cres, you'll see the steep slopes of Osor?ica Mountain on nearby Lošinj. Sheltered by the Alps to the...
Opatija
In the late 19th century, Opatija (Abbazia in Italian) was among the most elegant and fashionable resorts in Europe. Its history as a resort town...
Brač
Well-connected to Split by ferry and catamaran services, the island of Bra? makes for the perfect offshore escape. While it makes for a delightful day...
Rab
Rab presents an utterly fascinating landscape. When you drive southward, down the Magistrala, you see that the island resembles the humped back of a diving...
Vukovar
There’s no doubt that a visit to Vukovar hurts. As you visit the sights, the story of what happened here will slowly unfold, made even...
Orebić
Backed by the rocky heights of Sveti Ilija (3,153 feet), Orebi? straggles along the coast, facing across a narrow sea channel to the island of...
Požega
In the center of a fertile, vineyard-rich valley in Požega-Slavonia County (one of the smallest in Croatia), lies the area that the ancient Romans knew...
Eastern Istria: Labin and Rabac
More travelers are taking time to explore Istria's newest must-stay tourist destination, Labin-Rabac. Located on the eastern coast, these sister towns offer the perfect combination...
Cres
Twisting down the entire length of the Kvarner Bay on its western side is Cres, whose latest claim to fame is that it is the...
Cavtat
While Dubrovnik’s streets are being polished under the shoes of thousands of visitors per day, Cavtat’s pine-covered trails seem comparatively tourist-free. There are secluded swimming...
Lopud
Sometimes you need a break from the city crowds, and the lush, laid-back Elafiti Islands are happy to provide a retreat. Historically, the 13 tiny...
Šibenik
The trademark of Šibenik is its Gothic-Renaissance cathedral, built of pale-gray Dalmatian stone and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which stands on a raised...
Trogir
On a small island no more than a few city blocks in length, the beautifully preserved medieval Old Town of Trogir is connected to the...
Mljet
Mljet is a long, thin island—37 km (23 miles) long and an average of 3 km (2 miles) wide—of steep, rocky slopes and dense pine...
Čakovec and the Međimurje
At the northernmost tip of Croatia, between the Drava River to the south and the Mura River to the north, the Me?imurje region looks small...
Murter and The Kornati Islands
Built near the ruins of the 1st-century Roman settlement of Colentum, Murter has that unmistakable tourism-driven hustle and bustle in midsummer that Sali doesn't—both because...
Vis
Closed to foreigners until 1989 due to its use as a military base, the distant island of Vis is relatively wild and unspoiled. Built around...
Novigrad
Imagine a mini Rovinj of sorts, not quite so well preserved, it's true, and without the hill. This is Novigrad—a pretty little peninsula town that...
Nin
On a tiny, 1,640-foot-wide island in a shallow, sandy lagoon that affords a spectacular view of the Velebit range to the northeast, Nin is connected...
Motovun
It is an understatement to say that a day exploring the undulating green countryside and medieval hill towns of inland Istria makes a pleasant contrast...
Makarska
This city's seafront promenade, lined with palm trees and cheerful open-air cafés, looks onto a protected bay dotted with wooden fishing boats. From here one...
Ðakovo
?akovo is a peaceful little town, where the din of bicycles and the dribbling of basketballs on a Sunday afternoon outdo the roar of cars...
Grožnjan
Close to Motovun and a reasonable drive from Pore?, Novigrad, Rovinj, or Umag, Grožnjan is among Istria's preeminent and most beautiful hilltop towns. A Renaissance...
Samobor
That Samobor has been one of the capital's top weekend haunts since before the turn of the 20th century without really being on the way...
Ston
The Pelješac Peninsula is Croatia at its best. You know that red wine you've been drinking since you got to Dalmatia? It comes from the...
Umag
Yet another onetime island, the peninsula town of Umag draws the fewest tourists of any of the major towns along Istria's western coast, even if...
Vodnjan
Vodnjan may look a bit run-down at first glance, but there are five really good reasons to come here: its saintly mummies; its collection of...
Omiš and the Cetina Valley
An easy day trip from Split, Omiš is a pleasant seaside town with a colorful open-air market and a conglomeration of old stone houses backed...
Ilok
Perched high on the western slopes of the Fruška Gora hills above the Danube and built around a medieval fortress, Ilok, Croatia’s easternmost town, is...
Karlovac
Many tourists taste the beer, but few stop by for a taste of the city. Karlovac is much more than home to one of Croatia's...
Lastovo
Very few Croatians have visited Lastovo, though they will all tell you that it's beautiful. Like Vis, Lastovo was a Yugoslav military naval base during...
Delnice
Delnice, which sits on the road between Rijeka and Zagreb, is a breath of fresh mountain air, especially in summer after leaving the crowded hot...
Veliki Tabor
On a lofty hilltop stands the massive fortress of Veliki Tabor. The main pentagonal core of the building dates back to the 12th century, whereas...
Prvić
Beyond Šibenik Bay lie the splendidly scattered islands of the Šibenik archipelago, five of which—Zlarin, Prvi?, Kaprije, Obonjan, and Žirje—are accessible by ferry from Šibenik...
Benkovac
...
Jasenovac
Located where the Sava takes on the task of tracing Croatia's long east–west border with Bosnia and Herzegovina until taking a turn into Serbia more...
Sisak
The unassuming little town of Sisak was the site of one of the more important battles in Croatia's history...
Sljeme
A favorite excursion on the outskirts of Zagreb is to the heights of Sljeme, the peak of Mt. Medvednica at 3,363 feet...
Marija Bistrice
Other than its famous pilgrimage site, there's not much of interest in Marija Bistrica. Definitely do this as a day trip, unless you want to...
Trsteno
A small village on the coastal road between Split and Dubrovnik (E65), Trsteno has been put on the map by its arboretum...
Čigoć
The charming village of ?igo? is officially known as the "European Village of Storks" because it draws so many of the migrating birds each spring...
Trakošćan
Perched resplendently several hundred feet above the parking lot where the tour buses come and go, the romantic white hilltop Dvor Trakoš?an is set amid...
Kumrovec
The former Yugoslavia's late president Josip Broz Tito was born here in 1892, and his childhood home has been turned into a small memorial museum...
Krapina
Zagorje's quaint administrative and cultural center is on the tourism radar screen primarily as the home of krapinski pra?ovjek (Krapina Neanderthal)—no, not the town's one...
Bizovac
...
Bjelovar
...
Stubičke Toplice
Established in 1805 on the foundations of a Roman-era thermal bath and expanded into a full-fledged complex in 1930, this peaceful spa at the northern...
Central Dalmatia
Central Dalmatia’s untamed natural beauty encompasses rocky coastal beaches, steep mountains, and a terrain dotted by olive groves, vineyards, and wild Mediterranean herbs. The wonder...
Southern Dalmatia
A region would be lucky to have just one sight as majestic as Dubrovnik. In Southern Dalmatia, the walled city is only the beginning.Head south...
Istria
Discover a thousand years of rich Istrian history in the hilltop fortresses, early Christian churches, Byzantine mosaics, and Baroque palaces of the region, and treat...
Zagreb and Environs
Zagreb has become a full-fledged hot spot in tourism in recent years, thanks to its year-round festivals, world-class cuisine, and historic architecture. Travelers who still...
Kvarner
Majestic scenery and natural diversity characterize the Kvarner region: the mainland is dominated by a stretch of coast backed by high-rising mountains, while some of...
Slavonia
Somewhere beyond the sea, there is a region called Slavonia. There is no coastline here, which has always meant fewer tourists. What it offers instead...
Northern Dalmatia
Safely protected from the northern Adriatic shore and continental Croatia by the imposing Velebit Mountain, northern Dalmatia offers a whole new set of aesthetic and...
Excursions North of Zagreb
A favorite excursion to the outskirts of Zagreb is to the heights of Sljeme and its observatory. And then there is the peaceful spa town...
Excursions South of Zagreb
...
Excursions in Lonjsko Polje
An excursion southeast of Zagreb to the Lonjsko polje region along the Sava River will bring you to an area that is rarely seen by...
Kopački Rit Nature Park
The unspoiled Baranja region, whose name means "Mother of Wine" in Hungarian, is located in northeastern Croatia on the borders of Hungary and Serbia. It...
Sali and Telašcica Nature Park
The largest and most westerly island of the Zadar archipelago, facing the open sea, Dugi Otok culminates at its southern end with a spectacular nature...
Paklenica National Park
For mountain scenery at its most spectacular and mountain tourism at its most advanced, you need go no further from Zadar than Paklenica National Park...
Krka National Park
The Krka River cuts its way through a gorge shaded by limestone cliffs and dense woodland, tumbling down toward the Adriatic in a series of...
Nacionalni park Plitvička jezera
Triple America's five Great Lakes, shrink them each to manageable size (i.e., 536 acres in all), give them a good cleaning until they look virtually...
Nacionalni Park Brijuni
When Austrian industrialist Paul Kupelwieser set off for Brijuni by boat from Fažana in 1885, the archipelago had long been a haven for the Austro-Hungarian...
Risnjak National Park
The northern outpost of the forested and karst-peaked Gorski kotar region, Veliki Risnjak is the major peak in this national park, peering over Rijeka from...
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Shop NowFodor's Essential Croatia: with Montenegro & Slovenia
Whether you want to explore Dubrovnik’s Old Town, go sailing in Split, or drink wine...
