Every year, about 10 million people fly to Croatia (of which 200 thousand are Russians) for the sake of the gentle coastline and the ruins of ancient cities. What exactly to see in Croatia is important for everyone who is going to visit the sights of Pula, Porec, Dubrovnik, Rabac, Rovinj, Zadar.
Holiday season in Croatia
The best time to visit Croatia is May-October: in July-August, tourists occupy the beaches of the Adriatic (water temperature + 24-25˚C), in April-June and September-October - they prefer to get acquainted with interesting places of the country, in September - they go to Croatia for yacht races in honor of the end of the navigation season, and in December-March - to the ski resorts of Platak and Sleme.
July-August is marked by the summer festival in Zagreb, February - by the costumed carnival in Dubrovnik, September - by the day of Buzet (2nd Saturday of the month), October - by the International Jazz Days in Zagreb.
Top 15 places of interest in Croatia
Plitvice Lakes
Plitvice Lakes
The Plitvice Lakes National Park (5 hours away from Dubrovnik; entrance ticket costs 15 euros) includes waterfalls (140), caves (20), 16 lakes, a 1280-meter Mala Capela, coniferous and beech forests. The park has routes of various lengths - they take from 2 to 7-8 hours (some of the routes are served by a tourist electric train). An 8-hour walk in the park suggests that you will have to stay here overnight (the surroundings of the park are interesting for 3 hotels: a night in a room will cost at least 50 euros). Important: to preserve the beauty and cleanliness of the park area, you cannot swim, pitch tents, fish, or pick plants here.
Diocletian's palace
Diocletian's Palace is located in the historical part of Split. Today it is equipped with shops, hotels, residential buildings, food establishments. Diocletian's palace complex has 4 entrances, walls with a total length of 800 m, 3 towers (before there were 16), the bell tower of the Cathedral of St. Domnius (a steep staircase leads up from where you can admire Split from a height), a museum of Croatian culture. In mid-July - August, the Split Summer festival is held in the palace, accompanied by dances, performances, and opera.
Pula amphitheater
Pula amphitheater
The Pula Amphitheater is a preserved arena that at one time could accommodate 23,000 people (they came to watch gladiator fights and animal baiting). The height of the arena walls is 29 m. The first 2 floors are occupied by rows with arches (72), and the upper floor is occupied by rectangular openings (64). Today, from the upper tiers, you can admire the surrounding countryside and the sea, and in the Pula amphitheater itself (it can seat 5,000 people) you will be able to visit concerts of all musical genres, as well as the weekly Spectacvla Antiqva performance with gladiator fights, wine and food tasting according to ancient recipes (summer period).
The entrance costs 5, 42 euros, and the ticket for the performance is 9, 70 euros.
Princely Palace in Dubrovnik
The Prince's Palace is located in Dubrovnik. In the palace complex there is a prison, chapels (now it is a place where antiques, paintings and antique furniture are located), an armory, living rooms of the prince, a powder magazine, a conference hall. In addition, the monument in honor of the rich sailor Miho Pracat (in the 15th century he bequeathed his fortune to the Dubrovnik Republic) and the City Museum deserve the attention of tourists.
Franciscan monastery in Dubrovnik
The Franciscan monastery complex is located on Stradun Street in Dubrovnik. The portal of the southern wall in the Gothic style with carved figures in which elements of the Renaissance style are guessed deserves the attention of visitors; door supports (next to them there are sculptures of Saints John the Baptist and Jerome); a monastery pharmacy (even today you can buy the necessary medicines here); fountain of the 15th century; an old library (famous for 1200 ancient manuscripts); Renaissance hall (paintings, valuable gold and religious items are subject to inspection). The entrance to the monastery is free, but a tour of the museum collection will cost 4 euros.
The antique city of Salona
The antique city of Salona
According to legend, the ancient city of Salona was founded by Caesar. But little has survived to this day and in a ruined state - the eastern city gates (the entrance gates and towers have survived), two large basilicas, baptisms, baths, an amphitheater (once about 20,000 spectators gathered here), an early Christian cemetery (formerly there were ancient tombs). The ruins of Salona are located at a distance of 5 km from Split (buses No. 37 and 1 go from there to Salona). Tourists can visit the museum with interesting sculptures in niches. There is also an information center for visitors (they sell postcards with local attractions and a map of the area). The entrance ticket costs 2.70 euros.
Pula Cathedral
Pula Cathedral has stood on the site of the Temple of Jupiter for over 1500 years. This three-aisled basilica has a free-standing bell tower (built from the ruins of the Pula amphitheater), a small park (from the 5th to the 17th centuries, in its place was the Church of St. Thomas), an altar with preserved fragments of mosaics from the 5th-6th centuries, and a Roman sarcophagus of the 3rd century. A visit to the Cathedral (the front facade is a reflection of the Renaissance style, the windows of the side aisles are of the Gothic style, and the main nave is of the early Christian style of the 4th century) is free from 8 am to 8 pm.
Fortress Kastel
Fortress Kastel
The location of the Kastel fortress with thick walls, cannons, 4 bastions and a tower from which you can admire the Old Town is a 34-meter hill in Pula. There are two museums here - the Historical and Maritime Museum of Istria, and under the fortress there is a cave covered with legends. The museum can be visited for 2, 7 euros (opening hours: 09: 00-18: 00). In summer, the Kastel Fortress is a platform where everyone goes to attend concerts, film screenings, and holiday shows.
Klis fortress
The location of the Klis fortress is a rock above the village of the same name, a 10-minute drive from Split. The Klis fortress was “guarded” by 3 protective walls (only one 140-meter wall remained from them), and it was possible to enter it through the gate in the west. The Klis fortress is equipped with the Oprah Tower, a former Turkish mosque (in 1648 it became the Roman Catholic Church of St. Vitus, which is famous for the 17th century baptismal font), the Bembo bastion with ancient cannons standing nearby. And the guests in the fortress are shown the original uniform, armor, ancient weapons.
From Split to the Klis fortress (open from 9 am to 5 pm; entrance fee - 1.5 euros) buses No. 36, 22, 35 go.
Lovrienac fortress
Lovrijenac Fortress (Fort of St. Lawrence) is a fortified structure (wall thickness - 12 m) and a theater (Shakespeare's Hamlet is staged here during the Summer Festival in Dubrovnik; concerts and theatrical performances are also held here) on a 37-meter rocky cliff. Suspension bridges lead to the Fort of St. Lawrence, above the gate of which it is written in Latin: “Freedom cannot be bought for any treasures of the world”. You can get to the Lovrienac Fortress for 4 euros from 9 am to noon and from 4 pm to 7 pm.
Krka National Park
Krka National Park
Krka National Park is located between Šibenik and Knin. Within the park, you can admire 7 waterfall cascades - Skradinsky beech, Rosnyak, Manoilovats, Brlyan and others (their total fall height is 242 m); see the exhibits of the Ethnographic Museum (special attention should be paid to watermills), the Franciscan monastery of Visovac (founded by the Augustinians in the 14th century), the Serbian Orthodox monastery of Krka (built in the 14th century).
The Krka reservoirs are home to 18 species of fish, and some of them are suitable for swimming and boating (for example, you can go on a 2-hour walk from Skradinski Buk to Visovac Island and back). A ticket to the Krka Park costs 12 euros.
Onofrio's fountain
Onofrio's fountain in Dubrovnik is subdivided into Big (it has 16 faces and a dome; on each side you can see the decoration in the form of a stone mascaron - a sculptural decoration of the building) next to the Church of the Savior and Small (an architect from Milan was responsible for its sculptural decoration in the tradition of the Renaissance) in the square Lodges. Tourists prefer to relax at Big Onofrio, and quench their thirst with cool and tasty water at Small Onofrio.
Northern Velebit
Northern Velebit is a national park located at a distance of 20 km from the city of Senj. Travelers are interested in the following places: Botanical Garden (the flora of the Velebit massif is presented there); the route of the Premužice stasis (those moving along this road will consider the most interesting objects of the park); the Luka karst cave (its depth is almost 1400 m); 1676-meter mountain Zavizhan. The cost of visiting Northern Velebit is 6, 10 euros.
Omis town
Omis town
Omis is 25 km away from Split: it attracts tourists with the 12-kilometer Omis Riviera (there are sandy and pebble beaches / bays, clean coves and steep cliffs), the Cetina River (canoeing, rafting, kayaking, windsurfing), Mirabella fortress (13th century), the Church of St. Euphemia (6th century), the old cemetery (16-17th century), the Church of the Holy Spirit (15th century), Fortitsa fortress (15th century). It is recommended to visit Omis during the celebration of the summer festival of traditional music “klapa” (the squares and churches of Omis become a place where everyone goes to concerts and other events).
Monastery and Church of St. Anthony of Padua
The monastery and church of St. Anthony of Padua with a 45-meter bell tower in Pula has a capacity of 12,000 parishioners. The temple with 5 bells (electrified bells make a sound after pressing the corresponding button) is an example of the Romanesque style, and its main entrance can be reached by a staircase that abuts against a portico with two columns. The decoration of the temple is a rosette decor and stained-glass windows. Inside, it is worth paying attention to the altar with a mosaic panel by Josip Botteri, and in the courtyard - the statue of St. Anthony holding the baby Jesus in his hands. You can get calendars, magnets and postcards in a small shop.
