Top Rated Destinations
Historic cities and unspoilt nature are some of Croatia's top attractions. The vibrant capital city of Zagreb is home to some of the country's best museums, galleries, restaurants, and shopping. Along the coast, centuries-old harbor towns are packed with Venetian-era stone buildings, while countless pebble beaches offer things to do such as scuba diving, water skiing, and windsurfing.
Plitvice Lakes National Park
Croatia's most visited inland attraction, Plitvice Lakes National Park (Nacionalni park Plitvicka jezera) encompasses steep forested hillsides surrounding 16 emerald-blue lakes connected by a succession of thundering waterfalls. A network of footpaths and wooden bridges crisscrosses the park (the country's first national park), and the entrance ticket includes boat rides across the lakes.
Zagreb's Gornji Grad
In the Croatian capital, Zagreb, the main sightseeing area is the medieval Gornji Grad (Upper Town) district. Here, popular tourist attractions include the cathedral with its neo-Gothic façade, twin steeples, and treasury with its large collection of religious art and artifacts; the Croatian Parliament (Hrvatski sabor); the Church of St. Mark with its famous colored tiled roof; and the 13th-century Tower of Lotrscak, which you can climb for fantastic views over the city and the surrounding area. Also be sure to catch most people's favorite, the much-loved Museum of Broken Relationships.
Sailing around Kornati National Park
Spreading over an area of some 320 square kilometers-it's 35 kilometers long and 13 kilometers wide-the Kornati archipelago encompasses 89 scattered islets, big and small. Rocky and arid with little fertile soil, the islets are practically uninhabited, though there are some very basic stone cottages dotted here and there. Originally built as one-room shelters by local fishermen and shepherds, they're now often used as holiday retreats or seasonal seafood restaurants. The best way to explore this stunningly beautiful coastal region is by private sailing boat, with the nearest charter base being located in Biograd Na Moru.
The Pretty Town of Korcula
The town of Korcula, the chief settlement on the island of the same name in South Dalmatia, sits snugly on a tiny peninsula. Protected by medieval walls and towers, its car-free stone alleys are laid out in a herringbone pattern so as to give shelter from the prevailing winds. Packed with centuries-old aristocratic stone buildings, Korcula was built at a time when the island was under Venetian rule. The top points of interest include Marco Polo house, said to be the birthplace of the renowned 13th-century explorer, while one of the best things to do is catch a performance of the moreska sword dance, a traditional dance staged for tourists just outside the town walls on summer evenings.