Must Visit Tourist Destinations in Croatia

Indian outbound travelers are constantly exploring newer destinations; Croatia is latest on the list. There are no direct flights from India to Croatia as of today and the best options are through the Middle East or through the East European countries.

If you are planning a longer itinerary, Croatia could be combined with countries such as Slovenia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Russia and Serbia.

Must Visit Tourist Places in Croatia, Balkans

It’s incredibly tough attempting to build a list of the best locations in Croatia as there are many wonderful locations for a holiday, making it rather hard to pick. Find below the top 10 must Visit Tourist Destinations in Croatia for Indian Travelers:-

#1. Dubrovnik

Croatia’s jewel, Dubrovnik is absolutely wonderful! Its Old Town is really spectacular and an absolute must-see- it’s easy to spend a couple of days exploring, strolling the city walls, and going to all the sights around it.

Dubrovnik does have the tendency to get extremely crowded throughout the summertime months- especially as it receives so numerous cruise liner guests- so a citybreak trip outside the busiest of months is perfect. Alternatively, putting up with the crowds might well deserve it to see Dubrovnik!

There’s a very wide variety of lodging in Dubrovnik- from hostels, to personal rooms to 5 * high-end hotels. Some hotels have their own personal beaches or swimming areas, whilst there are likewise public city beaches such as Banje if you elegant integrating your sightseeing with some sea ‘n’ sun relaxation.

There’s likewise plenty of opportunity for field trip to close-by islands- such as little island of Lokrum (which is very close), the Elafiti islands or Mljet, and other neighboring resorts such as Cavtat. For the more daring among you, you can likewise take day-trips to the neighboring countries of Montenegro and Bosnia and Hercegovina.

#2. Plitvice Lakes

The Plitvice Lakes National Park is another remarkable wonder within Croatia. With sixteen interconnecting waterfalls, and gorgeous flora and animals, going to the Park is quite a distinct experience.

It’s possible to stay right by the park itself, or just outside, so you can quickly invest a good couple of days exploring its numerous tracks. There’s likewise a boat trip within the park, along with a shuttle bus that runs frequently, so you don’t need to invest all your time hiking around.

As one of Croatia’s leading tourist attractions, the Park draws in a large number of visitors in the summertime however its size indicates big numbers are quite bearable. Nevertheless, the Park is actually open year-round so it’s also more than appropriate a destination during winter season (and quite sensational to see in the snow)- and there’s even an extremely little ski resort close by; the specialist skiers among you will be disappointed, but it’s quite appropriate for newbie’s or households. (Not to point out that skiing in the rather unique environments is rather exciting.).

Plitvice is a little off the beaten track in regards to where most visitors to Croatia go to (it is inland north of Zadar, and a great few hours southwest of Zagreb), but it’s certainly worth aiming to include it into your journey if you can. If you do elegant visiting the Plitvice Lakes, we’d recommend flying into one of these two places, and after that utilizing Plitvice as a stop-off point either on your method to or from the coast.

#3. Istria

Okay, so we’re cheating a little bit by naming a whole area, however as a lot of Istria’s resorts are continually popular (it’s easy to see why) we believed we would consist of the entire lot as one location. The area was absolutely unscathed by the war so was still visited even during that time, and simply after was quick to promote its tourist offerings once more.

With great transport connections including flights to Pula or to nearby Italy, it is easy to reach the area. Many Europeans drive below their house country, however there are also bus connections to Italy also (from Trieste) and a summer catamaran service that links several Istrian ports to Venice- a quick and simple easy of combining that wonderful holiday destination with this one in Croatia.

Porec is one of the top resorts- there’s a good selection of resort type hotels there– though our personal favourite is the lovely Rovinj (shown above) and its fantastic harbour. Both of these have a number of sights for you history enthusiasts; however do not forget to check out the Pula to see the incredibly unspoiled Roman amphitheatre.

Nevertheless, Istria’s (reasonably!) undiscovered secrets are its fantastic inland, hilltop towns and villages. These consist of Motovun, which is gaining acknowledgment of its yearly film celebration, and Buzet, which is renowned for its truffle festival every fall. And not forgetting Hum- (unofficially) considered to be the world’s tiniest town, with just 22 residents.

#4. Zagreb

Some compare Zagreb to the ever popular Prague, which is no surprise to us. Zagreb is also best for a time-out with various sights, dining establishments, nightlife as well as not-all-that-bad shopping. (Although you’re not going to get any deals here!)

Zagreb has great flight and other connections to the UK and Europe, so it’s easy to reach- and it’s just around 2 hours from the UK, makings it a really appropriate location for a city break. Alternatively, Zagreb is likewise really well connected to the rest of Croatia by train, bus and air, so it’s likewise an excellent location to begin your holiday in Croatia- spend a couple of nights here, and after that make your way to the coast.

Invest your daytime in Zagreb sightseeing- there’s very enjoyable walks to be had in both the Upper Town (house to the Cathedral, St Marks’s Church, Kamenita vrata, Lotrscak Tower and more) and Lower Town, not forgetting the ubitiquous walk through the main square, Trg bana Jelacica. There are likewise lots of galleries and museums and, befitting a capital, there’ll be a handful of exhibits and events happening at any one time.

When all this takes its toll, take part Zagreb’s coffee shop society for a cup of strong coffee- or a refreshing beer- at one of the various cafes on the main square or on Tkalciceva ulica in the Upper Town.

Lastly, why not sample the night life? There’s a number of bars and clubs in the city to provide you a taste of clubbing, Zagreb-style.

Another great aspect of Zagreb is that it has a lot of lodging– from spending plan hostels to 5 * hotels- so you’ll be sure to find something that fits the costs, whatever your spending plan.

#5. Hvar Town, island of Hvar

Considered among Croatia’s more upmarket islands, you’ll often read about various stars and the well-to-do holidaying on Hvar each year, but don’t let that put you off. (Although, this might well be a draw to some holidaymakers!).

Hvar is really well-known for its wonderful weather condition, with the highest yearly typical hours of sun in the entire of Croatia. The island is likewise popular for its lavender growing in amongst its gorgeous landscape, so you can envision a quite heady combination of fantastic weather and gorgeous and aromatic surroundings as you relax on the island.

There’s a variety of stylish hotels found in Hvar Town, and a handful of sights (although not too lots of- passionate tourists must really go elsewhere), whilst its fantastic harbour is a very enjoyable place to while away your time in early evening, people- and yacht-watching.

There’s a couple of beaches close to Hvar Town, though our recommendation is to go to the nearby little group of islands, the Pakleni islands (regional boats will take you there) for a peaceful day out.

#6. The Makarska Riviera

The Makarska Riviera is typically a leading tip for families searching for a tranquil and peaceful holiday. There’s a number of resorts on the Riviera, varying in size, and its combination of well-priced hotels, affordable local features (although no night-long clubs!) and great pebble beach’s means you’ll often discover the parent-and-kid brigade here.

There’s not a lot of sightseeing to be done, so if you’re after a sea and sun holiday with the kids, the Riviera is a good option. The biggest resort is Makarska itself, others include the more peaceful and smaller Brela and the really popular Baska Voda.

Makarska has to do with 1 hour 15 minutes far from Split so it and its surrounding resorts are easy to reach. There’s also a ferryboat to the island of Brac for those that desire to attempt something a little various for a day or 2.

Finally, you cannot escape to see Mount Biokovo behind the Riviera– for the a little more adventurous, there’s plenty of treking opportunities. For those that prefer to take it a bit much easier- but still like their views (which can extend throughout to Italy on clear days)- a roadway takes you up many of the method.

#7. The island of Brac

Among Brac’s– and certainly, Croatia’s- most popular images is that of Zlatni Rat beach (imagined above). A white shingle beach beside evergreen, it changes shape ever-so-slightly as the tides and winds change. It’s a preferred location during summer season, as is much of the rest of Brac; as Croatia’s 3rd biggest island with thrills such as the above and its distance to the Split on the mainland (it’s the closest big island), it’s simple to see why.

The primary resorts on Brac are Bol, Supetar and Milna, and all have a mix of beaches and some resort life. Like the Makarska Riviera, Brac is popular with families and for those searching for a relaxing seaside holiday, which is shown in the pretty decent range of accommodation in all the main towns on the island. There’s not excessive in the method of sightseeing or culture, and there’s very little to explore inland (although you can go to the island’s acme, Vidova gora; at 780 metres high, there’s some respectable views).

#8. Korcula Town, island of Korcula

Korcula Town is frequently referred to as a mini-Dubrovnik (so that’s one big draw!) but it’s a wonderful place to visit in its own right. With its own Old Town that’s compact (it doesn’t take long to walk the entire thing) however there’s still a lot of sights to keep you occupied.

There’s a variety of beaches near to Korcula Town itself, though many explain the island of Korcula’s quiet coves and bays as a must-do if you’re visiting the island.

Korcula Town is connected to the mainland by ferryboat (the ferryboat leaves close-by Domince to Orebic on the Peljesac Peninsula) so it’s relatively simple to explore this part of Dalmatia. July and August likewise see a catamaran connecting Korcula Town to the wonderful island of Mljet, and Dubrovnik– so you can compare the mini-Dubrovnik to the real thing.

#9. The island of Vis

The island of Vis is various to a number of its neighbors. The most westerly of the bigger Croatian islands, its history that actually sets it apart- utilized as a naval base during the years of Yugoslavia, the island was totally shut off to foreigners until 1989. As such, the island has actually developed its tourism differently to the other Croatian islands. It’s the location to go to if you wish to sample Croatia and its island life however without all the crowds, and where those in the understand go to- arrive prior to everyone else does!

There’s a handful of sights in both Vis Town and the other bigger settlement on the island, Komiza. Both only have a few accommodation choices, so neither location gets too crowded. If you have your very own cars and truck (you can also rent scooters on Vis), the island truly does lend itself to checking out- triggered down the roadways and see where they take you.

Among the most popular sights in the area is the lovely Blue Cave on the uninhabited close-by island of Bisevo. The cavern sees sunshine drifting into it that captures the sea waters, producing a spectacular, glittering experience. Boat trips are available from both Vis and Komiza.

There’s a direct ferryboat from Split to Vis, so it’s easily reachable; there’s likewise a route that goes to the neighboring island of Hvar (which stops at Hvar Town-number 5 on our list) if you ‘d like to explore some of the other neighboring islands.

#10. The Elafiti islands

We do not really want to offer the game away about the Elafiti islands- Kolocep, Lopud and Sipan- however we ‘d be difficult pushed to have a list of the top 10 locations in Croatia without including them. Found extremely near to Dubrovnik, these 3 little islands are wonderfully peaceful with no cars on most of the islands and, in truth, populations of just a few hundred in any one settlement. They are likewise only simply touched by tourist– though there is at least one hotel on each island and some personal lodging, but that’s truly about it for accommodation choice.

There’s likewise few sights to traipse around, so you’re not going to get too numerous day-trippers roaming through the islands- although you’ll also not need to exhaust yourself with sightseeing.

If you’re in or near Dubrovnik, the Elafiti islands are the perfect location for avoiding it all for a bit, specifically so as a great balance to the previously mentioned tourist-heavy city.

Sipan is the largest of the three islands though it remains in fact the least developed– which might be a plus for some travellers.

For holiday packages from India to Croatia and the other countries in Balkan region, visit http://www.swantour.com/balkans  or contact Swan Tours, one of the leading travel agents in India.