Croatia Hotels, Attractions & Travel Guide

Croatia Travel Guide

An overview of Croatia - from major hotels, attactions and localities to climate and weather information.

Croatia Attractions

Several of Croatia’s main sites are on the World Heritage list. These include the historical Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian and Dubrovnik which has beautiful city walls, beaches like Banje and Lapad, and cultural sites like the Rector’s and Sponza Museum Palaces, remnants of the Croatian War of Independence like War Photo Limited, the old port and Big Onofrio´s Fountain. The city also has museums such as the Franciscan Monastery Museum, Maritime Museum and the Home of Marin Drzic along with a plethora of religious sights.

The Plitvice National Park in Croatia with its lakes, flora and fauna is another astounding World Heritage Site, known as one of Europe’s most attractive natural sites. Also on the list is the Episcopal Complex of the Euphrasian Basilica in the Historic Centre of Poreč, the Cathedral of St James in Šibenik and the Stari Grad Plain Island Hvar. The historic Trogir with its medieval and renaissance streets, roman ruins and Kamerlengo Fortress, beaches, islands and lavender-covered hills should not be missed.

The island of Losinj in Croatia is a very popular destination for many reasons. Here you will find beautiful beaches, several herbs with healing properties, and a host of adventurous recreational activities like mountain climbing, hiking and nature tours. The island also has remarkable churches and famous art works like the antic bronze statue of the Greek athlete Apoxyomenos. Ruskamen is another popular site with its beautiful beaches along with the islands of Hvar and Brac, Novalja on the island of Prag and Njivice on the island of Krk.

Croatia facilitates activities like golfing, horseback riding along rivers and picturesque meadows, hunting in the hills of Medjimurje and mountaineering in the Dinaric range and eastern alps. Diving and other nautical sports, adventure racing and speleology in the karstic areas like Istria, Gorski kotar, on the mountains of Medvednica Papuk, in the regions of Kordun, Lika, Dalmatia and Zagora are also popular. The underground geomorphologic features and monuments found in areas such as Modra spilja atBlue Cave, the island of Bisevo and Cerovecke spilje with the Cerovac Caves should not be missed. Rafting and fishing are also available in the country.

The rocky mountain ranges of the Northern Velebit National Park are perfect for hiking and rock climbing, while the Cetina Valley is a challenging venue for white-water rafting. The Adriatic offers the perfect conditions for sailing, scuba-diving and sea-kayaking.

Zagreb, the capital city, is not just a major entertainment hub with its cinemas and recreational sites, but a popular cultural stop courtesy of its museums and upper and lower towns. The city’s Mimara Museum, Archaeological Museum and Museum of Contemporary Art are fine points of interest. The country’s largest historic region, Dalmatia is home to pretty beaches and sunshine, olive and wine and a lively Mediterranean scene. Here you will find picturesque Zadar, the islands of Pag, Dugi otok, Ugljan, Pašman, and many smaller isles. The city of Split has the Diocletian Palace, Jupiter's temple and two original Egyptian sphinxes along with the Poljud Stadium and the old graveyards. The city of Osijek has the Kino Europa which highlights modern architecture while the city’s Kino Urania is a fine example of secessionist architecture. You can even explore the Pejacevic Castle, the defensive Tvrđa fortress and the city churches. Varazdin boasts the Stari grad medieval fortress.

Croatia’s major cities like Zagreb carry the most entertainment spots in the country. In July, the country hosts the Rabac Summer Festival in Istria, where party lovers, music fanatics and DJ’s get lost in a wave of musical excitement. July also sees the Dubrovnik Summer Festival and the entertaining Motovun Film Festival. Zagreb has a Film Festival in October and Animafest Zagreb in June. June is also the time for the country’s International Children’s Festival while the Split Film and Summer Festivals take place in September and July respectively.

Croatia Weather

Croatia’s varied geographical localities experience distinctive climates. A temperate continental climate is experienced in Northern Croatia while the mountainous regions experience a highland climate with plenty rainfall. The coastal area are characterised by a Mediterranean climatic type best enjoyed at summer. A sub tropical climate is found on the Palagruža archipelago. In general, coastal areas have a milder climate while northern regions have a colder, snowy climate at winter.

Croatia Hotels

Croatia has 4 major types of accommodation, these are apartments, private hotels,2-3-star hotel resorts and 5-star luxury hotels. Croatia is home to some remarkable hotels in major cities like Zagreb and Dubrovnik as well as beautiful coastal resorts and island stays. Smaller family run hotels, camp sites and marinas are also available for accommodations. The Regent Esplanade Zagreb is a fabulous five star resort in the capital, lavishly furnished and designed to suit the highest quality. Seaside resorts like Hotel Le Meridien Lav, Hotel Milenij and Hotel Argentina are among the best five star resorts in the country. In Dubrovnik, there is the Hotel Dubrovnik Palace, Hotel Excelsior and Hotel Imperial Dubrovnik, all rated five stars and situated by the sea. The Hotel Mozart and Hotel Ambassador in Opatija are among the finest hotels in the city. Zagreb has the Sheraton Zagreb Hotel and the Westin Zagreb. Croatia is a nice destination for marine attractions and a trip back in time at historical sites.

Croatia Links

http://kulturniturizam.croatia.hr/Home/Default.aspx?idLanguage=2 : Official Website

Top Croatia Cities