Croatia is located in Central and Southeast Europe, bordering Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the southeast, Montenegro to the southeast, the Adriatic Sea to the southwest and Slovenia to the northwest. Most of Croatia has a moderately warm and rainy continental climate. Here are 5 reason to visit this place once in a while.
1. The Game of Thrones appeal
There is surely some correlation between Croatia’s growing popularity and its starring role in the HBO series Game of Thrones. Among the attractions to have featured are Dubrovnik, whose city walls and forts became King’s Landing; beautiful Trsteno Arboretum on the outskirts of the city, which becomes the Red Keep’s gardens; the Fortress of Klis, which is used for exterior shots of Meereen; and St Dominic Monastery in Trogir, which appears as the city of Qarth. Alas, it may not return for season seven.
2. Roman ruin
The remains of Diocletian’s Palace in Split, another Game of Thrones filming location, is now the buzzing heart of the city. Among the ancient columns, temples, walls and underground cellars that once made up the Roman emperor’s retirement home, you’ll find dozens of hidden bars, restaurants and shops. Stay at Apartments Salvezani, right in the centre of the Unesco World Heritage Site, and be sure to visit hip Uje, a restaurant and wine bar that also lies within the old palace boundaries.
3. Beaches
Just don’t go hoping for sand. Croatia is all about picturesque pebbled beaches, lapped by crystal clear water. Zlatni Rat is the best known, and adorns just about every travel brochure, so expect crowds, but there are gorgeous hidden spots on the mainland, such as Nugal, just south of Makarska.
4. National parks
Croatia has eight national parks, including the Unesco-listed Plitvice Lakes and Krka, both of which are famous for their stunning lakes and waterfalls.
5. Heaven for coffee lovers
Explore the medieval quarter, Gornji Grad, home to the 13th-century Church of St Mark and a neo-Gothic cathedral, and the very different district of Donji Grad, filled with green squares rimmed by grandiose Hapsburgian buildings and linked by tree-lined avenues, before embracing the city’s coffee culture. The city is bursting at the seams with fabulous cafes – the residents take their coffee drinking very seriously indeed.