Capital: Zagreb ♦ Population: 4.3 million ♦ Currency: Kuna (HRK) ♦ Language: Croatian – quite a unique language; seems incredibly difficult to pick up!

Blog posts

• 10 days in Croatia: Split → Hvar → Dubrovnik (2014)
• Croatia 2.0: Zagreb → Plitvice → Split → Dubrovnik (2019)
• Video: Plitvice Lakes
• Snapped, in Croatia
• Recollection Diaries 2019

Highlights

Split: charming port city, packed with history and interesting buildings. The good beaches are a bit of walk (and they are still somewhat rocky) but the clear beautiful water makes it worth it.

Hvar: sunshine aplenty (averaging about 2800 hours annually), Hvar is one of many islands worth exploring.

Dubrovnik: an absolute must for Game of Thrones lovers, the view of the city from up on the wall is spectacular. It has become absolutely overcrowded by tourists (and the locals entirely exploit that) so I would definitely look for accommodation away from the Old Town.

Plitvice: a UNESCO World Heritage Site with over 90 waterfalls and 16 lakes. Set aside at least a day to explore this wonderful park. Annoyingly you can’t swim here, but there is plenty of trees and shade to shelter under.

Did you know?

• • Croatia has over 1200 islands, isles and islets.
  • Luka is the most popular boys name in Croatia and Mia is most popular for girls. Over 22,000 share the surname Horvat.
  • At least 10% of Croatia is protected by way of national parks or other preservation sites.
  • Zlatni Rat beach (on Brac island) changes shape and colour depending on the wind.

Useful tips

• • Although Croatia is part of the European Union, it doesn’t use the Euro. It is usually possible to pay in Euros but change will normally be given in Kuna.
  • It is difficult to travel by train. The bus system is quite expansive, but if you want the freedom a rental car is recommended.