Croatia’s Cosmopolitan Capital Zagreb

Zagreb's colorful Church of St. Mark.

Most of the cities travelers visit in Croatia are pretty, historic seaside towns.  But Croatia has a big city too, and that is the capital city Zagreb.  The only reason we visited Zagreb was because we needed to end our travels through Croatia and Slovenia in Croatia because it was cheaper to return our rental car in Croatia.  But in the end we found a city that we fell in love with and wished we had more time to explore.

The Towns of Croatia’s Istrian Interior

The hilltop town of Motovun.

Croatia’s Istrian peninsula has a number of small towns with unique sightseeing opportunities.  Traveling through Istria by car is easy and the towns are within short driving distance of each other, meaning a number of Istria’s towns can be visited in a single day.  Here are some highlights from our road trip through Croatia’s Istrian interior. 

Rovinj, Istria’s Tasty Jewel of the Adriatic Sea

Rovinj

Istria is Croatia’s northwestern peninsula, and the coastal region and cities of Istria were once part of the Venetian Republic.  The Venetian influence in Istria is very apparent, especially in colorful coastal towns like Rovinj.  Istria is also the foodie and wine capital of Croatia.  Properly exploring Istria takes a few days, and Rovinj, one of the most beautiful coastal towns I have seen outside of Italy, is the perfect base for exploring the Istrian peninsula.

The Other Colosseum – Croatia’s Pula Arena, Roman Ruins and the Saints of Vodnjan

Pula's Roman ruins include the magnificent Pula arena.

Did you know the Colosseum in Rome is not the only colosseum?  There are actually dozens of Roman amphitheaters in the world, one of which is the Pula arena in Croatia. Pula is situated on the southern tip of Croatia’s Istrian peninsula, only a 45-minute drive from Rovinj.  If spending any time in Istria, I recommend including a day trip to Pula’s Roman ruins in your Croatia travel plans with a side trip to nearby Vodnjan where a number of famous saints are interred.

Pula is Istria’s largest city and a working port.  But Pula is also home to a number of Roman ruins, some of the best in Europe, including the Pula arena, the Temple of Augustus in the Forum, the Arch of Sergius, and a preserved Roman floor mosaic.  While Pula is large, its old town and tourist sites are easy to navigate on foot, with all being located along a loop that starts and ends at the Pula arena.

Croatia’s Plitvicka Jezera (Plitvice Lakes) National Park

Plitvicka Jezera Nacionalni Park

Plitvice Lakes National Park is one of the most beautiful natural wonders we have visited while traveling in Europe.  It is hard to believe this was where Croatia’s involvement in the war with Yugoslavia began, with the first casualty being a park policeman.  Some visit Plitvice Lakes for just a few hours, but we chose to spend two nights within the park so we could have a full day to explore the lakes.

Plitvice Lakes National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site and consists of 16 interlinked lakes separated by numerous waterfalls and surrounded by a forest.  The lakes are the clearest you will ever experience in beautiful shades of deep blue and green.  The striking colors are caused by the minerals in the water.  Plitvice Lakes National Park contains about eight kilometers of walking trails and wooden paths, and even more hiking trails off some of those paths. 

The Walled Old City of Dubrovnik Croatia

Walled Old City of Dubrovnik Croatia



Dubrovnik is one of the most beautiful old cities of Europe we have ever visited and one of the highlights of any trip to Croatia.  What makes Dubrovnik unique is its completely intact medieval city wall.  The wall along with the orange tile roofs and the marble roads that shine at night all make Dubrovnik very picturesque.
 

There are many things to do in Dubrovnik.  As Dubrovnik was the first stop of our Croatia and Slovenia trip, we stayed four nights, which allowed us to fully explore Dubrovnik, relax on the beach, and take a day trip to Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina.