Croatia is a country that is associated primarily with recreation on the Adriatic. The long shoreline, attractive beaches, lots of islands and islets where you can spend your vacation and the mild climate make it a real holiday paradise. An additional advantage is its beautiful historic cities scattered along the coast and remarkable natural attractions.
The long and fragmented coastline of Croatia is full of larger and smaller holiday resorts. They are located not only on the mainland, but also on islands such as Hvar, Korčula, Pag, Krk and many others, which can be quickly reached from coastal cities by ferry or boat. The most famous holiday area of the country is the Makarska Riviera located in Dalmatia.
However, the Croatian coast has much more to offer than just a holiday by the water. There are very attractive cities for tourists with wonderfully preserved old towns and valuable monuments. From Poreč and Rovinj in Istria to Dubrovnik in southern Dalmatia, the coast is dotted with larger and smaller pearls.
The most famous of them is Dubrovnik, a city located on a small promontory and surrounded by huge defensive walls. In the past, it was one of the most important shopping centers on the Adriatic, and today it is famous not only for magnificent buildings, but also as one of the locations of the popular series Game of Thrones.
Dubrovnik is not far behind other coastal cities, such as Split with the powerful Diocletian's Palace, intimate Trogir, whose old-fashioned old town looks like moved from Italy, Šibenik, over which the dome of the UNESCO-listed cathedral of St. James or Zadar with the amazing early Romanesque church of St. Donata.
The interior of Croatia hides mainly natural attractions. The most famous of them are Plitvice Lakes, but crowds also come to admire the Krka waterfalls located near Šibenik. Paklenica National Park is a good area for active tourism, including climbing.
