Croatia Things To Do

Check out the dinosaur footprints, Roman ruins, museums, mini-safari, and botanical gardens at this 14-island national park in Istria, most famous as the summer playground of the former Yugoslavian president, Tito, who used to host international jet-set parties in his villa.

Take in the monumental beauty of this remarkably intact Roman amphitheater that dates from the 1st century and once received 20,000 spectators for gladiator fights; today it’s used for summer concerts and film screenings and its underground chambers have become exhibition halls.

Named a UNESCO World Heritage site, this 6th-century basilica is the oldest Christian monument in Istria and one of the Mediterranean’s best examples of Byzantine art. Expect ornate mosaics encrusted with gems and mother-of-pearl.

Istria’s best-preserved hilltop town is laid out with ascending Venetian-style alleyways, towers, palazzo-style houses, and small piazzas, many of them dotted with cozy taverns serving local gastronomic treats like truffles and wild asparagus.

Halfway between Zagreb and Zadar, this nature wonderland showcases 16 lakes, abundant waterfalls, a dizzying diversity of flora and fauna, and an 11-mile trail that wends through dense forests and over the water on wooden pathways. Explore the area on foot or by boat.

Charter a boat and sail around this 54,000-acre archipelago of 89 islands and dramatic landscapes of open seas, gorgeous reefs, and sheer rock walls on a day trip from Zadar or Murter.

Every summer, young clubbers from Croatia and abroad descend on the al fresco clubs on Pag island’s Zrće beach for some raucous, 24-hour, Ibiza-style partying.

The tallest of the seven waterfalls inside this wooded wonder has 17 cascades; the rest of the park, which is easily reached from the seaside town of Šibenik, features emerald pools, small islands, a clutch of ancient monasteries, and great bird-watching.

The city of Split’s enormous complex of monumental courts, ornate columns, mazelike alleyways, sacral buildings, and carved gates isn’t your typical palace but an entire quarter of the city that has been inhabited for over 1,700 years.

Walk along Dubrovnik’s impressively preserved ramparts overlooking the old town’s rooftops, domes, and church spires, and you’ll see why this UNESCO World Heritage Sight city deserves its sobriquet of "jewel of the Adriatic".