Zagreb

Boosting a rich cultural heritage that dates back to medieval days, Zagreb remains delightfully alluring as both a historic gem and modern-day economic hub. Its ancient cobble stone streets, majestic ruins, landscaped promenades and stately architecture speak volumes about a past defined by the glories of the Roman empire, centuries of the Venetian rule and imprints of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Ban Josip Jelacic Square, with the equestrian statue of Ban Jelacic (made by the sculptor Antun Fernkorn, 1866), is the usual starting point for sightseeing tours through the three historical parts of Zagreb: the Upper Town (Gornji Grad), Kaptol and the Lower Town (Donji Grad).

Gornji Grad is a more recent name for the mediaeval town which was chartered in 1242. (by the so-called Golden Bull) and thus obtained the status of "the free royal town on Gradec Hill of Zagreb". It lies on a slope between the walls constructed around the mid-13th century. The town used to have four gates.

The Stone Gate (Kamenita Vrata), the only preserved city gate, represents the entrance to the Upper Town. It was first mentioned in the Middle Ages, and its present aspect dates from 1760, when the Baroque chapel of the Mother of God was constructed around the old painting by a local master, which survived the fire of 1731.

St. Mark Square is the centre of the Upper Town, the main square of the former Gradec. The town parish church of St. Mark was built in the mid-13th century. Catherine's Square is another square in the Upper Town, dominated by the church of St. Catherine, the most beautiful Baroque church in Zagreb. It was erected by the Jesuits between 1620. and 1632.

The Gothic Cathedral, built from the 13th to the end of the 15th century, was renovated after the earthquake of 1880, when the neo-Gothic façade with two high bell towers (105 m), which have become the symbol of Zagreb, was built. The central city cemetery Mirogoj, opened in 1876, lies outside the heart of the city. The mortuary, the impressive and picturesque arcades with the church of Christ the King (architect H. Bollé, 1883-1914) in particular, as well as the tombs, in which notable personalities were buried, monuments and the greenery make Mirogoj a distinguished monument of the culture and history of Zagreb and Croatia.

Dubrovnik

Its been called a classic medieval heart-stopper, with ancient fairy tales and orange-tiled roofs draped over the high-cliffed Adriatic Coastline. A World Heritage Site, Dubrovnik is filled with fountains, palaces and cathedrals, rich in history and culture dating back to the 7th century. The monument-city of Dubrovnik was the first place to be inscribed on the List of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The former city of Ragusa is widely considered to be most beautiful place of Croatia. Throughout the history the city has competed with mighty Venice to control the waters of Adriatic. Today it still continues to rival Venice with its beauty and charming atmosphere. It would be really hard to single out any of the most fascinating pieces of architecture. The Franciscan an the Dominican Monastery, the Cathedral, the Rector's Palace, Stradun, the imposing city walls and St. Blaise's church figure among the most impressive and interesting sites which simply deserve attention and admiration.

Split/Solin/Trogir

Split is the second largest city in Croatia, with just under 200,000 inhabitants, and is the largest city on the Adriatic coast. Emerging from a Greek settlement founded between the 3rd and 4th centuries, the height of Split's history came in 295 AD when Roman emperor Diocletian ordered a residence to be built there for his retirement. It took ten years to build this magnificent palace and Diocletian lived there until his death in 313 AD.

Trogir is a town - museum in the very meaning of the word. Lovers of cultural and historical monuments, art, original architecture and nice alleys are given the opportunity in Trogir to learn about the manifold and complex heritage - from the Romanesque yard to the modern interiors. The unique historical core, Radovan's portal, the art collections which have been arousing excitement among visitors and travelers for centuries offer a tourist beauty, personified in the relief of Kairos as an appropriate souvenir. The wider surroundings of Trogir (Trogir - Seget - Ciovo Riviera) is characterized by lavish green vegetation, numerous islands and islets, rocky and pebble beaches.

Solin (Salona), formerly the capital of a Roman province, and describing its important monuments, is a task both appealing and hard. It is well known, namely, that Salona disappeared at the end of the classical époque, never to be renewed again. In the Middle Ages, the Salonitan town area, the entire former Salonitan ager (agricultural lands), established at the end of the Roman Republic, was between three important centers that were often in collision: between the towns of Trogir and Split, and the Klis fortress, for a long time in the possession of the Croatian dignitary families, and then by the Turks.
This inevitably determined the destiny of the former town of Salona, the present Solin, and its environments.

NP Plitvice Lakes

The Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia's most popular tourist attraction, was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 1979. Located roughly halfway between capital city Zagreb and Zadar on the coast, the lakes are definitely a must-see. The beauty of the National Park lies in its sixteen lakes, inter-connected by a series of waterfalls, and set in deep woodland populated by deer, bears, wolves, boars and rare bird species.

NP Mljet

Mljet is an island of forests and saltwater lakes, with one third of the island protected by national-park status. Mljet is almost an untouched island where you can enjoy its sights, scents and sounds and feel like you're in the most tranquil place on earth. The most attractive area is western part of the island which is protected national park. There, in the midst of a hilly forest are two saltwater lakes. In the middle of bigger lake is a tiny island with a 12th-century Benedictine monastery. The whole area is perfect for walking, kayaking or cycling and enjoying peace and tranquility.

Zadar

Zadar Old Town is located on the tip of a narrow peninsula. Most of the town is surrounded by city walls, with towers and the two city gates being of interest. For centuries the capital city of Dalmatia and today the centre of the region. A city with a rich heritage of world importance, visible at every step. The Roman Forum from the 1st century, St. Donatus Church from the 9th century is the most famous medieval basilica and trademark of the city. The reconstructed Romanesque St. Grisigono's Church from the 12th century and the St. Mary's bell tower from the year 1105; the St. Anastasia's Cathedral from the 13th century; the People's Square with the City's Lodge and Guardhouse from the 16th century, as well as the mighty fortification walls with first class Sea (farer's) and Land gates from the 16th century followed by the Three and Five Wells Squares and many palaces, villas and other historic monuments. Its attractiveness is due greatly to its fantastic natural position in the very middle of the Adriatic coast, and to the four National Parks surrounding it: Plitvice Lakes, Paklenica mountain, the unique Rivera Krka waterfalls and a string of wondrous islands called Kornati. No less attractive are the nature Parks of Telascica, the canyon of the Zrmanja River and the largest natural lake in Croatia –Lake Vrana in the vicinity of Biograd.

Pula

The Roman Amphitheatre (commonly called Arena), from the 1st and 2nd centuries, occupies a dominant position above the harbour. It has an elliptic ground-plan (132.45 x 105.10 m); the walls are 30.45 m high; it could seat 23,000 spectators. It is the world's sixth largest preserved amphitheatre. Through the Triumphal Arch of the Sergi one enters Sergi Street, the busiest street in the old part of the town. Clerisseau Street leads to the Dante Square, where a 15th-century Gothic church, reconstructed on several occasions, stands. Flacius Street leads to the Byzantine memorial chapel from the 6th century, which was a part of the collapsed, grandiose basilica Santa Maria Formosa (Canneto), built around AD 556; the marble ornamentation and columns of the basilica were used in the construction of the San Marco Basilica in Venice. The first tourist excursions to Pula were recorded at the beginning of the 19th century. Giovanni Carrara, a conservator of antiquities in Pula, guided the sightseeing tours for distinguished personalities and organized groups in 1828. In 1832 Pula was visited by the Austrian emperor Ferdinand I.

Sibenik/NP Krka

The historic town of Sibenik, connected with the expansion and development of the early Croatian state, is rich in cultural and historical monuments. The most representative among them is the famous Cathedral of Sibenik, one of the most original architectural projects of the late Middle Ages, primarily linked to the local master Juraj Matejev Dalmatinac (George of Dalmatia). The city is arranged amphitheatrically around the natural harbour and on the surrounding hill slopes. The city, with the old fortresses of St. Anne, St. John and Subicevac overlooking it, consists of the Old Town, characterized by narrow and steep alleys in the west, and the modern part in the north and southeast.
Afternoon at leisure for individual sightseeing followed by departure to Sibenik.

The Krka National Park is a spacious, largely unchanged region of exceptional and multifaceted natural value, and includes one or more preserved or insignificantly altered ecosystems. It is intended primarily for scientific, cultural, educational, recreational, and tourism activities such as visiting and sightseeing. It was proclaimed a national park in 1985 as a seventh national park in Croatia. Dalmatia has numerous karst "beauties", rivers that flow into the sea from the mountain hinterland, but the Krka has the greatest natural and scenic importance. A deep gorge and seven systems of travertine or tufa cascades form flowing lakes leaving no one indifferent, and experts talk about the great scientific value of the river and its surroundings. About two thirds of the river course are part of the existing national park, which includes most of the river lakes and the two richest cascade system (Roski slap and Skradinski Buk).

Opatija

Opatija, often called the Nice of the Adriatic, is one of the most popular tourist resorts in Croatia and a place with the longest tourist tradition on the eastern coast of the Adriatic. Named after the Benedictine abbey of St. James first mentioned in 1449. Between 1560 and 1723 owned by the Augustinians from Rijeka, and since 1774 a property of the chapter of Rijeka. The present chapel of St. James was built in 1506 and extended in 1937. The architecture of hotels, boarding houses and villas has historicist neo-style features, with occasional examples of Art Nouveau; structured fronts, the size and type of the openings (balconies, loggias) and the ornamentation on the fronts render the buildings a Mediterranean aspect.

Korcula

Korcula is often refereed as the romantic island. It is a 30 miles long and no more than 5 miles wide island. You can walk romantic streets of old Korcula town, or you can enjoy hills and valleys of the interior, and nearly 200 unspoiled coves and beaches. Perfect for swimming and underwater diving Korcula is ideal for an active holiday with some excellent walks through pine woods and many caves. Windsurfing and sailing are also available.

Hvar

Crystal blue sea, marvelous bays and pebble beaches, mild climate, lush vegetation, vineyards, olive groves, endless fields of lavender, historical and cultural sights make the island of Hvar, undoubtedly, the most beautiful island. The island of Hvar was put among the ten most beautiful islands in 1997 by the Traveler Magazine.