Introduction
Croatia is a country of romantic destinations to explore for all the couples and it is a place for all beachlovers and people who love to spend more time around nature. Croatia is famous for its beautiful beaches which have become popular spots for tourists. Croatia is also known as a country of historic places, museums, religious places etc. The time zone of Croatia is Gross Meriden Time (GMT+1) which is four and half hours behind the Indian Standard Time. (IST)
Location and Population: – Croatia is located in the South eastern part of Europe. It shares borders with Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the marine border with Italy, and Montenegro. It has the coastline of the Adriatic Sea and the capital of Croatia is Zagreb. The geographic area of Croatia is 56,594 km2 and it is the 127th largest country in the world.
The population of Croatia according to the Census report as on 22nd September, 2021 is 3,871,833. There are estimates that the population of Croatia as of 12th December, 2022 is 4,043,613
Croatia’s History: – The history of Croatia has gone through too many turmoils. Croatia was earlier named as Yugoslavia in 1929 but in 1941 Germany invaded Yugoslavia and due to which Great Croatia was formed which includes western part of Serbia and most of Bosnia. There were civil wars going on between Croatia and Serbia which led to a war and Croatia earned its independence in 1991 and in 1992 the United Nations sent its troops to stop the war and separated both countries. Croatia retook most of the Serb-occupied regions by 1995 and regained full control of its territory by 2002. The country joined NATO in 2009.
Facts you should know about Croatia: – There are some interesting facts that the tourists should know about Croatia which are as follows: –
- Croatia is the home of the popular dog breed, known as The Dalmatians. The breed dates back to the 17th century and the coast is named after the breed.
- In Croatia, there are nearly 300 wine regions with a strict classification system for quality check.
- Croatia has a heart-shaped island, Galešnjak, which is also known as the Island of Love or Lover’s Island.
- The world’s first torpedo was constructed by Rijeka native, Ivan Lupis.
- Most of the shooting of Game of Thrones happened in the Dubrovnik city of Croatia.
Culture and Food: – The culture of Croatia is very good. Croatian are soft hearted and they treat their family as a first priority. They are big football fans and support the Croatian football team since the team reached the finals in the Fifa World cup 2018. The people in Croatia are very style conscious. They express themselves comfortably. The people mostly prefer meat and coffee. The national costume of the Croatian people is Posavina and Podravina wherein men wear vests over their shirts with trousers and a red silk handkerchief worn around the waist along with a red hat. The women have to wear a long blouse and skirt with a red silk handkerchief around their waist.
Croatian cuisine is dependent on the traditions and ingredients used in various regions of the country. It is known for various dishes and some of which are Black Risotto, Boškarin, Brodetto, Fritule etc. The national food of Croatia is not only Peka but also Zagorski štrukli.
Things to explore in Croatia: – There are many things to explore in Croatia especially during the time of festivals and events. Besides this there are also activities which the tourists can do over there as follows: –
- Sonus Festival: – The most popular music festival in Croatia is the Sonus festival that happens in the month of August in the Zrće Beach of Pag Island and it is a mixture of various international music artists.
- International Folklore Festival: – It is a dance festival in Zagreb, Croatia that happens in July. It talks about the traditional heritage and culture of Croatia. Besides this the performance features on the Ban Jelačić Square and Gradec along with workshops, concerts of traditional church singing and exhibitions throughout the rest of the city.
- Visualia Festival: – The festival that happens in Paula during the month of September is the Visualia festival. It is known for the light show that happens in the Uljanik shipyard. The Latest 3D mapping and lighting technologies are used in festival to attract visitors.
- Zipline: – The tourist can zipline in Croatia in the Crikvenica coastal region at 35 metres above the sea level which is the best zipline place to do in Croatia. It is a 500 metres zipline which gets completed in just 30 seconds. It is a place which must be visited by tourists to experience this adventurous ride.
- Canyoning: – Canyoning is said to be a combination of various adventure activities like hiking, lakes, pools, climbing etc. There are basic as well as extreme canyoning activities available in Croatia for the tourists to experience and enjoy it.
- Flyboarding: – Flyboarding is a water sport which is an equipment connected with a hose. It is used in shooting movies and this sport became popular when it was used in a bollywood movie named “Bang Bang.” It runs on the amount inside the equipment and then the person can go up from the water with water force releasing from the equipment.
Things to buy in Croatia: – There are many things for the tourists to shop in Croatia but these are the things that the tourists must purchase from Croatia in order to complete their shopping which are Šestine umbrella, Traditional croatian style bracelet, Traditional croatian cravat, Olive oil, Traditional Lace, Wooden toys for children, Licitar hearts, cheese, wine, Maraschino Cherries & Liqueur, Homemade jam, Kras chocolates, Rakhija, honey ,etc.
Best time to visit: – The best time to visit Croatia is during the summer season that is between June to September as the sun will be out and the tourists will be able to explore the country smoothly along with the beaches. They can spend good time on the beach, they can do water sports activities and sit in the sun as compared to the rainy and winter season of the country.
Places to visit in Croatia: – Croatia is a densely populated country which has many places and sightseeing points for the tourists to explore in the country. We have covered the important places and sightseeing points in Croatia which are a must visit for the tourists that are as follows: –
- Zagreb: – Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of Croatia. It is located in the northwestern part of the country and it is famous for its street food, gardens, art etc. The sightseeing points that the tourists should visit in Zagreb are the Tkalčićeva Street is a street for all the street food lovers to have some delicious street food. There are food stalls, restaurants with more outside seating, cafes and it is mainly known for the nightlife along with street food. There are bars in this street. The next place is the Gonji Grad which is the upper town in Zagreb which is known for all the historic sites in the hills of the city and it is said to be old part of Zagreb. and there is Donji grad which is the lower town is the new Zagreb which is near the city centre. The next place is the St Mark’s Church which is located in the upper town. It is known for its architecture and for its multi-colour roof. The next place is the Plitvice lake national park that is located between Zagreb and the coastline. This is a beautiful park which is a must for tourists who are nature lovers. It is the oldest and largest national park in the country. It looks more like a trekking site where people will explore the park seeing the beautiful greenery around and the lakes, waterfalls, turquoise lakes and blue water. The tourists cannot swim in the water. There are wild animals in this park like brown bear, shrews, vole and many more. The last place to visit in Zagreb is the Museum of broken relationships. It is a very unique museum and it is the 11th most visited museum in the country. The museum is known to keep personal objects that were left over by the failed relationship lovers. It can be a photograph, axe, dress, heels and much more.
- Zadar: – Zadar, the city in Croatia which is located in the Dalmatian coast that is known for the beaches in the city and especially the sun set that happens while sitting in the beach is very mesmerising to watch is Zadar . Besides, there are historic as well as religious places in Zadar. The sightseeing points that the tourists should visit in Zadar are the Sea organ which is a very unique music instrument that is used in Zadar. Sea organ is a musical instrument which plays as the wave water passes through the five marble steps, there are pipes in the steps cement and as the water passes through a whistling sound is created. It was developed by Nikola Bašić and there are thirty five sea organs. The next place is the land city gates which is a historic place that used to be the main entrance to the city of old town. It was built by the Venetians. There are other gates which used to be the entrance of the old town: the Sea Gate, the Bridge Gate, and St. Rocco’s Gate. These gates are Located by the Foša harbour which gives a good view of the sea. The next place is the Greeting to the sun which is also known as a monument to the sun. It is a monument that has 300 multi-layered glass plates along with solar modules inside it. During the night time the monument turns into a light show as there are lights inside it. It is in the shape of a circle. These are made on the basis of the shape and size of the planets in the solar system. It is there in various shapes and sizes that is a total eight shapes of the monument of the sun. The next place is the Church of St Donat which is a Catholic church that is known for the pre- Romanesque architecture and it is used as a venue to conduct music programmes or festivals. The last place to visit in Zadar is the Degarra winery. It is a small winery in zadar that produces very good quality wines and the tourists can also taste the wine. Some of the wines are Posip Degarra, Bonterra Degarra, Degarra rose, Degarra Primo etc.
- Split: – The second largest city in Croatia is Split and it is located on the eastern shore of the Adriatic sea. It is known for the historic sites, harbours, plazza’s etc. The sightseeing points that the tourists should visit in Split are the Diocletian Palace which is a historic palace that was built by Diocletian when he retired. It is a large villa that has a military camp layout. The next place is the Marjan park which is located on a hill and it has become a weekend spot for tourists. It has pine forest and the tourists can spend good time around nature. The next place is the Riva harbour where the tourists can explore the sea from the harbour, small boats are there and they can even go on the cruise. There are restaurants, cafes, bars near the harbour. The tourists should visit this place in the evening with the lights switched on around the place with the reflection coming in the water. The last place to visit in Split is the Putalj winery which is also a vineyard owned by Anton Kovac. The tourists will get a chance to taste some delicious wine. Putalj is a medium that has fragrances of sour cherry, vanilla and spice and a nice tannin grip. Since 2013 Putalj has been making only three types of wines that are Putalj Zinfandel, Putalj Plavac Mali and Putalj Rose but in 2014 they came out with a special blend only for the guests who come for the tour and they get a chance to buy the wine.
- Dubrovnik: – A city that is located in the southern part of Croatia which is near the Adriatic sea is Dubrovnik. The sightseeing points that the tourists should visit in Dubrovnik are the Walls of Dubrovnik which are defensive stone walls that have been used during the freedom struggle of Croatia in 1991. It is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site and it is known for the structure of the walls. There are around 5000 steps. The next place is Lokrum island which is outside the city and tourists can reach there through ferry service. There are few places in the island that the tourist can visit that are the Benedictine monastery, Botanical garden, Charlotte’s well, Dead sea and the royal fort. The next place is the Dubrovnik car wherein the tourist can take a ride of the car which will give a beautiful view of the city of Dubrovnik. The last place to visit in Dubrovnik is the old town which is located at the heart of the city and it is known for architecture, historic sites etc. It has also been used to shoot TV shows like the Game of Thrones etc. There are monasteries, ports, city walls, churches and much more that the tourists can visit in the old town.
How to reach Croatia from India: – The tourists can reach Croatia from India through flight only. The use of road and railway is not possible to travel to Croatia from India. There are no direct flights from India to Croatia, there are flights with one stop. The stops depend on the airline chosen by the tourists. The flights usually have layover in countries like Dubai, London, Warsaw, Frankfurt, Paris, Abu Dhabi, Munich, etc.
Popular packages: – We know that you cannot wait to start your travel journey and thus we have come out with some of the popular packages to travel to Croatia that includes other countries to be visited by the tourists are as follows: –
Name of the Package | Duration of the Package | Price of the Package (RS) | Countries |
Best Of Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina With Serbia | 7 nights / 8 days | 1,38,999 | Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina With Serbia. |
Best of Budapest with Croatia | 8 nights / 9 days | 1,43,000 | Hungary and Croatia |
Best of Eastern Europe | 11 nights / 12 days | 1,52,040 | Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Hungary, Austria, Slovenia and Germany. |
Best of Eastern Europe- 2020 | 14 nights / 15 days | 3,29,990 | Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Hungary, Austria, Slovenia and Germany. |
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the currency of Croatia?
Ans: The currency of Croatia is Croatian Kuna.
- What is the language spoken in Croatia?
Ans: The official language spoken in Croatia is Standard Croatian and 95% speak in this language. They also speak in English but the first language is Standard Croatian.
- Which visa is required to travel to Croatia?
Ans: The visa required to travel to Croatia is Croatia Visa but from 1st January, 2023 the tourists can travel to Croatia using Schengen visa.
- What is the temperature of Croatia during the summer season?
Ans: The temperature of Croatia during the summer season is between 26°C to 30°C
- Which are the restaurants that serve Indian food in Croatia?
Ans: The restaurants in Croatia that serve Indian food are Incredible India Dubrovnik, Namaste Indian Restaurant, Royal India restaurant etc.
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Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria
Best Of Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina With Serbia
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Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria