Archive for 'Tourist Attractions in Croatia'

Split is a beautiful seaside city set on the dramatic and picturesque Adriatic Coast with its turquoise, glittering waters and craggy cliffs and mountains and is home to incredible Roman ruins from long ago. It is, however, in no way stuck in the past and is a buzzing, vibrant place with a very active nightlife, incredible restaurants, and lots to see and do. So, if you’re looking for a holiday full of fun, sun, and excitement, then a vacation rental in Split is a good idea.

Split is also home to some great cultural gems including the incredible Ivan Meštrović Gallery (or Galerija Meštrović). Dedicated to the life and work of the 20th-century sculptor, Ivan Meštrović, the building rises like a sacred temple atop a hillside overlooking the coast. The building, in fact, looks rather like a temple due to its iconic and beautiful design, that features a long façade, reached atop a flight of stone stairs built into the hillside, with two three-bay wings flanking a central unit fronted by a portico with Ionic order columns. Above the portico there is a terrace that takes in those incredible views over the coast. Inside, the building is home to large, bright, airy rooms that house the most significant works of Meštrović, including sculptures, drawings, designs, furniture and architectural plans.

Croatia is a famously popular holiday destination, particularly for those in search of sun, sea, and fun, as it has a long and incredibly beautiful coastline dotted by lots of amazing resorts and seaside towns. Many of these towns are slick and chic and filled with modern developments and villas but there are some older and more historic settlements among them. In particular, one of the most beautiful and intriguing seaside resorts is Opatija, which was a popular coastal getaway and fashionable resort in the 19th century and remains filled with stunning Habsburg-era villas to this day.

Opatija is a pretty and charming little gem that was in a bit of a decline for a long time but has been since revived in the last decade or so and now regularly draws a largely mature audience for its grand spa hotels, incredible location along the Adriatic, climate that supports pleasant weather for trips pretty much all throughout the year, and its famous Lungomare promenade that hugs the coast and offers wonderful views over the town and neighbouring islands. If you’re looking for peace, relaxation, a perfect seaside escape, and very pretty surroundings, a vacation rental in Opatija is an excellent idea.

During your time in Opatija, between swimming in little bays (as there aren’t real beaches to speak of), wandering the promenade, dining in the city’s brilliant restaurants, watching the sun set over the coast, and generally just kicking back and relaxing, you should probably head to the Villa Angiolina at some stage, which is the Croatian Museum of Tourism and the only traditional tourist attraction to speak of in the town.

“Game of Thrones,” fans likely already have Dubrovnik on their bucket lists as a holiday destination in Croatia as it is famously where much of the scenes set in some of the warmer climes of the show were filmed. Browse our vacation rentals in Dubrovnik now and you can get a taste of what it would be like to step into the fantastical world of the show! Once you're there, you can take various tours that have been set up by local tourism groups and companies and which bring you to all of the sites used in the filming of, “Game of Thrones,” but you can also just look them up and visit at your own pace and at your leisure. If you are going for the latter option, then you definitely need to pencil in a visit to Lovrijenac.

Lovrijenac, Fort Lovrijenac, or St Lawrence's Fortress is a fascinating old building that has had two main purposes throughout its existence: as a fortress and as a theatre. Often called Dubrovnik's Gibraltar, it is first recorded in a document discussing a vote for the Commander of the Fort by the local council in 1301. Chronologists, however, reckon that the construction of the fort actually dates to sometime between 1018 and 1038. Neighbouring Venetian forces were constantly trying to invade the city and a story from the 11th century states that they planned to claim the site on which the fort now stands and build a fortress that would help their attempts to conquer Dubrovnik. Instead, the city, upon hearing of this plan, quickly mobilised her citizens and built their own fortress instead before the Venetians could get to it. One can only imagine their surprise to encounter a building already on the site that they had hand-picked for themselves!

Istria is one of the most incredible places to holiday boasting perfect coastal resorts with admittedly rocky shorelines but impossibly clear and rich blue waters that attract floods of European tourists in summer; an acclaimed gastronomy featuring dazzling seafood dishes, award-winning wines, and high-quality ingredients and products; a rich and diverse historical and cultural heritage; and a stunning and lush hilly inland landscape that unfolds like a pretty picture.

If you find a vacation rental in Istria, you will quickly discover that it has all sorts of surprises waiting for you, such as architectural gems, immense natural beauty, fairytale castles, pretty towns trapped in time, incredible temples and ruins, beautiful churches and monasteries, stunning works of art, light shows, a wonderful aquarium, and much more besides. However, one of the more unique and intriguing among all of these tourist attractions is Dinopark Funtana, a dinosaur-themed amusement park that any kids in your party will be thrilled to visit!

Opened back in 2009 and located right in the heart of the region, a few minutes from Poreč, Dinopark Funtana is the first and largest theme park in Croatia and lets kids experience a much less deadly version of Jurassic Park for themselves. Come for the educational experiences but stay for the fun and adventure that awaits at this rather special theme park in Croatia!

Those looking to vacation in Croatia may have certain areas and particular destinations in mind. However, if you are looking for adventure, we recommend a vacation rental in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. This extraordinary region of Croatia and is comprised of a coastline along the Northern Adriatic, made up of 55 islands and 86 harbours, that comes up to meet the mountains of North-West Croatia. Whether you are looking to go sailing, swimming, hiking, skiing, and much more besides, you’ll be able to do it all in this one county!

One of the must-see spots and perfect day-trip destinations within the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County is the island of Rab. Rab is a diverse and beautiful island that boasts sandy beaches rivalling those of the Caribbean, pine forests, vineyards, olive groves, and a dramatically windswept and barren-looking northeast coast made up of towering cliffs and karst formations.