Croatia Travel Guide 2
Europe

Split city, Croatia, Europe; inside view.

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Split, Croatia's second largest city hosts plenty of historic monuments, most of them inside the must-see 1,700 year-old Palace of Diocletian, a UNESCO site built in the latter part of the Roman Empire. In fact the palace was built first, then the town evolved around it.

In addition travellers have been known to spend a boozy evening at the Bacavica area in search of the reputedly beautiful local women, for which Split is apparently famous.

Split city, outside view.

Trogir, a stunning medieval town in Dalmatia, far south mainland Croatia.

Ignored by most tourists, Trogir is a living-museum listed by UNESCO as one of the best preserved Romanesque-Gothic complexes in Central Europe and one of Croatia's most cherished attractions. It located on an island 27 km west of Split, with scenic Mediterranean-ish surroundings, fine beaches and a calm and sultry air. And not too many tourists! Yet!

The Five Best Croatian Islands according to the UK's Guardian newspaper are:

Sveti Klement: A green island with amazing inlets and white pebble beaches. In one of them, Palmizana, the botanist Eugen Meneghello planted an arboretum and built a collection of villas, available to rent. Waterskiing, swimming and windsurfing mean it’s good for families, and tranquillity is easily found around the rest of the island. Ferries from nearby Hvar take 20 minutes.

Sipan: Just down the coast from Dubrovnik, Sipan was a chic retreat for the city’s rich families in the 15th century. It’s covered with orange, lemon and fig plantations and the local wine is very gluggable. You can stay in Hotel Sipan, a converted olive oil factory.

Lastovo: One of the less visited islands of the Dalmatian archipelago, Lastovo is coated with pine forest and is known for its excellent seafood. There are 46 even smaller islands nearby, reached by boats from the harbour, and you can choose from a range of apartments.

Prvic: A quiet car-free island in north Dalmatia criss-crossed with paths linking beaches, olive groves, pine forests and a 15th-century monastery. The only hotel is the Maestral, in the old village schoolhouse.

Mrcara: The only permanent inhabitants of this pretty islet, near Lastovo island, are the goats and mouflon sheep. Accommodation is limited to Pension Lastovo, a hunter’s lodge with three four-bedroom cottages run by a free-spirited couple, but the lack of development means you’ll be free to enjoy crayfishing and boating … as well as their delicious food, in near isolation. (00345 915 696 559, lastovo-mrcara.com)

Getting to Croatia:
Flights are fast and frequent from many European cities to airports at: Zagreb; Split; Dubrovnik; Pula; Rijeka (Krk Island); Zadar; Bol (Brac Island) and Osijek.
You can also take ferries from Italy to Croatia from the ports of Venice, Rimini, Civitanova, Ancona, Pescara and Bari.
All international trains - for example from Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary and Serbia - run daily to Zagreb.
Domestic trains run from Zagreb to larger northern towns, and Split in the south, but not to Dubrovnik at the moment.

Getting around:
Although Croatia operates good bus services, many of star attractions are along the coast so the best way to travel around is by ferry. Several shipping companies operate between coastal towns, islands and international ports. Ferries are easy, frequent, and online booking is available.
Roads and motorways are decent quality and major car rental companies are available.
If you are fit and a cyclist then biking tours are an excellent option, especially for on islands.

Croatia Weather:
The best time to holiday in Croatia is (as usual in Europe) May, June and September when there is plenty of sunshine, less heat and less visitors, though April and October are also fine if your main interest is sightseeing, not beaches, but be prepared for some damp days.
July and August are best avoided because it gets uncomfortably hot, pricy and crowded.

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