Those of you who like travelling in Europe, have for sure visited Croatia, a pearl of the Adriatic Sea. The two most famous Croatian cities are Dubrovnik (mostly because the Game of Thrones was filmed there) and Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. I’ve been to Croatia twice so far and in this article I decided to cover the lesser-known but absolutely worth visiting cities in Croatia. Let’s start!
Makarska
The town of Makarska is located in the centre of the Makarska Riviera. The word ‘riviera’ already hints that this is a beautiful resort area with nice beaches and relaxing atmosphere. What makes the town of Makarska, and the whole Riviera, special is that the colossal mountains of Biokovo loom over the Adriatic Sea creating an impressive view.
I made a stop at Makarska while I was on a road trip with my friend from Montenegro to Zagreb. It was early March, so I didn’t have a chance to inspect the local beaches, but we had a lovely time there enjoying the view and tasty coffee and soaking the spring vibes.
Split
Actually, Split is not a lesser-known city as it is the second largest city in Croatia, but I still decided to include it in the list. Split is best known for the ruins of the Palace of Diocletian which was built in the 4th century AD and now became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Apart from historic landmarks Split has a wonderful promenade along the Adriatic Sea which is lively during days and especially evenings.
I spent less than one day in Split and couldn’t see all the famous sights there but I enjoyed visiting the Palace and walking down the narrow streets of the old city.
Kaštel Lukšić
Kaštel Lukšić was built as a castle at the end of the 15th century. Now the town has just about 40,000 inhabitants and can’t boast many tourist attractions, but this is the place I remember best from that road trip. Here is why: it was an early evening, my friend and I were out of Split looking for a place to stop for a night before we continue our journey when my friend discovered a nice hotel in Kaštel Lukšić and we headed there. By the time we arrived at the hotel the rain had started, and we had to get out of the car with all our baggage in the pouring rain. Back then it wasn’t funny at all, now it became such a sweet memory.
We were fully rewarded for this episode, the room was very cozy and the hotel restaurant offered a great variety of delicious dishes. On the next day when nothing reminded of the yesterday’s rain, we went to explore the town a bit, it was almost empty and so incredibly serene that it quickly became one of those days in my life when you just feel happy with no reason and grateful for your existence.
Trogir
Trogir is a very unusual town because it is located on a small island. This fact and also Trogir’s Venetian architecture is the reason why sometimes it is referred to as ‘Little Venice’. The town was founded by the Greeks in the 3rd century BC and though it is so tiny it houses several historic sights including the well-known Cathedral of St. Lawrence. Since 1997, the historic centre of Trogir is on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.
Å ibenik
Å ibenik is another beautiful small Croatian city but what makes it different from others is that Å ibenik was founded by Croats and not by Greeks or Romans. The main church of Å ibenik, the Cathedral of St. James, is included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.
Practical information: you can leave your car on a paid parking lot near the bus station in Å ibenik and go somewhere else by bus. For example, we went to Zagreb for several days. Of course, we were a bit anxious about the fact that we left the car and the parking fee would be huge but everything went fine.
Samobor
Samobor is the only town in this list that isn’t located on the Adriatic coast, it is about 25 km away from Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. Samobor lies in the picturesque valley of the Sava River at the foot of the Žumberak mountain and you really feel the proximity to nature when you are there.
The town is also said to have the best kremšnita cake. I couldn’t miss an opportunity to check it and I totally agree with this opinion.
Summing up
Croatia is a wonderful country to visit because it really has everything a traveler might be interested in: historic architecture, natural reserves, great beaches, delicious cuisine, local art, picturesque islands. A true inspiration! And it’s for a reason that the first pages of my travel sketchbook were filled in Croatia.
