Discover Croatia - Dalmatia - Zadar

The Zadar region is the northernmost part of Dalmatia, its gate of welcome to all those who travel from the north of the Adriatic. It is full of contrasts, rich in historic heritage and breathtakingly beautiful nature. The first, and therefore perhaps the most intense experience of these parts, are the intense colours, that particular harmony of the vivid blue of the sea and over it the dark green of pine trees or olive groves that descend all the way to the shore. And to all that the brilliant white of the Dalmatian stone must be added – it forms the beaches either in slabs or broken down into gravel or pebbles, attracting numerous tourists.

Dalmatia’s centre is 3000-year-old Zadar, a city with the largest researched Romanforum on the Croatian side of the Adriatic and unforgettable Romanesquechurches like St. Donatus, St. Anastasia and St. Chrisogonus. Nearby Nin (the oldest Croatian royal city) boasts the smallest cathedral in the world (the Church of the Holy Cross measures but 36 paces!). The region of Zadar tells the story of the sources of Croatian cultural heritage better than any book.

Zadar is a town that has antique origins with the most researched Roman forum on the eastern side of the Adriatic and late Roman church – the cathedral of St. Stošija [St. Anastasia], Sv. Krševan [St. Krsevan] and the famous Sv. Donat [St. Donatus]. With its valuable collections, libraries and archives, Zadar is proud of the fact that the foundations of the oldest Croatian university were laid here in 1396.

Recently made even more famous for its Sea Organ, an architectural miracle on the Zadar riva (sea front). Alfred Hitchcock was so impressed with Zadar and its sunset that he said that from the Zadar riva 'one can enjoy the most beautiful sunset in the world. If you go to the nearby old town of Nin, you will find the smallest cathedral in the world - Crkva svetog Kriza (Church of the Holly Cross), that is only 36 paces long.

Island Pag

Island Pag

Croatian Adriatic

Intact nature is something rare and precious in today’s world. Croatia has one of the cleanest seas in Europe, offering you a chance to immerse yourself in the unspoiled beauty of pristine waters. 

Croatia took the 2nd place behind Cyprus in the annual report on the quality of bathing water published by the European Commission. From more than 900 locations in Croatia, 97% have been evaluated as excellent, fulfilling the high European criteria.

Discover Croatia - Kvarner

Here the littoral landscape is practically in the immediate vicinity of the mountainous and forested region of Gorski kotar, the Mediterranean clime and way of life are first neighbours with the harsh mountain climate, while the world of a fashionable tourist resort boasting a150 year long tradition is so vastly different from the simple rhythm of the island life. Kvarner is a place where those seeking the glitter of trendy summer resort - like the lovely Opatija whose tourist tradition, parks replete with lush greenery and elegant villas, combined with the 12 km long promenade by the sea, attract guests throughout the year. 

Perhaps you imagine an ideal holiday, one where you can set off from the shore towards sunny islands, and then sail back to seek the peace and quiet of a mountain peak. In the process you dream of a sun-bathed Riviera that can, should you so wish, be replaced within a span of 10 km by ascetic peace and fresh mountain air where you are in the company of eagles, wolves and bears, and where your lungs are filled with forest scented air. If that is indeed the case, then you are looking for Kvarner and Gorski kotar - separate parts of this small country that differ significantly one from the other.

Kvarner covers the area of the mythical Absytrus islands and has unforgettable rivieras: Opatija, Crikvenica, Vinodol and Rijeka. Asides for being famous as the celebrated elite summer destination of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, the coastal Rijeka metropolis is also here. The Kvarner islands are, however, a totally different story. Called the Absytrus islands, after Medea’s brother Absytrus, the islands of Krk, Cres and Lošinj have a rich antique and medieval heritage. The Apoxiomen should definitely be mentioned here, a very famous bronze statue of an athlete found in 1999 in the sea near Lošinj, which was the work of the Greek sculptor Lizip from the 4th century B.C. The Baška tablet should also be mentioned, the first sculpted memorial of the Croatian language from 1100 found on the island of Krk.