Ha! Look at me; I’m jealous. Nepal is getting all the attention with its beautiful sights and I thought it should only be fair for me to show off some of the beauties of my own country. I guess I can say I’m proud of all that my country has to offer. Croatia is very diverse, with the coast, beautiful sea, and a 1000 islands; some mountains (nowhere close to Himalayas though); lakes; and miles and miles of beautiful flat fields with picturesque towns and villages.
In the very south of the country there’s a staple of Croatian tourism, Dubrovnik, which is pretty much the only thing people mention to me when I say I’m from Croatia (except for, of course, certain soccer, basketball and tennis players). Dubrovnik is amazing with its city walls and all the great historical sites.
Dubrovnik
There’s a whole bunch of islands that are worth visiting, like Vis, Hvar, Brač or Cres (and many many others), and Istria is a place that shouldn’t be missed either. If you like the 4S: summer, sun, sea and swimming, then Adriatic sea is the place to be.
Opatija, so called Pearl of the Adriatic, is one of the oldest vacation spots in Croatia. Austro-hungarian emperors, back in the day, spent their winters in Opatija, enjoying the mild climate, sea views and a nice promenade. Some of the hotels from the 19th century are still up and running! If you ever decide to visit, make sure you go to Volosko and stay with my family, here and here. They’re awesome and they’ll pamper you!
Tell me you don’t wanna go here – Volosko
In the continental part of Croatia there is, obviously, Zagreb, as the capital of Croatia, and I find Zagreb charming. Especially the Upper town with a wonderful view and old cobblestone streets. Mr.B. and I got married in the Upper town and I loved it. It was romantic and it looked a little bit like a movie set (it so happened that on that exact day there was some sort of fair over there and there were people walking around in costumes from the early 20th century. Cute!).
Zagreb
Going east from Zagreb you can reach Slavonia and visit Osijek, Vinkovci and Vukovar as main attractions. North from Zagreb there are Varaždin and Čakovec, cities with wonderful people and amazing sites.
Somewhere in the heart of Croatia
One thing that should definitely not be missed is Plitvice lakes. Amazing place with amazing scenery – very likable, in any season.
Plitvice lakes
When Mr.B. was coming to Croatia for the first couple of times I couldn’t decide where to take him. I wanted him to see everything and be amazed. Every time he comes over to Croatia I try to take him to a different place and show him something new so he can go back to Nepal and talk about “this wonderful place called Croatia”. I’m not sure if he does that (probably not), but I do know he likes Croatia regardless. So I’m dedicating this post to Mr.B. And also wishing him a very happy Birthday!
The Roofs of Kathmandu 