UNESCO

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

UNESCO’s World Heritage List includes 878 properties forming part of the cultural and natural heritage which the World Heritage Committee considers as having outstanding universal value. Croatia has seven. Each is recognized internationally for its unique cultural and/or historical significance. Heritage status also means that the government agrees to protect each site according to UNESCO standards. Unfortunately, not all government’s fully comply—but for the most part getting World Heritage Status is a rare badge of honor for any country and at the very least, the protected site is kept from any further degradation. What’s great about UNESCO sites in Croatia is that they are all so easily reached from any major tourist destinations in the country—most in half a day!. From Split for example, it’s an hour by ferry to Hvar’s Stari Grad, half an hour to Trogir, less than two hours to Sibenik and about four hours to Dubrovnik. That’s five of the seven! The amazing Plitvice Lakes is between the coast and Zagreb and Porectoo will also require a longer trip—but each can be reached in half a day from most anywhere. A seven day “UNESCO World Heritage Site” tour is a great family vacation—time to swim, relax, get a tan, enjoy this gorgeous country and be awestruck every day!

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Qa

Frequently asked questions and answers about Croatia!

Each week we’ll list the 10 most interesting new questions!

What’s the best time to come to Croatia?
A.J, Sydney Australia

While most people come between June and September, the late Fall and early Spring are glorious times to be here. It’s less hot and less expensive. And, less people means you can enjoy a more in-depth experience.



Is Croatia safe to drive—should we rent a car?
B.A., Albany, NY

Croatia has one of the best highway systems in Europe. New, fast, uncrowded! Why don’t more people use them? Because the best are all toll roads and local people simply take the long way to save money. But the tolls are reasonable and you can zip up and down the coast quickly and safely. Just check who has the best rates, go for a small compact to save money and enjoy!

Can you ferry all the way down the coast?
L.L, Randolph, Mass.

Absolutely. Jadrolinja is the state operated ferry service. It’s a huge system running dozens of boats up and down the coast….from 45 minutes to overnight. Just go to www.jadrolinja.hr and plan your trip!

I’m a vegetarian, can I enjoy the food here?
A.C, London, UK

Croatia is veggie heaven most of the year. The local fruits and vegetables are terrific and most are grown without pesticides. It’s easy to be vegan if you shop at the open air green markets in almost every village or city. Harder to find restaurants that are vegan, but blitva (like spinach) and potatoes are a common dish, the cheese here is spectacular, plenty of yogurt and of course, more pizza than Italy!

What about Croatian currency—Euro, Dollar??
B.F., Prague, Czech Republic

Croatia is looking to get into the EU and a lot of things are priced in Euro, like hotels and apartments. But the official currency is still the kuna, about 7.2 to the Euro and 5.3 to the dollar. It has been a spectacularly stable currency during the global crisis, so when you come, change your money into kuna and relax.

What’s the best place to stay in Split
A.K, Toronto, Can.

It really depends on two things—budget and where you want to be and do. Split is pretty spread out, although the old town core is very compact. Google Split and find the Palace and then around the Palace for a kilometer. The most expensive places are in the Palace, apartments for $100 and up. Just outside they drop to $80 and then the further out you go, $60 or so. Hotels in the Palace are great, from $90-300 and all include breakfast.

What’s the best island—Hvar, Brac, Vis or Solta?
R.A., Brussels, Bel.

Wow, lots of arguments for each. Hvar is chic, full of history, gorgeous. Brac more laid back, rural, that amazing Bol Beach. Solta is dreamy, unspoiled, a sailors heaven. Vis, remote, great swimming and peaceful. Sorry, we choose all three….so make sure you spend enough time to see them all!

I hear Croatian wine is great..are there any wine tours?
B.T., Sausalito, CA,

You hear right! The wine in Croatia has been thrilling people here for 2000 years. www.secretdalmatia.com has some terrific tours and Alan Mandic, the director, is a good friend so we recommend his programs highly. The real decision you have to make is where you want to go—north to Istria, the islands, Dalmatia, Peljesac? Each region has its unique wine. So write to Alan tell him what you like and then enjoy!




We like adventure travel—trekking, kayaking, etc. does Croatia offer
S.A., New York, NY

Croatia’s national parks system is terrific. There are parks on islands as well as in the interior. Some are rugged, others are easy, and all are gorgeous. And then there are cliffs and sheer rock faces and other more “adventure” sites. A good place to start is on our home page, click on the national parks site. www.lifejacketadventures.com, run by our friend Shane Braddock, is another great site with wonderful kayaking programs.

I have some health issues…can I get good health care in Croatia if something happens?
F.R, Athens, Gr.

Croatians have had their own unique social medicine system for decades, so there are lots of well-equipped clinics and hospitals as well as good array of private practitioners. What’s re-assuring is that most people speak English, so whatever your situation someone should be able to understand. Most larger cities like Split, Zagreb, and Dubrovnik also have 24 hour pharmacies, too. We’d suggest Googling your particular condition to find a clinic or physician in the Croatian city you will be visiting that can be a resource if something happens or ask your doctor to do this for you.



What are the highlights for 8 days of travel. Starting in Dubrovnik and ending in Zagreb?

We suggest a day 2 days in Dubrovnik, l for walking around the Old Town and the other to go to Cavtat or the island of Korkula to swim and enjoy or a day trip to Kotor in Montenegro for some spectacular sightseeing. The, up the coast to Split for 2 days to experience the 1,700 year old Diocletian Palace, swim at Bacvice beach, one of the few all sand beaches on this part of the coast--and the next day on the island of Solta, Hvar or Brac. All an easy trip by ferry from Split's busy harbor. The second half of your trip can either continue up the coast to Istria, stopping at Sibenik to see the Cathedral and then Zadar for the night before reaching Pula and then driving up into the beautiful hill country. Or move off the coast from Split and go inland to see Plitvice Lakes and then onto Zagreb for several days to enjoy the city and some interesting surrounding towns. We think heading to Istria is the better choice. To maximize your time here, check out Croatia Airlines flights inside Croatia. Around $50 each way, it's inexpensive to fly from Pula to Zagreb for example, rather than drive...



Is tap water safe to drink in Croatia?
A.K. Lake Worth, FL Absolutely!

Croatians are very conscious about their health and safety. Even the quality of their beaches is a source of pride--which is the reason so many of them earn Blue Flags for cleanliness and water quality. Unfortunately we hear that many tour companies bring lots of bottled water on their buses and sell it to their guests as "safer than local water". Forget it, fill your water bottle at any public fountain or tap and drink up!




What's the best way to travel in Croatia?
E.S. Ramsey, Isle of Man


Croatia Airlines connects a lot of cities like Pula, Dubrovnik, Split, etc. through Zagreb. The prices for these less than an hour jumps is around $50 one way. Not bad! Best to book online at their site. The next best, but slow way, is the very integrated bus system. Air conditioned, modern, fast. And reasonable. You can connect up and down the coast as well as to the interior. Ferries are slow, but hey, you're on the water! Jadrolinja is the state ferry system. Renting a car can be as little as $40 day and the highway system here is pretty phenomenal....new and excellently maintained. But so few people use it because of the tolls. Not that they are high, just that locals prefer saving a kuna when they can and take the slower by-roads. Last but not least is the rail system. Internationally everything flows through Zagreb. But out of Zagreb, the lines are poor, the trains are plain vanilla and slow and the service is not that frequent. By rail, Split is as far south as you can get. .

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Your comprehensive guide for Croatia maps, Croatia tours, Croatian food, Croatian islands, Croatian national parks, Croatian cities like Split, Dubrovnik and Zagreb as well as Croatian villages. We live in Split and this website is designed for everyone interested in Croatia!

For thousands of years Croatia has lured royalty and ragamuffins alike to its spectacular 5,800 mile Adriatic coastline, amazing natural beauty, subtle Mediterranean ambience and wonderful food and wine.

It´s amazing that Croatia is still so undiscovered! Whether you come through Zagreb, a wonderful walking city with just over a million people, or arrive by sea, Croatia offers a never-ending array of terrific sightseeing. Running like a spine down the coastline, the Dinaric Mountains define Croatia in spirit as well as geography. On one side the glorious sea, with more energy, ferries, people--on the other, olive oil groves, vineyards, ancient hilltop settlements, fortresses and picturesque villages. And whitewater rafting and other adventures!

In the north, Croatia begins with the Istrian peninsula, fast becoming known as the new Tuscany. You can enjoy everything from truffle hunting to sea kayaking here. And the offshore islands are wondrous. Moving south, the seaside towns that dot the coast on your way down to Split are beautiful. It´s hard to decide which one is more lovely. We have chosen Split. In summer, its vest-pocket airport has daily direct cheap flights to all major European capitals. The harbor is humming with ferries to take you the islands. Add the 1700 year old Diocletian´s Palace, wonderful openair green and fish markets, the Split Summer Festival, Marjan, Batvice beach-of course we love living here!

Sightseeing Croatia is our way of sharing this wonderful country with you. Just click on the cities, towns, islands and destinations that seem interesting to you to read our commentary and click on our favorite links. You can also go to our most frequently asked Questions and Answers page and even ask us a question. We don´t accept paid listings, so if you like something you see, you need to book it directly. Coming to Split? We sometimes offer personal private walks. To reach us, add your comments, ideas, our e mail is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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Yours truly,
SIGHTSEEING CROATIA

Blog: http://viewfromtheriva.wordpress.com/