Croatia is abundant with historical sites, artworks and cultural monuments. Millenniums of history have left trace in architecture, art and tradition of the entire country. Especially valuable examples can bee seen in the coastal regions where influences of different civilizations have intermixed. The most significant of them are protected UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but there are many other citys and towns, beautiful and rich in historical sites.
Dubrovnik is situated in the South Dalmatia, on the foothills of the Mount Srđ, since the 7th century. To the present day, the city takes the greatest pride in its historical sovereignty and independence. The world’s first law that abolishes slavery was written here, in 1272.
Dubrovnik cultural heritage is world-famous and the old core of the town is inscribed on the UNESCO’s List of World Heritage Sites. The town walls have been protecting the city’s main street, Stradun, the Duke’s Palace, the church of St. Vlaho, the Cathedral, three large monasteries, the Custom’s Office, the City Hall, and the oldest pharmacy in Europe, since the Middle Age.
Dubrovnik is world renowned exclusive tourist destination, host to many cruisers every year and one of the most attractive and famous cities of the Mediterranean. It is appealing for visitors all year long, because of its rich and high quality offer.
Split is an urban, business, administrative, cultural and traffic centre of Dalmatia. It dates back to the 4th century AD (295-305), when the Roman emperor Diocletian built his residential palace here. Today, the palace is under the UNESCO protection, as the most valuable example of the Roman architecture on the east Adriatic coast, and a cultural symbol of Split, as well as a place where many people of Split work and live – it is a unique world phenomenon that such protected structure is so well incorporated in everyday life of the citizens.
It is situated in the middle Dalmatia, on the foothill of the dormant volcano Marjan. Today, Marjan is under protection as a park-forest, and a favourite recreational area for the people of Split.
Split is a true Mediterranean city, in configuration, climate and vegetation, and has a rich cultural life, with many museums, several theatres and cinematographers, galleries and other exhibition areas…
Trogir is situated on the Gulf of Kaštela, 27 km west of Split. It is connected with the island of Čiovo by a drawbridge.
This town-museum is 2,300 years old; it was founded under the name Tragurion by the Greek colonists from the island of Vis.
Trogir is a town so rich in cultural and historical monuments, artworks, original architecture… Its old core, built on the Antique matrix in 13-15 century, is completely under the UNESCO protection, for being the best-preserved Romanesque-Gothic complex in all of Central Europe. It includes Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque structures, but the greatest one is the Cathedral of St. Lawrence (St. Lovro) with its bell tower and the masterpiece portal made by Radovan.
Trogir is the venue of many cultural events, especially in summer.
The Trogir Riviera is a place of rich Mediterranean vegetation, many islands, islets and beaches.
Beside the landscape beauty, Šibenik is also the town of great cultural and historical heritage. Throughout its long history, the town accumulated many valuable and worth seeing pieces. The greatest is the famous Cathedral of Šibenik, mostly built by the master Juraj Dalmatinac (George of Dalmatia); it is inscribed on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. This masterpiece is exceptional in many ways and details, and one is that it is the only building in Europe constructed before the 19th century which contains no masonry elements, with its walls, vaults and cupolas having been constructed through the unique method of assembling previously precisely chiselled stone sections (a method introduced by Juraj Dalmatinac).
Šibenik is situated in one of the ecologically and aesthetically most attractive tourist and recreational zones on the Croatian Adriatic. This zone includes the Kornati Islands (National Park and the best-indented archipelago in Mediterranean), karst hydrographical phenomena (Skradinski buk, the island of Visovac, Roški waterfall) and the Krka waterfalls (National Park).
Today, Šibenik is developing as a tourist destination, with rich cultural program in the summer.
Poreč is a port town, situated on the west coast of Istria. It dates back to the 1st century when it was a Roman castrum. Today it is an attractive tourist destination, abnundant with sites and monuments telling us of the turbulent history.
The most valuable monument in the city is a sacral complex from the 6th century AD. The Euphrasius Basilica is also protected by UNESCO.
The complex was built on the foundations of an older church. It includes a basilica (three naves with apses, narthex, atrium and baptistery), the bishops palace and bell tower.
The main apse is lavishly ornamented with figurative mosaics, which is one of the most significant examples of this type of art in Europe.
Zadar is one of the oldest Croatian cities; it is believed to be 3000 years old. Little is know about it before the Roman colonization, in the 1st c. BC. It is situated in the very middle of Adriatic coast, surrounded by nature and landscape beauty, among which stand out National Parks Paklenica (on Velebit) and Kornati Islands, and Nature Park Telašćica. The Zadar archipelago includes over 300 islands and islets, and the hinterland is marked by the low region of Ravni Kotari, behind which rises the great mountain Velebit. In the near is a historic town of Nin.
The turbulent history of Zadar, made this town fascinating. It frequently changed sovereigns, for a while it was a capital of Byzantine province Dalmatia, was sold to Venice, conquered by the crusaders and under Austrian, Italian and French rule.
The historical architecture of Zadar is fascinating for its numerous structures, dating from Roman times to present day. The city’s old core is like a sacral complex, due to many representative churches (including the St. Donat, one of the symbols of the city, with exceptional acoustics).
Zadar is also known for its sea organ, a unique structure in the world – the organ is designed to produces different sounds, depending on the sea movement.
The cultural and entertainment program is especially rich in the summer; the Musical Evenings in St. Donat stand out, as a world renowned festival of classical music.
Pula is a town and harbour in the SE of the Istria peninsula. It originates from a hill-fort (18th-10th century BC); the Roman colonization, which made the greatest influence on the town, began at the end of the 1st century BC. From that period date many exceptionally well preserved and very important structures, such as the Twin Gate (Porta Gemina, 2nd c.), the Hercules’ Gate (Porta Herculea, mid-1st c. BC), Triumphal Arch of the Sergi… Especially attractive is the Roman Amphitheatre (commonly called the Arena, 1st – 2nd c.) – the sixth largest preserved amphitheatre in the world.
Today, Pula is attractive to visitors for its valuable heritage, but it also has great sporting facilities, capacities for developing congress tourism and hosts different events – Croatian Film Festival, Pop Music Festival “Arena”, Art & Music Festival and many concerts in the Arena from world renowned musicians.
Rovinj is one of the most developed seaside resorts in Croatia, and was elected to be the best arranged tourist town on the Croatian coast (a competition is organized every year by the Croatian National Tourist Board).
It is situated on the western coast of Istria, 36 km north of Pula; in front of the town are numerous islands and shallows, great tourist swimming, sailing, fishing and diving areas.
Rovinj dates from the 7th century. Throughout its history, it was under different legislations; it was joined to Croatia in 1945, and before that, it was for decades under Italian authority.
The town started as a small community on the island, which was connected to the mainland in the 18th century. This typically Mediterranean town is proud of its historical heritage (especially the Baroque Church of St. Euphemia, the town’s protector) and cultural and social life – every year, particularly in summer, young artists and enthusiasts gather there for dance and musical festivals, exhibitions, sport tournaments and competitions; Rovinj also has numerous interesting theme museums, like the House of Batana (traditional fishing boat) or the Tobaco museum…