Language: Croatian
Currency: Kuna (HRK)
Currency: 385
Croatia (official name: Republic of Croatia) is a
European country, in a geopolitical sense a central European and
Mediterranean country. To the Northwest it borders Slovenia, Hungary
to the Northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herzegovina and
Montenegro to the southeast, and to the west it has a sea border
with Italy. The land area is 56,594 km2, and the coastal sea area is
31,067 km2, which ranks Croatia among the medium-sized European
countries. The capital city of Zagreb is the political, cultural,
scientific and economic centre of the Republic of Croatia.
Throughout Croatian history, the most significant cultural
influences came from the Central European and Mediterranean cultural
circles.
The foundations of the Croatian state are found in
the early Middle Ages when Croats founded their two principalities:
Pannonian and coastal Croatia. Then under the ruling dynasty
Trpimirović Croatia became a single principality, and 7. June 879.
during the reign of Prince Branimir for the first time an
independent state. In the year 925. under the leadership of King
Tomislav, Croatia became a kingdom. The last Croatian King was Petar
Snačić, and after him Croatia entered into a personal union with
Hungary under a treaty known as the Pacta conventa, concluded in
1102. year. With this treaty, Croatia retained all the features of
the state, only the King was in common. In 1527., due to the Ottoman
attack on Croatia, the Habsburg dynasty comes to the Croatian
throne. During the Habsburg rule, Croatia also retained all state
legal features, which is most reflected in the Pragmatic Sanction of
1712. the Croatian-Hungarian Settlement of 1868. year.
At the
end of the First World War, 1918. in 1999, Croatia broke ties with
Austria-Hungary and participated in the establishment of the state
of SHS. Not long after, Croatia (within the state of SHS) was
incorporated into the kingdom of SHS (later Kingdom of Yugoslavia),
although the Croatian parliament never ratified this decision. It
regains a certain level of statehood as the Banovina of Croatia.
During World War II, in the territory of present-day Croatia, Bosnia
and Herzegovina and part of Serbia, there was an independent state
of Croatia. At the end of World War II, 1945. Croatia became a
Socialist Republic and as a federal unit formed the SFR Yugoslavia.
In 1990. the first democratic multi-party elections were held after
45 years of the one-party system, and 30. in May of the same year, a
democratically elected multi-party Croatian parliament was
constituted. Day 25. June 1991. the Republic of Croatia by the
constitutional decision of the state parliament became an
independent and independent state.
The Croatian language and
Latin script are officially used in Croatia.
According to the
2021 census. in the, Croatia had a population of 3,871,833. Croats
make up more than 90% of the population, with the largest minority
being Serbs. The majority of the population is Christian, while the
majority of Christians are Catholic.
According to the
political structure, Croatia is a parliamentary democracy, and in
economic terms it is oriented towards the market economy. It is a
member of the United Nations of 22. May 1992. year. Croatia is a
member of the Council of Europe, the World Trade Organization, the
Organization for security and cooperation in Europe, the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union and the Schengen
area.
Dalmatia is a relatively narrow strip of land bounded from the southwest by the sea, and from the northeast by Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as numerous islands in the Adriatic Sea. There are any landscapes here — islands, beaches, high mountains right by the shore, waterfalls in the Krka National Park, and karst plateaus. In addition, Dalmatia is a region with an interesting history, which has changed its nationality many times, and this is clearly visible in the cities. The centers of Dubrovnik, Split and Trogir are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In summer, they are so popular with tourists that it is difficult to walk along the central streets, so if you are mainly interested in cities, avoid the high season.
Dubrovnik – The iconic "Pearl
of the Adriatic," famous for its perfectly preserved medieval old town,
dramatic city walls, and stunning coastal scenery.
Salona – The ancient Roman capital of
the province of Dalmatia, an important archaeological site with ruins of
temples, amphitheaters, and early Christian basilicas.
Šibenik – A historic coastal city
known for its impressive 15th-century Cathedral of St. James (a UNESCO
World Heritage Site) and its beautifully preserved old town.
Split – Croatia’s second-largest city,
built around the spectacular Diocletian’s Palace, a UNESCO-listed Roman
monument that now forms the vibrant heart of the city.
Trogir – A charming UNESCO World
Heritage town located on a small island, celebrated for its exceptional
Venetian architecture and medieval layout.
Zadar
– A lively coastal city famous for its unique Sea Organ and Greeting to
the Sun installations, as well as its rich Roman and medieval heritage.
Makarska – A popular seaside resort nestled
beneath the dramatic Biokovo Mountain, known for its long pebble beaches
and lively promenade.
Lastovo – One of Croatia’s most remote and unspoiled
islands, offering pristine nature, crystal-clear waters, and a peaceful,
authentic atmosphere.
Hvar – A glamorous island
destination renowned for its lavender fields, sunny climate, historic
fortress, and vibrant nightlife.
Brač – The
largest island in Dalmatia, famous for its white limestone quarries
(used for Diocletian’s Palace and the White House), scenic villages, and
the iconic Zlatni Rat beach.
Vis – A remote
and rugged island with a rich military history, excellent winemaking
tradition, and some of the clearest waters in the Adriatic.
Murter – A picturesque island connected to the
mainland by a bridge, serving as a gateway to the Kornati Islands and
known for its relaxed vibe and beautiful bays.
Pašman
– A peaceful island near Zadar, ideal for nature lovers seeking quiet
beaches, cycling routes, and traditional Dalmatian villages.
Cetina Valley Nature Park
Cetina Valley Nature Park showcases one of Croatia’s most dramatic karst
landscapes, carved by the powerful Cetina River as it winds through deep
canyons, caves, and waterfalls. The river’s clear turquoise waters
create an ideal setting for adventure enthusiasts, offering thrilling
rafting trips, zip-lining across the canyon, kayaking, and canyoning.
Beyond the adrenaline, the park features scenic hiking trails,
traditional stone villages, and rich biodiversity, making it a perfect
blend of natural beauty and active exploration in the heart of Dalmatia.
Klis
Fortress
Perched on a rugged hill overlooking the Split
hinterland, Klis Fortress is a historic stronghold that has guarded the
region for centuries. Its strategic position offers sweeping panoramic
views of the Adriatic Sea and surrounding mountains. The fortress gained
international fame as a filming location for Game of Thrones, standing
in for the city of Meereen. Visitors can wander through its stone
ramparts, towers, and museum exhibits that highlight its role in battles
against the Ottomans, enjoying both history and breathtaking vistas.
Korčula Island
Often
nicknamed “Little Dubrovnik,” Korčula Island charms visitors with its
beautifully preserved medieval walled town, narrow cobblestone streets,
and elegant Renaissance architecture. Covered in dense pine forests and
vineyards, the island produces excellent local wines, especially the
indigenous Pošip and Grk varieties. Legend claims it as the birthplace
of Marco Polo, and its rich maritime heritage, golden beaches, and
lively summer festivals make it one of the most captivating destinations
in the Adriatic.
Kornati Islands National Park
The Kornati Islands National Park encompasses the largest and densest
archipelago in the Adriatic, a breathtaking seascape of 89 rocky
islands, islets, and reefs. Characterized by stark white cliffs, hidden
coves, and crystal-clear waters, it is a sailor’s paradise with
excellent mooring spots and a diver’s dream due to its vibrant marine
life. The park’s dramatic, almost lunar landscape offers peace and
solitude, with minimal development preserving its raw natural beauty.
Krka National Park
Krka National Park is renowned for its spectacular chain of cascading
waterfalls and vibrant turquoise lakes set within a lush karst river
canyon. The most famous waterfall, Skradinski Buk, features multiple
tiers where visitors can swim in designated areas beneath the falls
during warmer months. Boardwalks and trails wind through the park,
passing historic monasteries, old mills, and rich Mediterranean flora
and fauna, creating an unforgettable natural spectacle.
Mljet Island
One of the greenest and
most tranquil islands in the Adriatic, Mljet is famous for its two
stunning saltwater lakes connected to the sea. The larger Veliko Jezero
and smaller Malo Jezero offer a unique swimming and kayaking experience,
with a tiny islet in the middle hosting a 12th-century Benedictine
monastery. Much of the island is covered in dense pine forests and
Mediterranean maquis, providing excellent hiking and cycling
opportunities in this peaceful, car-light paradise.
Orebić
Located on the Pelješac
Peninsula, Orebić is a delightful coastal town known for its long sandy
and pebbly beaches, gentle climate, and rich maritime tradition. Once
home to prosperous sea captains, the town features elegant 19th-century
villas and the scenic Our Lady of Carmel sanctuary on a hill above. Its
relaxed atmosphere, excellent restaurants serving fresh seafood and
local wines, and convenient ferry connection to Korčula make it a
favorite for families and couples alike.
Paklenica
National Park
Paklenica National Park in the Velebit Mountain range
is a rugged paradise for hikers and climbers, featuring two dramatic
canyons, Velika and Mala Paklenica, with sheer rock faces, caves, and
deep gorges. The park boasts diverse ecosystems ranging from
Mediterranean scrub to beech and pine forests, supporting rich wildlife
including chamois and golden eagles. Well-marked trails lead to scenic
viewpoints and the famous Manita Peć cave, offering unforgettable
mountain adventures close to the coast.
Plitvice
Lakes National Park
Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia’s
oldest and most visited national park, is a UNESCO World Heritage site
celebrated for its breathtaking series of 16 terraced lakes connected by
waterfalls and cascades. The lakes range in color from emerald green to
deep azure, surrounded by dense beech and fir forests that change
dramatically with the seasons. Wooden boardwalks and hiking trails guide
visitors through this fairytale landscape, offering one of Europe’s most
extraordinary natural wonders.
Istria (also Istra) is a peninsula in the north-west of the country,
jutting into the Adriatic Sea and bordering Slovenia in the north.
History has a reputation as a classic place for a beach holiday, but it
is far from being limited to beaches. Chalk cliffs with karst caves
stretch along the entire coast, and the group of islands of Briuna are
united in a national park. The cities on the Istrian coast have been
under the control of Italian states for most of their history, and
therefore resemble Italy more than the interior of Croatia. There are
extensive monuments from the Roman period in Pula, and the ensemble of
the historical center of Porec is included in the UNESCO World Heritage
List.
Kvarner and Mountainous Croatia is a region lying between
Istria, Dalmatia and Central Croatia. If you are traveling from Zagreb
to the coast, you will definitely pass through it. Kvarner includes the
coast — Kvarner Bay — with islands, the largest of which are Krk and
Cres, and the mountain ranges of Lika and Gorski Kotar. There are
national parks Risnjak with chalk mountains, Northern Velebit with karst
caves, and Plitvice Lakes with waterfalls, often mentioned as the most
beautiful place in Croatia.
Poreč
Poreč is a
charming coastal town on the western shore of Istria,
Croatia, celebrated for its well-preserved Romanesque and
Gothic architecture and UNESCO-listed Euphrasian Basilica, a
6th-century marvel with stunning Byzantine mosaics. A
popular tourist destination, it offers beautiful beaches, a
lively old town with cafés and shops, and a mix of cultural
heritage and modern amenities like marinas and water parks,
making it ideal for families and history enthusiasts alike.
Pula
Pula, the largest city
in Istria at the southern tip of the peninsula, is famous
for its remarkably preserved Roman amphitheater (Arena), one
of the best-kept in the world, which once hosted
gladiatorial contests and now stages concerts and festivals.
With a rich history spanning Roman, Venetian, and
Austro-Hungarian eras, the city blends ancient ruins, lively
markets, and scenic Adriatic views, serving as a vibrant hub
for shipbuilding, tourism, and culture.
Rovinj
Rovinj is often
called one of Croatia’s prettiest towns, with colorful
Venetian-style buildings cascading down a hill to a
picturesque harbor. Its car-free old town, crowned by the
baroque Church of St. Euphemia, features winding cobbled
streets, art galleries, and excellent seafood restaurants.
Surrounded by islands and clear waters, it’s a romantic
destination blending Mediterranean charm, beaches, and a
thriving artistic scene.
Buje
Buje, known as the “sentinel of Istria,” is a historic
hilltop town offering panoramic views over vineyards and
olive groves. Its medieval core includes charming squares,
churches like St. Servulus, and a relaxed atmosphere that
highlights traditional Istrian life, wine production, and
olive oil. It serves as a peaceful base for exploring the
inland countryside.
Motovun
Motovun is a fairy-tale hilltop village perched high above
the Mirna River valley, famous for its medieval walls, stone
streets, and breathtaking vistas. A center for truffle
hunting in the surrounding forests, it hosts a popular film
festival and attracts visitors with its authentic Istrian
gastronomy, wineries, and serene, artistic ambiance.
Pazin
Pazin, the administrative
heart of Istria, is best known for its dramatic medieval
castle overlooking a deep chasm (Pazin Abyss) that inspired
Jules Verne. The town offers a mix of history, including the
castle museum, and natural attractions like caves, making it
a gateway to central Istria’s rural charms and traditional
culture.
Umag
Umag, in
northwestern Istria, is a lively coastal resort known as
Croatia’s “gateway to Europe.” It features a historic old
town, long beaches, a marina, and hosts the ATP tennis
tournament. Surrounded by olive groves and vineyards, it
balances sports, relaxation, and Mediterranean hospitality.
Vodnjan
Vodnjan (Dignano) is an
inland Istrian town renowned for its olive oil production,
mummified saints in the church, and the tallest bell tower
in Istria. Its winding streets showcase Venetian
architecture, vibrant street art, and traditional stone
houses, offering a genuine glimpse into local heritage and
excellent gastronomy.
Rijeka
Rijeka, Croatia’s third-largest city and main port, sits on
Kvarner Bay with a gritty yet vibrant industrial heritage
mixed with Habsburg elegance. Known for its lively cultural
scene (European Capital of Culture 2020), waterfront
promenade, markets, and Trsat Castle, it serves as a dynamic
transport hub and authentic urban destination.
Opatija
Opatija is an elegant
19th-century seaside resort on the Kvarner Riviera, famous
for its grand villas, lush parks, and the scenic Lungomare
promenade. Once a favorite of European aristocracy, it
offers a refined atmosphere with beaches, wellness
facilities, and views of the bay, ideal for relaxed,
sophisticated getaways.
Crikvenica
Crikvenica is a popular family-friendly resort on the
Kvarner coast with a long pebble beach, mild climate, and
promenades. Originally developed as a health resort, it
provides good infrastructure, water sports, and proximity to
islands, making it a convenient spot for sunbathing and
seaside holidays.
Baška
Baška, on the southern coast of Krk Island,
boasts one of Croatia’s most beautiful pebble beaches (Vela
Plaža) stretching nearly 2 km, backed by dramatic mountains.
The old village adds charm with its stone houses and
cultural sites, attracting visitors for swimming, hiking,
and a relaxed island vibe.
Senj
Senj is a historic coastal town at the foot of the Velebit
Mountains, famous for the imposing Nehaj Castle and its
seafaring Uskok pirates. With a rich turbulent past,
beautiful beaches, and access to national parks, it appeals
to history buffs and nature lovers seeking an authentic
Adriatic experience.
Delnice
Delnice, the largest town in the mountainous Gorski Kotar
region and Croatia’s highest town, is surrounded by dense
forests and offers fresh mountain air. It serves as a hub
for outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, and exploring
nearby parks, providing a cool contrast to the coast.
Fužine
Fužine is a picturesque
mountain village in Gorski Kotar, known for Lake Bajer,
caves, and tranquil forests. With traditional wooden
architecture and a continental-Mediterranean climate, it’s
perfect for nature escapes, boating, and peaceful retreats
just a short drive from the sea.
Other destinations
Brijuni
National Park
Brijuni National Park comprises 14 islands
off Istria’s coast, known for lush Mediterranean vegetation,
wildlife (including a safari park), dinosaur footprints, and
Roman ruins. Once Tito’s private retreat, Veliki Brijun
offers boat tours, golf, and serene luxury in a protected
paradise.
Dvigrad
Dvigrad (or Due Castelli) is an atmospheric abandoned
medieval twin-town ruin near Kanfanar in Istria, with
crumbling walls, churches, and towers overtaken by nature.
It provides a haunting yet fascinating glimpse into history
for explorers and photographers.
Medvedgrad
Medvedgrad is a restored medieval fortress near Zagreb
(though sometimes associated in broader regional contexts),
perched on a hill with panoramic views. It features
defensive walls, a chapel, and museum exhibits, popular for
hikes and historical reenactments. (Note: This is distinct
from Istrian sites but included per the list.)
Nehaj Castle
Nehaj Castle, the iconic symbol of Senj, is a 16th-century
fortress built on a hill to defend against Ottomans and
Venetians. Its strategic position and museum offer stunning
views and insights into the fearless Uskok warriors.
Risnjak
National Park
Risnjak National Park in Gorski Kotar
protects pristine forests, rivers, and peaks, home to lynx,
bears, and diverse wildlife. It features hiking trails, the
Kupa River source, and cool mountain landscapes ideal for
nature immersion.
Sjeverni Velebit National Park
Sjeverni Velebit (Northern Velebit) National Park covers
dramatic karst landscapes, ancient beech forests, and the
famous Velebit Botanical Garden. It’s a UNESCO biosphere
reserve offering challenging hikes, caves, and raw natural
beauty along the Adriatic hinterland.
Despite the fact that the capital of the state is located in the region, Central Croatia is far from the most popular part of the country among travelers. There are no high mountains or national parks, and the typical landscape consists of low hills covered with broad-leaved forests. Nevertheless, Central Croatia should not be neglected. In Zagreb, you will always find something to do, both for half a day on the way from Hungary or Slovenia to the coast, and for a couple of days of a separate trip. Varazdin is close to the historical center, and there are also enough activities for lovers of nature walks.
Zagreb
Zagreb, the
capital and largest city of Croatia, sits along the Sava
River at the foot of Medvednica Mountain. It blends medieval
charm in its Upper Town (with landmarks like St. Mark's
Church and the Cathedral) and vibrant modern life in the
Lower Town, featuring bustling cafes, parks, museums, and a
thriving cultural scene. As a Beta- global city with a
population of around 800,000 in the metro area, it serves as
the country's economic, political, and cultural heart,
offering high quality of living, diverse cuisine, and events
while remaining relatively underrated compared to coastal
destinations.
Đakovo
Đakovo is
a charming town in Slavonia, eastern Croatia, renowned for
its impressive Cathedral of St. Peter, one of the largest
and most beautiful in the region, along with a long
tradition of horse breeding at the State Stud Farm. Centered
in a fertile agricultural area, it embodies Slavonian
hospitality with local wines, cuisine, and cultural heritage
tied to the Archdiocese. Its peaceful atmosphere and
equestrian heritage make it a delightful stop for visitors
exploring the interior.
Osijek
Osijek, the largest city in eastern Croatia's Slavonia
region, lies on the Drava River and features a relaxed yet
elegant vibe with a historic fortress (Tvrđa), riverside
promenades, and parks. As the economic and cultural hub of
the area, it boasts Austrian-influenced architecture, a zoo,
and local specialties like spicy kulen sausage. With a
population of around 96,000, it offers a genuine inland
Croatian experience away from the crowds.
Slavonski Brod
Slavonski Brod,
often simply called Brod, is a significant river port city
on the Sava River in eastern Croatia, near the border with
Bosnia and Herzegovina. Steeped in history from Roman times
(as Marsonia), it features the Brod Fortress and serves as a
transport and trade center in the Posavina region. With
about 59,000 residents, it combines industrial roots with
cultural sites and easy access to neighboring countries.
Vukovar
Vukovar, located at the
confluence of the Vuka and Danube rivers, is Croatia's
largest river port and a poignant symbol of resilience.
Heavily damaged during the 1991 Siege in the Homeland War,
it has rebuilt while preserving memorials like the Water
Tower as reminders of its "City of Heroes" status. Today, it
attracts visitors interested in its history, riverside
setting, and museums in the eastern Slavonia-Syrmia region.
Banovci
Banovci (Šidski Banovci)
is a small village in Vukovar-Syrmia County, eastern
Croatia, near the Serbian border. Primarily agricultural
with a mixed population including a Serb minority, it offers
a peaceful, rural atmosphere along transport routes like the
Zagreb-Belgrade railway. It represents the quiet,
human-scale life typical of Syrmian villages.
Karlovac
Karlovac, founded in the
16th century as a Habsburg fortress, is known as the "City
on Four Rivers" (Kupa, Korana, Mrežnica, and Dobra) and
"City of Parks." Located southwest of Zagreb, it features
star-shaped fortifications, the Dubovac Castle, and
industries like brewing (Karlovačko beer). Its green spaces
and position as a transit hub to the coast and Plitvice
Lakes make it appealing for nature and history lovers.
Krapina
Krapina, in the hilly Zagorje region north of
Zagreb, is famous for the Krapina Neanderthal Site
(Hušnjakovo), one of the richest Neanderthal fossil
discoveries in Europe dating back about 130,000 years. The
town and its museum highlight prehistoric heritage alongside
medieval sites and traditional Zagorje architecture in a
scenic, vineyard-dotted landscape.
Krapinske Toplice
Krapinske Toplice is a popular spa town in Krapina-Zagorje
County, celebrated for its therapeutic thermal springs
(known since Roman times as Aquae Vivae) with temperatures
around 39–41°C. Surrounded by picturesque hills, it offers
relaxation through the large Aquae Vivae water park,
wellness facilities, and proximity to castles and wineries,
making it an ideal health and leisure destination.
Sisak
Sisak, one of Croatia's
oldest settlements at the confluence of the Kupa, Sava, and
Odra rivers, dates back to the 4th century BC with Roman
roots as Siscia. As a major river port and industrial center
southeast of Zagreb, it features an old town, fortress
remnants, and growing tourism focused on its watery
landscape and history.
Varaždin
Varaždin, a baroque gem in northern Croatia along the Drava
River, is often called "Little Vienna" for its elegant
palaces, churches, and parks. Once a short-term capital of
Croatia (1767–1776), it boasts a beautifully preserved old
town, a castle, and a vibrant cultural scene with music and
festivals. It serves as a charming, walkable hub for the
region.
Vrbovec
Vrbovec is a
pleasant town in Zagreb County, northeast of the capital,
set in the green Prigorje area with forests and noble
history. Known for its castle ruins, market, and rural
charm, it offers a relaxed escape with attractions like the
Croatian Hunting Museum and connections to traditional
Croatian countryside life.
Other destinations
Ozalj Castle
Ozalj Castle (Stari grad Ozalj), perched dramatically on a cliff above
the Kupa River, is a historic fortress first mentioned in the 13th
century. Associated with noble families like the Zrinski and Frankopan,
it blends medieval, Renaissance, and later architectural styles. Today
it houses a museum and library, offering scenic views and insights into
Croatia's aristocratic past near Karlovac.
If you ever need help in a hurry while traveling in the western
Balkans, keep these numbers saved and know what each one does.
The
core emergency lines
Police - 192 (older short code: 92)
Use
this to report a crime, a traffic collision, a public-safety threat, a
missing person, or any incident that needs officers on the scene.
Ambulance / medical emergency - 194 (older short code: 94)
Call for
sudden illness, injury, chest pain, loss of consciousness, a crash with
casualties, or any situation that needs an ambulance right away.
Fire
and rescue - 193 (older short code: 93)
Dial for fire, heavy smoke,
people trapped in a building or vehicle, gas leaks, or other
fire-and-rescue emergencies.
These three codes (historically
92-93-94, now usually 192-193-194) are still the traditional short
numbers in Croatia, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Kosovo. They remain in
daily use even where the European number 112 is also active.
The
number that works almost everywhere: 112
In Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, and
most of the rest of Europe, 112 reaches a central dispatcher who can
send police, ambulance, fire, or mountain/sea rescue. The call is free
from any phone (including a locked phone or a phone with no credit).
When you are unsure which service you need, start with 112.
Country notes worth knowing
Croatia: 192 police, 193 fire, 194
ambulance, 195 maritime search and rescue, 1987 HAK roadside help. 112
covers everything.
Serbia and North Macedonia: 192 / 193 / 194 plus
112. Roadside: 1987 (Serbia) or 196 (North Macedonia).
Montenegro:
112 is the most reliable single number and can locate your phone.
Traditional lines 122 police, 123 fire, 124 ambulance are also used.
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 112 works nationwide. Entity-level lines are
often 122 police, 123 fire, 124 ambulance. Roadside help: 1282 (BIHAMK).
Kosovo: 192 / 193 / 194 and 112.
What to say when you call
Give your exact location first: street and number, hotel name, visible
landmark, town, and (if you know it) municipality.
Say what happened
in one short sentence (fire, injured person, robbery, crash).
Say how
many people are involved and whether anyone is unconscious or bleeding.
Stay on the line until the dispatcher says you can hang up. Do not
assume they already have your GPS; say the place out loud.
Speak
slowly. If you do not speak the local language, say “English” or “help”
immediately. Many 112 centers can switch language or transfer you. Keep
the phone on speaker if you need both hands free.
Practical tips
before and during the trip
Save 192, 193, 194, and 112 under
clear labels (Police, Fire, Ambulance, 112 Europe) before you leave
home.
Calls to these numbers are free and run 24 hours a day.
After a traffic accident, turn on hazard lights, set out a warning
triangle if it is safe, and do not move the vehicles until police arrive
if anyone is hurt or if local law requires a report (common in this
region).
Photograph the scene, plates, and damage for insurance.
For a breakdown that is not a medical or fire emergency, use the
national auto-club number rather than 112.
In coastal Croatia, use
195 for boats in distress. In mountains, 112 can reach mountain rescue.
Visa and rules of stay
Croatia is a member of the
Schengen area. Citizens of Russia and most CIS countries need a visa.
Registration is required within 24 hours of arrival for all except
EU citizens and their family members. In fact, this rule applies to
those who come to the country for a long time, and an ordinary tourist
can safely live without registration, but hotels and apartment owners
still do it, so when you settle in, they will almost always ask you for
a passport and take a copy of it, but in return they will not give
anything: registration is simply marked somewhere in the system. One
overnight stay is quite enough, as registration is done upon arrival. If
you stay at friends' houses or at the reception all the time, you must
come to the police yourself and fill out a simple registration form. In
practice, registration (and documents in general) in Croatia are very
rarely checked. There are no serious penalties for her absence, and all
known precedents ended well, since travelers managed to prove their
trustworthiness to police officers.
By plane
Most
international flights arrive in Zagreb, and in summer, in addition, to
Dubrovnik and Split, where it takes quite a long time to travel by land
from Zagreb, so if you are heading to Dalmatia, it is better to fly
there directly. In addition to Dubrovnik and Split, the national airline
Croatian Airlines offers connections via Zagreb to several other
airports — Osijek, Zadar, Rijeka and Pula, where there are also
occasional direct flights from other European countries, but this rarely
happens.
There are direct flights from Moscow to Zagreb, and in
summer also to Split.
By train
International trains come to
Zagreb from Vienna via Maribor, from Munich via Ljubljana, as well as
from Budapest and Belgrade. Usually these trains run 1-2 times a day and
travel extremely slowly, the trip between the countries will take a
whole day. The exception is Ljubljana, which is only a couple of hours
away, and where trains run a little more often. In all directions,
except Serbian, you can count on air-conditioned seating cars, and if
you're lucky, even with sockets, but there will be no other benefits of
civilization like Wi-Fi and a dining car. There is also a night train
from Zagreb to Munich.
German and Austrian railways sell tickets
to Zagreb, including discounted ones, and these tickets are noticeably
cheaper than at the ticket office before departure. When traveling
between Eastern European countries, the price does not depend or almost
does not depend on the time and place of purchase, and demand is
minimal, so tickets can be taken at the last moment, and these tickets
are not sold online.
Regional trains connect at several points on
the Hungarian and Slovenian borders, but finding these connections
becomes a non-trivial task, since the sites of the national railways do
not know anything about each other. The most complete information is
provided by the Deutsche Bahn website, although it is not always
accurate in these parts. Commuter trains can travel from the Hungarian
city of Pec to the Croatian Osijek, as well as from the Slovenian city
of Ptuj to the Croatian Varazdin. In addition, commuter service has been
preserved on the lines connecting Slovenian railways with Karlovac and
Pula, although here it will only interest railway fans: other travelers
will choose a bus or, more likely, will not get involved with a trip in
these parts without having a car.
There is no railway connection
with Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Montenegro. In the direction of
Bosnia, you can take a bus from Zagreb to Banja Luka and from there by
domestic train to Sarajevo, or by Croatian train to Slavonski Brod on
the Bosnian border.
Bus
Flixbus runs directly to Zagreb from many
German cities. Due to the ban on cabotage, these buses pass through
Austria without stopping.
Car/Motorcycle/Bicycle
The journey
with your own car is actually worthwhile because of the flexibility.
However, it should be borne in mind that in the summer months there is a
relatively high volume of traffic on the coast and near the coast. In
addition, relatively high temperatures are to be expected (up to 40
degrees in the shade is not uncommon). A journey with a car with air
conditioning is therefore recommended. Cars with German and Austrian
license plates do not have to attach the national sign sticker, provided
that it is a Euro license plate. On the other hand, for cars with Swiss
or Liechtenstein license plates, the application of the adhesive is
mandatory.
The most important route from Germany is via Salzburg,
Villach and Ljubljana. In addition to the Croatian toll, a vignette is
required for each of the two transit countries Austria and Slovenia, and
special tolls have to be paid for the three Austrian tunnels
Tauerntunnel, Katschbergtunnel and Karawankentunnel. An alternative
route leads via Linz, Graz and Maribor; here, too, a special toll is due
for the two tunnels Bosrucktunnel and Gleinalmtunnel.
From
Switzerland and South Tyrol it is possible to get there via Milan and
Trieste, but it should be noted that the Slovenian section has not yet
been developed and you have to drive longer distances over country
roads. However, since there is no motorway on this route on the
Slovenian side, there is no Slovenian toll either.
Hitchhike
Hitchhiking or a car stop to Croatia is quite possible. If you are
coming from the north, you should rather choose the "detour" via
Ljubljana than the short corner over Italy. In Croatia itself, however,
hitchhiking is illegal and therefore a little more difficult and
time-consuming, much better in the hinterland than on the coast. As
everywhere, women should never hitchhike alone.
Ship
From many
places ferries depart several times a day to the islands that are off
the coast, as well as (less often) between coastal cities (for example,
Split and Rijeka) and relatively often between Croatia and Italy (for
example, Split - Ancona - Split). The connections have a high density
during the holiday season. There are normal ferry connections, speedboat
and catamaran connections as well as private taxi boats. The duration of
the crossing varies considerably. Thus, a normal passenger and car ferry
takes about 10 hours to get from Split to Ancona. The car catamaran
SNAV, on the other hand, only takes 6.5 hours. A ferry to Hvar takes 2.5
hours from Split, speedboat or catamaran, depending on the pier, in
about 50 minutes. The crossings are relatively cheap, about 1.5 to 10 €
per trip. With a vehicle, the price is significantly higher, whereby the
vehicles are priced according to type and length.
The most important
providers in passenger shipping:
Jadrolinija (Domestic;
Croatia-Italy-Croatia)
SNAV (Ancona-Split, April to October only)
In Croatia, people are especially mobile with cars, buses and boats.
The railway is still in the background and is developing more slowly
than road traffic.
By train
The railway plays a subordinate
role in Croatia, as in many countries of the former Yugoslavia. The
network is quite wide-meshed, many major cities such as Dubrovnik are
not connected to the railway network, and the trains are very slow,
often slower than the parallel bus connections; however, the train
connections are quite cheap. However, the country is trying to renew the
railway network and speed up the most important connections, so the
travel time on the Zagreb-Split route could be reduced from 9 hours to
5.5 hours by the use of tilting trains, which is still much longer than
a comparable bus or car trip, but you will be rewarded with a
breathtaking view of the mountains.
The operator of the railway
network in Croatia is Hrvatske željeznice (HŽ). There are three train
categories: Intercity (IC), express (Brzi, B) and Regional (Putnički
vlak, Pt). Intercity trains are subject to reservation (reservation fee
1 €). Tickets can be purchased either on site or online, similar to
Deutsche Bahn or ÖBB, there are savings prices for early bookers.
Tickets for international trains can be purchased exclusively at a
special counter in Zagreb Central Station (also not online). Buying a
ticket on the train is possible, but costs a penalty surcharge, unless
it is proven that you got on at a station without a ticket office.
By bus
Bus traffic in Croatia is usually well developed and has
an extensive network despite some closed lines. There are short-distance
buses in Croatia, both in the cities and in the countryside, from where
you can go to the regional centers. The long-distance buses are usually
more comfortable and faster than the train.
Since the
construction of the motorway to the south (A1), you can choose for
certain routes whether you take the slower connection, e.g. via the
coastal road, or the faster one via the motorway. The time difference
for the Zadar-Split route, for example, is about 1.5 hours.
The
bus stations are usually located in the city center. In the summer
months, more traffic has to be expected, possibly even to the bus
station itself.
On the street
Speed limits in Croatia: urban
50 km/h, extra-urban 90 km/h, on expressways 110 km/h, on motorways 130
km/h. For young drivers under the age of 25, lower speed limits apply
(always subtract 10 km/h).
If you want to see a lot of the
country, it makes sense to drive your own car or rent one. The areas are
usually very extensive and you are unattached.
The Croatian road
network has been constantly expanding for years. Most of the highways,
especially in the south, are renewed or completely new, in the villages
and in big cities there are still remnants of pothole ramps. Caution is
advised when overtaking and in case of rain. Here you can also get into
a skid on new roads, often because salty air and soot particles from
diesel vehicles form a film.
Highways are subject to tolls in
Croatia, unlike in neighboring countries, no vignette is used, but the
toll is calculated depending on the route, based on the distance
actually traveled. Payment can be made in cash or by credit card at the
toll stations, all major credit cards are accepted, the German Girocard
with the Maestro logo also works. There is also an electronic toll box,
but it is not worth it for the usual tourist (only from 500 km a year
the toll box is cheaper than the classic toll). Information on current
tariffs can be found on the website of the Croatian Motorway Company
(Croatian, English). Croatia is scheduled to switch to an e-vignette by
the end of 2024, but more details on this are not yet known.
The
rigorous penalties for traffic offenders have contributed to a
significant improvement in driving behavior in Croatia. Locals still
drive fast to fast here and there, and tourists from all over the world
come with very different driving styles. So it is useful to keep your
eyes open here and there and let your composure prevail.
In the
cities, especially in the south, many are traveling on scooters and
motorcycles. Here, too, pay attention to traffic and wetness.
Important regulations:
The lighting obligation in Croatia only
applies in winter (during the winter period, i.e. November to March), in
summer the light may remain switched off. Unlike in most other European
countries, the daytime running lights of modern cars are not enough to
meet the lighting requirement, it is mandatory to turn on the low beam.
Snow chains are generally mandatory in the mountainous regions of Gorski
kotar and Lika, regardless of the weather conditions; snow chains must
also be used in the other parts of the country when the roadway is
covered with snow.
The per-mille limit is 0.5 per-mille. There is an
absolute ban on alcohol at the wheel for young drivers under the age of
25.
The obligation to carry replacement incandescent lamps was
abolished in 2023.
Rental
There are also a large number of car
rental companies operating in or out of the country. Almost all major
global providers such as Avis, Herz, Thrifty, Europcar or Sixt are
active in Croatia. In addition, there are also domestic large-scale
providers such as Fleet, Last minute Car or Kompas. Portals such as
billiger-mietwagen.de or comparable providers attract with cheap and
often good prices (pay attention to your own rating within the portals),
but once completed, these can no longer be changed and are organized via
agencies. In the case of cancellations (usually only up to 36 hours
before the start of the rental period), they often only pay back the
amount withheld from the credit card after 14 days.
The prices at
almost all car rental companies increase significantly during the summer
season and for short-term bookings. For example, a VW Golf-class vehicle
can cost 19 euros a day in April and 50 euros a day in August. Timely
booking does not always reduce this course, for example, in 2015 the
German provider SIXT demanded a seasonal surcharge of 230 euros, after a
vehicle was rented for just under 30 euros per day in August. Therefore,
it is recommended not only to make timely bookings, but also, if
necessary, to book a room in advance. timely negotiations with the
landlord, use of complete offers from an organizer, comparison portal or
an airline.
In Croatia, it is advisable to exclude the deductible
despite higher costs. For trips to Bosnia and Herzegovina, insurance
must be taken out, if expressly necessary. Some car rental companies do
not require extra insurance for Bosnia-Herzegovina, as long as you drive
through the enclave of Neum only on the way to Dubrovnik.
In the
event of any accident or damage, always notify the police and have a
protocol drawn up.
Other: Ferries, buses, scooters etc.
Otherwise, there are ferries, speedboats, taxi boats, public buses and
minibuses that go to airports, cities, major attractions or adventure
destinations. It is possible to rent bicycles, scooters, cars and also
boats.
Luggage taken on the long-distance bus costs and is
collected in cash by the driver. If you are traveling in border regions
and do not have suitable change at hand, local currencies, too often
converted at very creative rates, are usually accepted.
In
principle, caution is advised when it comes to insurance services and
when renting bicycles and sometimes even automobiles, especially on
islands, as they are not always maintained equally well.
Younger Croatians almost always speak solid English. It is the first
foreign language in schools, often from the early grades, and it is the
working language of hotels, restaurants, ferry desks, and tour offices
along the Adriatic. In Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Zadar, Hvar, Rovinj,
and other busy coastal and city spots you can get by in English for
rooms, menus, tickets, and directions.
German still matters,
especially with older people and in places that receive many visitors
from Germany and Austria. German is commonly the second or third foreign
language after English. In hotels that work with German tour groups,
front-desk staff and guides often switch to German without trouble.
Italian is useful in Istria, where many towns are officially bilingual
and Venetian influence is still strong on signs and in everyday speech.
English is not evenly spread. On the main tourist coast and in the
capital it is easy. In smaller inland towns, villages in Lika, Slavonia,
or the hinterland of Dalmatia, and among older residents who did not
work in tourism, you can hit a wall quickly. A few words of Croatian
then make the difference. Locals notice the effort and usually meet you
halfway. A pocket phrasebook or a short phrase list on your phone is
enough to cover greetings, numbers, food, and “where is…?”
Croatian
(hrvatski) uses the Latin alphabet with a few extra letters: č, ć, đ, š,
ž. Pronunciation is fairly regular once you know those sounds. You do
not need grammar for travel. Courtesy words open doors.
Useful
starters
Hi / bye (casual): Bok (bohk)
Good day: Dobar dan
(DOH-bar dahn)
Thank you: Hvala (HVAH-lah)
Please / you’re
welcome: Molim (MOH-leem)
Excuse me / sorry: Oprostite
(oh-PROH-stee-teh)
Yes / no: Da / Ne
Do you speak English?:
Govorite li engleski?
Where is…?: Gdje je…? (GD-yeh yeh)
How much
does it cost?: Koliko košta?
The bill, please: Račun, molim
Water
/ beer / coffee: Voda / pivo / kava
Toilet: WC (veh-tseh) or toalet
Left / right / straight: Lijevo / desno / ravno
Menus, road
signs, and ferry timetables in tourist zones are often bilingual. In a
village konoba or a local bus stop they may not be. Start with a
greeting in Croatian, then switch to English or German if needed. That
small tour-guide habit - a handful of phrases learned before you land -
is still the most practical way to move around the country without
friction.
Beach
In addition to the hotel's own program, depending on where
you are, you can go water skiing, book sightseeing tours or simply
explore nearby islands by ferry. However, this always depends on the
location. It is best to inform in advance.
Some of the most
popular beaches are:
1 Zlatni Rat, Bol (Island of Brač) . Zlatni Rat
beach is one of the most famous beaches in Croatia. It is located on the
island of Brač and is known for its unique shape and crystal clear
waters.2 Bačvice, Split . Bačvice Beach is the most famous beach in
Split. It is famous for its fine sand and clear, shallow water. The
beach is also known for its lively nightlife and beach bars.
3 Punta
Rata, Brela . Punta Rata is a picturesque beach in the town of Brela on
the Makarska Riviera. The beach is characterized by its crystal clear
water, white gravel and the surrounding pine trees.
4 Stiniva, Vis .
Stiniva is a spectacular beach on the island of Vis. It is surrounded by
high rock walls and offers a breathtaking view. The beach can only be
reached by a narrow path or by boat.
5 Sakarun, Dugi Otok . Sakarun
Beach is located on Dugi Otok Island. It is known for its white sand and
turquoise waters. The beach is also popular with families, as the water
is shallow and calm.
6 Rajska Plaža (paradise beach), Rab . Rajska
Plaža, also known as Paradise Beach, is located on the island of Rab. It
is characterized by its fine sand and its shallow, crystal clear water.
The beach stretches for several kilometers and has a lot of space for
sunbathers.
7 Nugal, Makarska (Plaža Nugal) . Nugal Beach is located
near Makarska and is famous for its natural beauty. It is located in a
picturesque bay and is surrounded by impressive rocks. The beach is
popular with naturists.
8 Saharun, Dugi Otok (Sakarun) . Saharun is
another beautiful beach on the island of Dugi Otok. It is known for its
white sand and clear, turquoise waters. The beach is surrounded by pine
forests and offers a quiet and relaxing atmosphere.
9 Ploče,
Dubrovnik . Ploče beach is located near the historic city of Dubrovnik.
It offers a breathtaking view of the city walls and the Adriatic Sea.
The beach is made of pebbles and has a good infrastructure with
restaurants and bars.
10 Makarska Riviera (Makarsko primorje) . The
Makarska Riviera is not a single beach, but a coastal region that
includes a number of beautiful beaches. Here you will find a variety of
beaches, including pebble beaches such as Brela, Tučepi and Podgora,
famous for their beauty and tourist infrastructure.
Nudist
Croatia is extremely popular with naturists. there are several naturist
facilities that are popular with naturists and naturist lovers. Here are
some of the most famous nudist facilities in Croatia:
1 Valalta
Naturist Camp (Rovinj). It is one of the largest and most famous nudist
camps in Croatia. It is located near Rovinj and stretches along a
picturesque coastline. The camp offers accommodation in the form of
bungalows, apartments and campsites, as well as a variety of leisure
facilities.
2 Solaris Naturist Resort (Poreč). It is also located in
Istria, near Poreč. It offers a naturist campsite, as well as holiday
homes and apartments. The resort has its own nudist beach, sports
facilities, restaurants and a wellness center.
3 Koversada Naturist
Resort (Vrsar). It is considered one of the oldest nudist resorts in
Europe. It is located near Vrsar and stretches along the coast of the
Adriatic Sea. The resort offers accommodation in the form of bungalows,
apartments and campsites. It also has restaurants, bars, sports
facilities and its own nudist beach.
4 Camping Baldarin. It is
located on the island of Cres and is a popular destination for
naturists. The campsite is surrounded by unspoilt nature and offers
nudist pitches, bungalows and glamping accommodation. The surrounding
area is ideal for hiking, swimming and relaxing.
5 Camping Kovačine
(island of Cres). It is also located on the island of Cres and offers a
nudist zone. The campsite stretches along a beautiful coastline with
crystal clear water. There are various accommodation options, including
campsites, bungalows and mobile homes.
6 Punta Križ, Rab (Punta
Križa) . Punta Križ is one of the oldest and most famous nudist beaches
in Croatia. It is located on the island of Rab and offers crystal clear
water and beautiful pebble beaches.
7 Jerolim, Hvar . Jerolim is a
small island off the coast of Hvar, known for its nudist beaches. The
beach is surrounded by lush vegetation and offers a quiet and relaxed
ambience.
8 Kandalora, Rab. Kandalora is another popular nudist beach
on the island of Rab. It is surrounded by pine forests and offers sandy
beaches and crystal clear water.
9 Jadra, Pag. Sovinje is a secluded
nudist beach on the island of Pag. It is known for its unspoiled nature
and quiet ambience, ideal for those who want to enjoy a secluded beach.
Other
Climbing is very popular in Croatia. In one of the
national parks (Paklenica National Park), many local and experienced
climbers are always exploring the steep rock faces. The Krka National
Park offers fantastic waterfalls and a green nature that can be explored
via paths and footbridges.
Rafting: In addition, the clear rivers
between the mountains offer adventure holidaymakers the opportunity to
go canyoning (e.g. on the Cetina River) or rafting tours.
Since January 1, 2023, the means of payment has been the euro, which
replaces the kuna at a rate of € 1 to kuna 7.53. If you still have kuna
from a previous visit to Croatia, you can exchange it free of charge at
the Croatian National Bank in Zagreb - notes for an unlimited time,
coins until 2025.
Souvenirs are inexpensive to purchase.
The prices for most products are approximately on the German level.
However, a VAT rate of 25% applies in Croatia (as of Dec 2013), which
already results in a slightly higher price for certain products. Many
international hypermarkets have established themselves in Croatia,
including Billa and Konzum (whose Austrian parent company no longer
exists) from Austria or from Germany. Lidl and Kaufland have also opened
their chain in Croatia and a major price war is expected. In the larger
cities there are smaller specialized shops where you can make one or the
other bargain, provided price comparison.
In Croatia, the best
place to buy your groceries is at the local markets. There is
first-class quality at reasonable prices. Anyone who has eaten tomatoes
once in Croatia will never want to eat the retort products in Germany
again. The vegetables and fruits are not grown in large crops and are
not optimized for yield. There are still many old varieties that are not
available in Germany or only for a lot of money.
The selection of
food in the supermarkets is not as large as in the German-speaking
countries, at least in the smaller places. Products imported from
German-speaking countries are available, but accordingly cost more. In
the large supermarkets, the choice of products is wider than in Central
European countries, because there are both domestic, imported and many
other products that are offered less often in Central Europe, for
example, sweets from Turkey, Slovenia or Italy. The prices are rather
higher than in Germany/ Austria. Due to the high VAT of 25%, it is often
cheaper to eat in restaurants, as wages are relatively low.
In
general, there are hardly any problems because of the opening hours. In
tourist resorts, shops are often open even on Sundays.
Bottle
deposit is also levied in Croatia. However, you often only get this back
if you can show the shopping receipt or buy new drinks in deposit
bottles.
Hotels
Star hotels, as a rule, also have good cuisine. Cheap
hotels save on food.
Konobas
These are small traditional
restaurants with simple Mediterranean (Dalmatian) dishes. Homemade wine
is also often offered there. Cevapcicis and Pljeskavicas can be enjoyed
cheaply with the local Albanians.
Typical Croatian specialties
Northern Croatia
Purica s Mlincima (baked turkey with mazen)
Krvavice (Fried black pudding)
Bucnica (salty pumpkin pie with cream
cheese)
Strukli (salty strudel dough cake with cream cheese)
Pecenice (sausages)
Odojak (suckling pig)
Central Dalmatia
Pasticada (a Mediterranean variant of goulash on noodles or njoki)
Bijeli/Crni Rizot (Dalmatian risottos partly inked with the "ink" from
Calamar)
Salata od Hobotnice (octopus salad)
Brudet (The Dalmatian
Fish Stew)
Skarpina, Zubatac, Orada pod Pekom (dragon's head, toothed
bream, golden bream (sea bream) baked under a clay bell)
Dalmatinski
Prsut (Dalmatian ham, which gets a very individual touch when dried due
to the dry, cold bora; the ham is comparable to the Italian prosciutto,
hence the name, but be careful: unlike the Italians, the Croats only
very rarely manage to cut the ham into wafer-thin slices. These are
often up to a millimeter thick and then barely edible)
Paski Sir (one
of the world's best cheeses, made on the island of Pag (hence the name)
from sheep's milk and dried by the Bora)
Slavonija
Kulen
(noble almost spherical salami made of pure muscle meat seasoned with
paprika)
Fispaprikas (fiery freshwater fish stew)
You can eat out
very well. It is plentiful and comparatively inexpensive. In the tourist
areas, as a rule, the menus are very diverse, so everyone will find
something for their taste. However, vegetarian or even vegan dishes are
rarely to be found on the menu. In these cases, it is often a good idea
to put together a dish of side dishes (for example, djuvec rice and
chard). In addition, products made from soy or oats are usually
available in supermarkets.
Dining options
Gastronomy prices are relatively high in Croatia, which is surprising
considering the reasonable prices in the markets. Especially on the
Dalmatian coast restaurants have reached the price level of Italy and it
can be quite difficult to find cheap restaurants with good quality food.
You can give a tip, with good service, just as you are used to in
Germany, Austria or Switzerland. As a rule of thumb, 10% of the invoice
price has been established. As is customary in southern and Western
Europe, the tip is left on the table.
There are many ways to go out in Croatia. In the summer there are
numerous cultural events, from concerts to knight's games to plays on
open stages, for which international artists are also invited. There are
a variety of cafés and bars everywhere, which can also mutate into a
small club in the evening. However, the big DJs are usually booked only
in the larger tourist centers and in Zagreb. Regular guests in Croatian
clubs are Sven Väth, Carl Cox, Steve Bug, John Aquaviva, Jeff Mills and
other world-famous DJs. The most famous clubs are: The Best (Zagreb),
Papaya (Zrce), Noa Beach Club (Zrce), Aquarius (Zagreb or Zrce Novalja
Pag), Kalypso (Zrce), Aurora (Primosten), La Hacienda (Vodice).
Two locations in Croatia are very attractive for young people. The
"Croatian Ibiza" (Zrce near Novalja on the island of Pag), as well as
Hvar on the island of Hvar. But also in countless other places you can
have a lot of fun in Croatia.
However, there are also places that
prefer quiet tourism and strictly at 1:00 a.m. close the pubs and bars.
Croatia’s hotel scene mixes UNESCO-walled historic palaces, cliffside
villas with Adriatic views, wine-estate hideaways in Istria, and
contemporary design resorts on the islands. Most coastal properties run
seasonally from April or May through October. July and August bring peak
prices and crowds. Shoulder months (May–June and September–early
October) usually offer better value, warmer sea water, and fewer
visitors.Luxury 5-star rooms often start around €200–400 per night in
shoulder season and climb well above that in high summer. Strong
mid-range and boutique options sit closer to €100–250. Private
apartments and guesthouses remain widely available and frequently
cheaper.Below is a regional overview of standout properties that appear
repeatedly in recent 2025–2026 roundups from Condé Nast Traveller,
Fodor’s, Telegraph Travel and similar sources.
Dubrovnik and the
far south
Dubrovnik concentrates some of the country’s most
photographed luxury stays. Many sit on cliffs just outside the Old Town
walls so guests get sea and terracotta-roof views without living inside
the pedestrian-only historic core.
Villa Dubrovnik – Cliffside
property a short walk from the Old Town. Recently renovated rooms and
suites look toward Lokrum Island or the city walls. Indoor pool with
ocean views, spa, rooftop Galanto Bar for sunsets, and restaurants
Pjerin and Giardino. Frequently recommended for families who still want
a polished stay.
Hotel Excelsior and Hotel Bellevue – Established
5-star landmarks with strong sea-view rooms, spas and dining. Excelsior
dates to the early 20th century and remains a classic choice near Ploče
Gate.
Pucić Palace – 17th-century Baroque palace inside the Old Town
on Gundulić Square. Intimate, historic, and central for walking the
walls and markets.
Ninon Boutique Hotel – Small (around nine rooms),
adults-oriented design stay just outside the city with an artistic,
low-key feel.
Other frequently cited names: Hilton Imperial
(Habsburg-era building near Pile Gate), Hotel Kazbek (16th-century villa
on Lapad), Palace Natali, and larger resorts such as Rixos Premium or
Sun Gardens farther along the coast.
Old Town hotels require carrying
luggage through the gates. Many guests prefer properties just outside
the walls for easier vehicle access and parking.
Split and
central Dalmatia
Split’s unique offering is hotels built directly
into or beside Diocletian’s Palace.
Hotel Vestibul Palace – Intimate
property (around 10–11 rooms) occupying parts of the Roman imperial
complex. Stone walls, arches and a mix of Roman, Gothic and Renaissance
layers. Member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Excellent for
history-focused travelers.
Cornaro Hotel – Modern central hotel with
rooftop pool and bar; consistently high guest scores for location and
breakfast.
Le Méridien Lav – Larger beach-oriented resort a short
distance from the city; praised for family facilities and service.
Nearby Trogir and Omiš also have boutique options such as Brown Beach
House & Spa.
Istria: Rovinj, Pula and the hinterland
Istria
combines Venetian-influenced coastal towns with inland vineyards and
olive groves. This is the strongest region for wine-hotel stays.
Grand Park Hotel Rovinj (Maistra Collection) – Glass-and-stone 5-star
perched above the marina with views of Rovinj’s old town. Large spa,
infinity pool, and Michelin-level dining nearby (Agli Amici). Repeatedly
listed as a top couples’ pick.
Hotel Lone and Monte Mulini –
Design-focused Maistra properties in pine forest near Lone Bay. Lone is
more family-oriented; Monte Mulini is adults-only and beachfront.
Meneghetti Wine Hotel & Winery (Bale) – Relais & Châteaux estate with
vineyards, olive groves, a working winery, restaurant, spa and a nearby
beach club. Rooms mix rustic beams with contemporary comfort.
San
Canzian Village & Hotel (near Buje) – Restored medieval hamlet setting.
Spirito Santo Palazzo Storico – Small historic townhouse hotel in
Rovinj’s old streets.
Grand Hotel Brioni Pula (Radisson Collection) –
Beachfront property near Pula’s Roman arena with pine-forest setting.
Hotel Adriatic – Historic harborside boutique in Rovinj itself.
Pula
also has newer or renovated options such as Grand Hotel Brioni.
Dalmatian islands
Hvar, Brač, Korčula and smaller islands host many
of the most atmospheric boutique and resort stays.
Hvar
Maslina Resort (Stari Grad) – Relais & Châteaux property in a quieter
bay than Hvar Town. Emphasis on sustainability, wellness and
Mediterranean design. Strong reviews for privacy and food.
Amfora
Hvar Grand Beach Resort – Family-friendly with its own beach club, pools
and slides; close to Hvar Town.
Adriana Hvar Spa Hotel – Central
location with notable spa and sea-view sauna.
Zori Timeless
(Palmižana / Sveti Klement) – Tiny collection of stylish suites with
private pools or hot tubs, created from a former restaurant. Boat access
from Hvar Town.
Heritage options in Hvar Town include Palace
Elisabeth and Riva Hvar Yacht Harbour Hotel.
Other islands
Boutique Hotel Alhambra (Mali Lošinj) – High-scoring property with
Michelin-starred restaurant, private beach and seawater pool. Regularly
appears at the top of Falstaff and Fodor’s lists.
The Isolano (Cres)
– Newer 5-star Autograph Collection hotel with infinity pool and quiet
bay setting.
Villa Nai 3.3 (Dugi Otok) – Architect-designed villa
carved into the hillside among olive groves; very small and exclusive.
Hotel Lemongarden (Sutivan, Brač) – Adults-only boutique with gardens
and Dalmatian cuisine.
Lešić Dimitri Palace (Korčula Town) – Restored
palace with Silk Road-themed apartments and a Michelin-starred
restaurant.
Island stays usually require a ferry or catamaran
from Split, Dubrovnik or Zadar. Book both accommodation and transport
early in summer.
Zagreb
The capital’s standout historic hotel
is Esplanade Zagreb Hotel. Opened in 1925 specifically for Orient
Express passengers, it is a Belle Époque landmark next to the main
railway station. After a major renovation it remains the city’s most
prestigious address, with grand public rooms, Zinfandel’s restaurant and
a long list of famous past guests. It ranks high on U.S. News and other
lists.
Newer design hotels and the Canopy by Hilton also appear in
current “best of” compilations.
Practical notes
Many coastal
hotels close or run reduced operations November–March.
Breakfast is
often included and typically features local cheeses, olive oil, ham and
pastries.
Spas, infinity or seawater pools, and terrace dining with
sea or vineyard views are common at the upper end.
Sustainability and
“local host” style stays are being promoted by the national tourist
board.
For the best combination of weather, swimming and prices,
target late May–June or September.
Croatia ranks among the safer holiday countries in Europe. Violent
crime against visitors is rare, and the overall crime picture is closer
to Slovenia or Estonia than to Spain or Italy. Perception surveys put
Croatia’s crime index around the mid-20s, while Italy sits near the high
40s and Spain in the high 30s. Walking alone in daylight is widely rated
very safe; even at night most towns feel comfortable if you use the same
common sense you would in any busy European resort.
Mugging and
street robbery are not part of everyday life. What does occur is mostly
petty and seasonal: pickpocketing in crowded Old Towns (Dubrovnik,
Split, parts of Hvar and Zagreb in July-August), opportunistic bag
snatches near ferry queues, and overcharging rather than physical theft.
Croatian Interior Ministry figures for 2025 put violent crime against
foreign visitors at about 0.02 incidents per 1,000 tourist arrivals.
Corruption perceptions are higher than street violence; that matters
more for residents than for short-stay guests.
Tourist scams exist,
as they do in Germany or anywhere with mass summer traffic. Typical
patterns:
Unofficial taxis at Split and Dubrovnik airports, ferry
terminals, and bus stations quoting flat fares two or three times the
metered rate. Use Bolt or Uber where available, or insist on the meter
and a licensed vehicle.
Dynamic currency conversion at ATMs and card
terminals. Always choose to pay in euros, never in your home currency.
Bright blue-and-orange Euronet machines charge higher fees than Croatian
bank “Bankomat” machines.
Restaurant extras: cover charge, bread, or
“service” that was not obvious on the menu; fish sold by the kilo
without a clear price. Check the printed menu before you sit down.
Hurried short-change at markets or small kiosks. Count notes
immediately.
Fake or inflated excursion tickets and unofficial
“guides” at Plitvice and in Dubrovnik.
Croatia has used the euro
since January 2023, so there is no kuna exchange anymore. Prepaid or
travel cards that lock in a rate, plus a small cash reserve (€30-50 in
mixed notes) for taxis, markets, and tips, cover most situations.
Official tourist offices, police stations, and the 112 emergency number
appear in every municipal brochure and on civilna-zastita.gov.hr. Police
is 192.
Peak-season crowds do change the feel of a place. In August,
Dubrovnik’s walls, Split’s Riva, and Hvar’s harbour get packed; prices
rise, queues lengthen, and petty theft ticks up. Shoulder months
(May-June, September-early October) keep the same low crime profile with
far less friction.
Landmines were a real postwar problem along the
old front in Eastern Slavonia, Western Slavonia, and the inland border
with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mines were often laid densely beside roads
and in forest. Marking was incomplete for years. That chapter is now
largely closed. In late February and early March 2026 Croatia declared
itself mine-free under the Ottawa Convention after more than 30 years of
clearance: about 107,000 mines and 407,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance
removed, at a cost of roughly €1.2 billion. The last known mine was
taken from Lika-Senj County. The Adriatic coast, the islands, Istria,
the Greater Zagreb area, and the main tourist corridors were cleared
first and have long been treated as mine-free.
A residual precaution
still applies if you leave marked roads in former conflict hinterland,
especially near the Bosnia border and in remote forest in Karlovac or
Lika-Senj. Some older foreign advisories still flag those inland
counties for off-trail walking. Do not cut across uncultivated ground,
abandoned buildings, or unsigned tracks. Bosnia and Herzegovina still
has suspected areas of its own; stay on official crossings and marked
paths if you day-trip across the border. For current maps use the
Croatian Civil Protection Directorate rather than informal hiking blogs.
In short: for the places most visitors actually go - the coast, the
islands, Zagreb, national-park roads - Croatia remains a low-crime
destination. The risks that remain are the ordinary tourist ones:
crowded streets, bad taxi quotes, and ATM conversion fees. Stay on
marked routes inland, count your change, pay in euros, and the country
is as straightforward as any well-run Mediterranean destination.
No special vaccinations are required to enter Croatia. There is no
yellow-fever certificate or other immunization document needed for
travelers arriving from the EU, the UK, the US, or most other countries.
That said, a trip is a good moment to make sure routine shots are
current: tetanus (a booster if the last dose was more than 10 years
ago), measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), diphtheria-polio, and seasonal
influenza. Hepatitis A is often recommended for anyone who will eat
outside well-established restaurants or stay on smaller islands, where
food-hygiene standards can vary. Hepatitis B is worth considering for
longer stays or if you might need medical care. Tick-borne encephalitis
(TBE) is present in forested inland areas - Slavonia, Zagorje, Gorski
Kotar, Lika, and around Plitvice and Risnjak - mainly from April to
October. Hikers, campers, and people spending time in woods or parks
should discuss the TBE vaccine with a doctor and use tick-repellent
clothing and DEET or picaridin after outdoor walks. Rabies pre-exposure
shots are only for people with occupational or unusual wildlife
exposure. Tap water in cities and on the main islands meets EU standards
and is generally safe to drink; on a few remote islands that rely on
cisterns or tanker water, bottled water is the safer choice.
The
European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) - and the UK Global Health
Insurance Card (GHIC) - is accepted in Croatia. It gives you medically
necessary care on the same terms as a Croatian insured person, but only
at public facilities and doctors who have a contract with the Croatian
Health Insurance Fund (HZZO / CHIF). Private clinics and private
dentists are not covered; you pay the full private tariff there. EHIC is
not a substitute for travel insurance: it does not cover medical
evacuation, mountain or sea rescue, planned treatment, or private care.
At contracted providers the co-payments are modest by Western European
standards:
about €1.32 per visit to a family doctor or dentist
about €4.41 for a specialist consultation
€1.32 per prescription
€17.70 per hospital day, capped at €530.88 for one stay
20% of the
official cost of many services, with the same cap
Hospital
admission usually needs a referral from a primary-care doctor except in
a true emergency. Dial 112 for ambulance, police, or fire. In peak
season (roughly April-December) extra tourist clinics operate at dozens
of health centers along the coast and islands - Istria, Kvarner,
Dalmatia, and some inland spots - so visitors can get prescriptions and
urgent referrals without joining the regular GP queue.
Finding a
doctor after hours or on islands can still be slow. Smaller places often
have no night duty; the nearest hospital may be a ferry ride or a long
drive away (Hvar, Vis, Lastovo, parts of the Pelješac peninsula, and
inland Lika are typical examples). Keep EHIC or GHIC with you, plus a
photocopy or phone photo. Carry a small supply of any regular medicines
in original packaging, a list of diagnoses and allergies in English or
Croatian, and travel insurance that includes evacuation if you plan
hiking, sailing, or island-hopping. Lists of HZZO-contracted doctors,
pharmacies, and hospitals are published on the official HZZO site
(English pages available). Pharmacies (ljekarna) are well stocked in
towns; duty pharmacies rotate nights and weekends - look for the
“dežurna ljekarna” sign.
Croatia sits at the meeting point of Central Europe and the
Mediterranean, so the country is split into several distinct climatic
zones rather than one uniform weather pattern. Official assessments of
the Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service (DHMZ) and standard
Köppen classifications describe three main regimes: temperate
continental inland, cooler mountain climate in the Dinaric highlands,
and mild Mediterranean along the Adriatic.
In the north and east -
Zagreb, the Pannonian lowlands, Slavonia, Baranja, and the Drava-Danube
plains - a Central European continental climate prevails. Winters are
cold, often with frost and snow; January means commonly sit around 0 °C
to -1 °C, and extremes can fall well below -15 °C or even -20 °C.
Summers are warm to hot, with July averages near 21-22 °C and heat waves
that can push past 35-40 °C. Rainfall is moderate, often 600-900 mm a
year, and is more evenly spread than on the coast. Late-spring and
summer thunderstorms are typical. Spring and autumn are clearly marked,
with rapid temperature swings and frequent fog on the plains.
A
third, highland belt cuts across Gorski Kotar, Lika, Velebit, and the
higher Dinaric ridges. Here winters last longer, snow cover can persist
for weeks, and the wettest slopes receive well over 2,000-3,000 mm of
precipitation a year. Summers stay cooler than on the coast or in the
lowlands. This mountain climate is why Plitvice, Risnjak, and Northern
Velebit feel alpine even though they lie only a short drive from the
sea.
Dalmatia, Istria, the Kvarner islands, and the narrow Adriatic
strip have a Mediterranean climate. Summers are hot, dry, and very sunny
- July and August daytime highs often 28-33 °C, with southern Dalmatia
among the sunniest parts of Europe (around 2,700 hours of sunshine a
year). Winters are mild: January averages rise from about 5-6 °C in the
northern Adriatic to around 8-9 °C around Split and Dubrovnik. Most rain
falls from autumn through early spring; midsummer drought is common,
especially on the outer islands and the southern coast. Local winds
shape the weather as much as the season: the cold northeasterly bura
(bora) can drop temperatures sharply, while the warm, humid jugo
(sirocco) brings cloud and rain from the south.
Because the Dinaric
Alps rise so close to the shore, the change from Mediterranean to
continental conditions can occur within 15-30 km. Coastal towns stay
mild in January while Zagreb or Osijek freeze; in August the coast is
dry and breezy while the interior can be humid and stormy. Travelers
should therefore plan by region as well as by month: the coast is best
from May to October for swimming, the interior and mountains from late
spring through early autumn for hiking, and winter visits work well on
the southern islands but need winter clothing inland. Seasonal forecasts
and warnings are issued by the State Meteorological Service (DHMZ).
Basic local words stick quickly once you hear them a few times at the
market, the beach kiosk or the reception desk. In the main tourist belts
you can get by almost everywhere with German or English. Menus, hotel
staff, taxi drivers and shopkeepers in those zones are used to both
languages, and a simple “please,” “thank you” and “how much?” already
smooth most everyday exchanges.
A short or unsmiling waiter in a busy
resort does not mean you have done something wrong. Peak-season shifts
run long, nights can be late, and a hangover or a double shift is a more
likely explanation than personal dislike. The same person is often
friendlier the next morning. Away from the busiest strips, service is
usually warmer and more unhurried.
Holidaymakers are generally
treated with genuine kindness. People who live from tourism know that
visitors keep the season going, and most encounters stay polite even
when the pace is hectic.
Standards outside the hotels are another
matter. Sidewalks, public toilets, village cafés and local buses rarely
match the polish you expect in Germany, Austria or Switzerland. They sit
closer to what you find in other southern European destinations:
functional, sometimes a little worn, but workable if you keep
expectations realistic. Bring a bit of cash for small places that prefer
it, carry a bottle of water, and treat minor delays as part of the trip
rather than a failure of the system.
The country has absorbed
economic strain, political upheaval and natural setbacks over recent
decades. That history shows in patched buildings and occasional
shortages, yet the prevailing mood among residents is still open and
forward-looking. A little patience and a few local words go a long way;
most people respond in kind.
Postal letters in Croatia usually take longer than many visitors
expect. Domestic priority mail from Hrvatska pošta often arrives in 1-2
working days in cities, and most other inland letters reach the
recipient within about 3 working days. Island and remote addresses can
add extra time because of ferry schedules. International letters from
other EU countries commonly take around a week to 10 calendar days, so a
figure of about 9 days is a realistic working estimate rather than a
guaranteed deadline. Tracking is available for registered items through
posta.hr. If you need something faster, use a courier such as DPD or GLS
rather than ordinary letter post.
Mobile coverage is provided by
three operators: Hrvatski Telekom (part of the Deutsche Telekom group),
A1 Hrvatska (A1 Telekom Austria), and Telemach. Hrvatski Telekom
generally has the widest national footprint and the strongest rural and
island coverage. A1 is close behind and is often strong in cities such
as Rijeka. Telemach works well in many tourist towns and along main
coastal roads, but it still has noticeable gaps in inland and less
populated areas. All three run 4G and 5G in the main cities and along
major highways; 3G has largely been switched off on HT and A1.
Prepaid SIM cards are easy to buy. You can pick them up at operator
shops, post offices, kiosks, tobacconists, supermarkets, and many petrol
stations. For short tourist plans, ID is often requested at official
shops, but purchase is still straightforward compared with many other
countries. eSIM options are now common, especially from Hrvatski Telekom
and A1, so you can activate data before you land.
Because Croatia is
in the EU, the “roam like at home” rules apply. A German or Austrian
home tariff can usually be used in Croatia at no extra charge, subject
to the fair-use data cap in your plan. That is often enough for maps,
messages, and light browsing. For a classic short holiday with heavy map
use, photo uploads, or hotspotting, a local tourist SIM can still be
cheaper. Typical 10-day unlimited-data tourist packs from the three
operators are usually in the €10-15 range; Telemach’s NET2GO PLUS, A1
tourist packs, and Hrvatski Telekom “Visiting Croatia” eSIMs are the
ones to compare on arrival. Check whether the pack works only inside
Croatia - many tourist SIMs do not include EU roaming if you continue to
Slovenia, Italy, or Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Prehistory and early history
The oldest evidence of settlement on the territory of present-day Croatia is about 130,000 years old. There are significant paleoanthropological sites: the Hušnjakovo brdo Neanderthal site discovered by Dragutin Gorjanović-Kramberger in 1899 (with the Neanderthal Museum) and the Vindija Cave are located near Krapina. The Neolithic period began with the Starčevo culture in the interior and the Impresso culture on the coast. This was followed by the Danilo culture and the Hvar culture on the coast, and the Sopot/Vinča culture inland. Near the town of Vukovar, the eponymous site of the late Eneolithic Vučedol culture is located in Vučedol-Gradac. Numerous burial mounds (gomila) date from the Bronze and Iron Ages.
Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages
The first Greek settlements on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea were established in the 12th and 11th centuries BC in the course of the Ionian and later the great Greek colonization. Thus, the foundation of the settlement of Split dates back to this time (Split of gr. Aspalatos or Spalatos = cave). in 2021, new archaeological finds were discovered that point to a Greek settlement of Dalmatia also in the 8th century BC and 4th century BC. In the 4th century BC, the Greek historian Herodotus mentioned the Illyrians in his work. From the middle of the 2. At the end of the XIX century BC, the political influence of the Romans on the Illyrian tribes between the coast and the Pannonian plain grew. In 34 BC, Octavian, the future emperor Augustus, after a 20-year war at the Battle of Zerek, ceded this territory to Rome. At the beginning of the 1st century, the Roman province of Dalmatia, named after the Delmatae tribe, was formed. In 293, under the reign of Emperor Diocletian, the province was divided along the Drina River. After the division of the Roman Empire into Western and Eastern Strom in 395, the territory of Croatia came to Western Strom.
Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire (550-1270)
After the dissolution of the Roman Empire, most of the territory of
present–day Croatia (Dalmatia, Istria and Slavonia) belonged to the
Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire from 550 to 1270 with several
interruptions (temporary Croatian independence - see below). In the 6th
century, the Central Asian Avar equestrian people migrated to Pannonia,
which was additionally populated by the Lombards. The Croats were
summoned by the Byzantine emperor Heraclius to their present settlement
area in the 7th century to help him in the fight against the Avars.
According to the report of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII
Porphyrogenetos, the Croats came from the territory of present-day
Lesser Poland. During this period of belonging to Constantinople, the
South Slavic tribes were mostly Christianized by the Byzantines in the
course of the Slav mission in the 7th century to the 9th century,
northern parts of Croatia and also Slovenia were proselytized from
Salzburg. The loss of power of the Byzantines after the Frankish Wars,
the temporarily autonomous Croatian kingdom and the subsequent
affiliation of a large part of today's Croatia to Western European
dominions such as the Frankish Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary mark
the gradual distance from the Byzantine Orthodox culture. Croatia came
into the sphere of influence of the Roman Catholic Church and thus into
the Western European cultural area.
The name of the Croats is
first attested in a source from the 9th century. The name "Hrvat" itself
has no Slavic roots, but most likely originated as a foreign designation
of an Iranian people (Sarmatians?) for Slavs. It is assumed that the
people of the "Hrvati" originated from the area of the Persian River (in
the Sarmatian language) "Harahvaiti", which is now called "Sarasvati" by
the sound shift ("h" to "s").
In 879, Prince Branimir was written
to and addressed by Pope John VIII with "dux Croatorum", which at that
time was equivalent to a recognition of the medieval Croatian state.
Kingdom of Croatia (925-1102)
Around 925, Tomislav became the first king of Croatia. At the same
time, this was also the first royal title in the history of the Southern
Slavs. Pope John X recognized this title immediately. In 925, John X
addressed him in a letter entitled Rex croatorum (king of the Croats).
During his reign there were Hungarian invasions in the Pannonian Basin.
Tomislav successfully defended his kingdom, which consisted of central
Croatia, Slavonia and parts of Dalmatia and Bosnia, against the Magyars.
The kingdom reached its heyday under the reign of King Petar
Krešimir IV. Under his rule, the church was reformed in 1059 in
accordance with the Roman Rite. This was significant in terms of the
schism of 1054 and loyalty to Rome. The kingdom continued to exist until
1102.
Personal Union with Hungary (1102-1526)
In 1102, the Hungarian king Koloman was crowned as the Croatian king
in Biograd near Zadar, and Croatia came to Hungary in personal union.
Croatia retained its own administration under a Croatian ban (viceroy or
his deputy). The Pacta conventa, which regulates the relations of the
Croatian nobility to the king, was also traditionally dated to the year
1102, but there is no evidence of this.
The personal union with
the Kingdom of Hungary remained in various forms until 1918, with the
exception of the Turkish wars in the 16th, 17th and early 18th
centuries, and some other interruptions.
Since the middle of the 15th century, Hungary and Croatia were
subjected to attacks by the Ottoman Empire. After the defeat of the
Hungarians and Croats against the Ottomans in the Battle of Mohács
(1526), Ferdinand I (HRR) was elected Croatian king by the Croatian
nobility at the Assembly of Cetingrad.
The historical Croatian
landscapes of Dalmatia and parts of Istria have been under the rule of
the Republic of Venice since the Late Middle Ages. The Republic of
Dubrovnik was the only one of the territories of present-day Croatia
that was able to maintain its state independence from the 14th century
until 1808.
For centuries, Croatia was a battle zone against the
Ottoman Empire. As a defense, the so-called military border was erected,
in which Orthodox Christians also settled in significant numbers.
Temporarily, the residents of the military border received privileges in
the form of the Statuta Wallachorum.
After the Napoleonic wars,
all of Dalmatia and Istria came under Austrian rule in 1815, but for
political reasons ("divide et impera") they were not administratively
united with the rest of Croatia, but became separate crown lands. From
1867 Dalmatia and Istria were part of the Austrian half of the empire,
while the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia belonged to the Hungarian half
of the empire.
In the second half of the 19th century, the demand
for more rights of self-determination and an end to Hungary's
Magyarization policy grew among the Croatian population. In the
revolutionary years around 1848, Ban Josip Jelačić commanded the
suppression of the Vienna October Uprising. The Croatian national
aspirations were hindered by the Austro-Hungarian equalization and the
Hungarian-Croatian equalization in 1867. The 19th century was also
marked by the so-called Illyrism, a movement that enforced numerous
cultural changes. There was a standardization of the Croatian language
and at the same time the idea was born to unite all the Southern Slavs
in one state.
Croatia broke away from the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in 1918 at the
end of the First World War. Italian troops then began to occupy Croatian
territories along the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, as Italy had
been promised their annexation in the Treaty of London of 1915. In view
of this, at the end of November 1918, the National Council of Slovenes,
Croats and Serbs decided on the immediate unification of Croatia with
the Kingdom of Serbia, from which the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and
Slovenes was then formed. However, many Croats rejected the monarchist
form of government, felt disadvantaged and demanded the establishment of
a republic for Croatia. After the Constitution provided for a
centralized state organization and the dissolution of the historical
provinces, the Serbs, as the largest people in terms of numbers, gained
de facto supremacy.
In 1928, several Croatian politicians were
shot in the Yugoslav parliament, including Stjepan Radić, the leader of
the Croatian faction. After a state crisis, King Aleksandar I dissolved
the parliament in 1929, introduced a royal dictatorship and renamed the
state the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. His power was based on the military.
At the same time, part of the Croatian political elite fled abroad.
Parts of it were formed by the fascist Ustasha movement led by Ante
Pavelić and supported by Mussolini, which fought with violence against
the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In 1934, King Alexander was shot by them in
an assassination attempt in Marseille.
in 1939, on the eve of the
Second World War, a Serbian-Croatian settlement was attempted with the
Cvetković-Maček agreement.
Four days after the beginning of the Balkan campaign, the Wehrmacht
invaded Zagreb on 10 April 1941, on the same day the Independent State
of Croatia (NDH) was proclaimed as a vassal state of the Axis Powers. On
April 17, 1941, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia surrendered to the Axis
powers. As a result, Croatia underwent significant territorial changes
until the end of World War II. Thus, on the one hand, the largest part
of present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina was assigned to the country. On
the other hand, the coastal area (Dalmatia) had to be ceded to Italy and
the area north of the Mur to Hungary. In fact, Ante Pavelić, the leader
of the Ustasha, was the head of state of the Independent State of
Croatia under the title Poglavnik. He established a fascist dictatorship
and led the genocide of the Serbs in the Independent State of Croatia,
during which, in addition to hundreds of thousands of Serbs, Jews, Roma
and Croatian anti-fascists were persecuted and murdered. Jasenovac
became the most famous concentration camp in the region, and there were
also other camps, such as. in Stara Gradiška or Jadovno. In the summer
of 1941, the Yugoslav partisan movement began an armed uprising against
the Ustasha regime and was able to take control of a large part of the
country in 1942 and 1943. In addition to Tito, Andrija Hebrang was one
of the leaders. After the defeat of the Axis powers and their allies,
crimes against the war losers occurred on the part of the Yugoslav
People's Liberation Army in 1945, especially in the Bleiburg massacre.
In 1942, still under German occupation, the Communists had
recognized the active and passive right of women to vote. Full legal,
economic and social equality of the sexes was guaranteed for the first
time in the Constitution of 1946. A different source mentions August 11,
1945 for the introduction of active and passive suffrage.
After the end of the war, Croatia became one of six constituent
republics (Socialist Republic of Croatia) of the newly founded Federal
People's Republic of Yugoslavia, from 1963 Socialist Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia (SFRY), under the government of Tito.
In 1971, the
Croatian Spring protest and reform movement was crushed. After Tito's
death in 1980, tensions between Croatia and the Serb-dominated Yugoslav
government increased. At the end of the 1980s, the demands for
independence from Yugoslavia had developed from the efforts for more
autonomy. The Croat Franjo Tuđman, who had fought on the side of Tito
against the Ustasha regime, gained great popularity among the Croatian
population. After the weakened Yugoslav government allowed a multi-party
system, Tuđman founded the Croatian Democratic Community (HDZ) in 1990,
which soon took on the character of a people's Party. His demand for an
independent Croatia caused protests among the Serbs, who were the second
state people according to the constitution at that time, but the HDZ won
67.5 percent of the parliamentary seats in the elections on April 22-23
and May 6-7, 1990 with 40 percent of the votes cast. Tuđman was
subsequently elected president.
Croatian War (1991-1995)
After 93.2% of the voters voted for sovereignty in a referendum on the independence of Croatia on May 19, 1991, Croatia declared its independence in June 1991 under Franjo Tuđman. The first recognition took place on 26 June 1991 by Slovenia, which had also just declared itself independent. The Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), which was de facto dominated by Serbia, tried to put down the independence efforts militarily. The military attempt to separate Croatian territories with both a large and a small proportion of the Serbian population from Croatia and to annex them to Serbia in the medium term resulted in the almost four-year Croatian war, which ended only after the military successes of the Croats in 1995 in the military operation "Storm" (Oluja) with the Erdut Agreement of November 12, 1995. The JNA made its withdrawal from Croatia by destroying many military facilities and mining strategically important zones, for example on the island of Vis, farthest from the mainland, or in the Danube swamps on the Croatian-Serbian border.
In October 2001, Croatia signed a stabilisation and Association
Agreement with the European Union. It ensured Croatia's free access to
the European single market, but also demanded extensive economic and
social reforms. The change of the economic system from socialism to a
social market economy entailed numerous economic policy measures. One of
the priorities was the further privatization of enterprises and the
creation of investment incentives. Croatia has been an official EU
candidate country since 18 June 2004. However, the accession
negotiations only began after a decision of the EU foreign ministers of
October 3, 2005, since Croatia had until then, in the opinion of the EU
Commission, only insufficiently cooperated with the Hague War Crimes
Tribunal. Further reforms were necessary in the area of justice and
social affairs. Furthermore, the fight against corruption was seen as a
basic prerequisite for full EU membership. In November 2008, Croatia was
confirmed to be making good progress and the accession negotiations were
expected to be concluded in 2009.
However, the accession
negotiations were interrupted for several months in 2009 due to a
dispute with Slovenia over the border in the Bay of Piran. It was not
until September 2009 that an agreement was reached so that the accession
negotiations could be continued. The EU Commissioner responsible for
Enlargement declared the negotiations "successfully concluded" in June
2011. After that, experts from the member states examined the results
negotiated by the EU Commission with Croatia, especially in the areas of
justice, competition and budget.
The European Parliament approved
the accession in December 2011, after which the outgoing Croatian Head
of Government Jadranka Kosor and Croatian President Ivo Josipović signed
the EU Accession Treaty for Croatia in a solemn ceremony together with
all EU heads of state and government at the EU summit in Brussels on
December 9, 2011. In a referendum on January 22, 2012, 67.27 percent of
the voters voted to join the EU. The participation in the referendum was
only 43.51 percent, but even with this, the result of the referendum was
valid in accordance with the Croatian Constitution.
On July 1,
2013, Croatia became the 28th member state of the EU. The twelve
Croatian representatives were elected to the EU Parliament on 14 April
2013.
The Croatian territory covers 88,073 square kilometers, of which 56,594 are on land and 31,479 are on sea territory. The land area thus corresponds to about twice the size of Brandenburg. Croatia extends over a continental northern part, which includes a part of the Dinarides and the Pannonian Plain, and a long coastal strip, at the narrow junction of which southwest of Zagreb the territory narrows extremely. The part of Croatia along the Adriatic coast is geographically generally assigned to the Balkan Peninsula or southeastern Europe. In 2005, the Standing Committee on Geographical Names recommended the assignment of Croatia to Central Europe on the basis of a cultural-spatial concept of Central Europe. For some Croats, the assignment to Central Europe is a means of demarcation from the negatively connoted "crisis region" of the Balkans. The Croatian areas along the Adriatic coast are also partly assigned to southern Europe.
Croatia borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the north,
Serbia to the northeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the east and
Montenegro to the southeast. The southernmost part of the coastal area
is spatially separated from the rest of the national territory by the
Neum corridor, which belongs to Bosnia and Herzegovina and is about 7.5
kilometers wide. However, this region around Dubrovnik up to the border
with Montenegro has been accessible domestically via the Pelješac Bridge
since 2022.
The total length of the land borders of Croatia is
2197 kilometers. Of these, the border with Slovenia accounts for 670,
the border with Hungary for 329, the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina
for 932, the border with Serbia for 241 and the border with Montenegro
for 25 kilometers. In the northern Adriatic, the maritime border with
Slovenia is controversial (see: International conflicts of the successor
states of Yugoslavia). The length of the Adriatic coastline (mainland)
is 1778 kilometers (with islands 6176).
The shortest distance
between Italy and Croatia is 20 kilometers (separated by a small strip
of land of Slovenia), while the southernmost Croatian peninsula of
Prevlaka is located 69 kilometers from Albania.
In the interior or northeast of Croatia, the continental climate
prevails above all. The average daily maximum temperature in summer in
the lowlands is around 28 °C, in winter around 5 °C. The average minimum
temperatures in winter are below 0 °C. The annual precipitation is about
750 millimeters.
The climate on the Adriatic coast, on the other
hand, is much more humid and the Mediterranean climate prevails. So the
summers are mostly sunny and dry with average maximum temperatures
around 30 °C, while the winters are rainy and mild (average daily
maximum values around 10 °C). In the northern part of the coast, night
frosts occur more frequently in winter, while in the southern part this
is only the case on a few days. The annual precipitation directly on the
coast is slightly higher at around 1000 millimeters than in the interior
of the country. The annual precipitation totals in the Croatian part of
the Dinaric Mountains amount to values between 1000 and 2000
millimeters.
A special weather phenomenon is the occasionally
occurring in the coastal region cold fall winds Bora, which are among
the strongest in the world.
According to relief forms and climatic zones, Croatia can be divided
into three landscape zones.
Pannonian Plain
The Pannonian
plain consists mainly of lowlands, interrupted by some low mountain
ranges, and is drained by the Sava and Drava Rivers and their
tributaries to the Danube. In this part of the country there is a
temperate continental climate. This landscape zone can be divided into
northern Croatia and Slavonia. Northern Croatia covers the east-central
European area from the Kupa to the Hungarian border: the lowland along
the Sava and Kupa around the cities of Zagreb, Karlovac and Sisak, which
today forms the center of the country demographically and economically,
the mountainous country of Zagorje (in German also: Zagorien) north of
the capital Zagreb and the Međimurje in the northernmost tip of the
country between the Drava and the Mur. Slavonia is the lowland along the
Sava and Drava rivers to the Danube (Dunav) in the east. This often
includes the Baranja (north of the lower reaches of the Drava) and
Western Syrmia (Zapadni Srijem) (the eastern tip of Croatia between the
Danube and the Lower Sava).
Dinaric mountain region
The
Dinaric mountain region (also called Central Croatia or Croatian Hilly
Country) is characterized by medium and individual high mountains, which
form the watershed between the Danube and the Adriatic, with individual
valleys also completely drained. There is a mountain climate here. This
landscape zone includes the mountainous area of Gorski kotar between
Rijeka and Karlovac, the high valleys of Lika and Krbava between the
Velebit mountain range running along the coast and the border area with
western Bosnia, as well as part of the hinterland of Dalmatia (Zagora,
Biokovo Mountains).
Adriatic coastal region
The Adriatic
coastal region consists to a large extent of karstified areas. It is
characterized by Mediterranean influences. The width of the coastal
strip varies greatly. While it is only a few kilometres wide in some
places (below the Velebit and the Biokovo Mountains), it extends further
inland in other places. However, the majority of the rivers flowing into
the Adriatic in Croatia are relatively short; only the catchment area of
the Neretva coming from Bosnia and Herzegovina extends further inland.
The Adriatic coastal region can be divided from north to south into the
historical regions:
Istria - the peninsula in the north-west of
the Croatian coast.
Hrvatsko Primorje (Croatian littoral) around
Rijeka and Senj with the islands of the Kvarner Bay
Dalmatia - the
rugged Adriatic coast southwards from about Zadar including the offshore
islands and the mountainous hinterland with historically important
cities such as Dubrovnik (Ragusa) and Split
According to the FAO analysis, Croatia is one of the 30 most
water-rich countries in the world and ranks third in Europe with a total
of 32,818 cubic meters of renewable water reserves per capita and year.
The United Nations World Water Development Report 2005 (World Water
Development Report) speaks of 23,890 cubic meters of annually renewable
water reserves per capita per year. Croatia is located in the Blue Heart
of Europe.
Croatia is one of the few countries with an organized
water management policy. As early as 1891, the Sabor adopted a water law
of the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia, which provides for legal
regulations for water bodies, river beds, the coast, water use,
regulation of water flows, as well as flood protection, water
protection, water protection associations and much more. The Croatian
Adriatic was after an ADAC investigation from the year 2006.
Rivers
The majority of the rivers drain into the Black Sea (Danube,
Sava, Drava, Mur, Kupa and Una), the rest into the Adriatic Sea
(Zrmanja, Krka, Cetina and Neretva). The rivers in the north are very
polluted, the Sava between Zagreb and Sisak being the most polluted.
The longest rivers flowing through Croatia are the Sava (Croatian.:
Sava, 562 kilometers) and the Drava (Croatian.: Drava, 505 kilometers).
To a large extent, these rivers form the borders with Bosnia-Herzegovina
and Hungary, respectively. Both rivers flow to the Danube, the Sava is
the most water-rich, the Drava is the fourth most water-rich tributary
of the Danube. The Danube separates Croatia from the Serbian province of
Vojvodina. The Croatian part of the Danube is 188 kilometers long, and
Croatia borders almost exclusively on the right side of the Danube.
The Kupa (Slovenian: Kolpa, 269 kilometers) forms a large part of
the border with Slovenia. It flows into the Sava in Sisak, which is
navigable from there. Other rivers are the Korana, Krapina, Lonja, Mur
and the Vuka.
The rivers from the Dinarides to the Adriatic Sea
are relatively short, only the Neretva River, which originates in
Herzegovina, is an important river in the Adriatic Sea.
In 2004, the Croatian government declared the entire Croatian marine
area an ecological protected area and a controlled fishing zone (Croat.:
ekološki i ribolovni pojas) in order to protect the existing and
sensitive marine fauna and vegetation. The approach has been criticized
by Italy, Slovenia and also the rest of the EU, as the law also affects
fishing rights. Slovenia considers the Croatian exclusive economic zone,
within the framework of the EU accession negotiations, as a unilateral
predetermination (prejudice) of the borders with this state.
There are about 4000 plant species and several thousand animal species
in Croatia, of which 380 species of fauna and 44 of flora are under
nature protection.
See also: "Ecological protected area" in the
article International conflicts of the successor states of Yugoslavia
A total of 36.83% of Croatia (2,082,702 hectares) is covered by
forests. About 95 percent of the forest stock are largely natural mixed
forests. About 81 percent are state forests, 19 percent are privately
owned. 85 Percent of the forest area is deciduous forests, 15 percent is
coniferous forests.
In the mountainous regions of the Gorski
kotar, the Lika, coniferous forests grow predominantly, in the Pannonian
plain, deciduous forests predominate.
Mediterranean hard
deciduous trees, maquis, pines and pine forests grow mainly along the
Croatian coast. Numerous, even rare species of water roses and wet sedge
grow in the wetlands.
In the dry and hot summer months, large
fires repeatedly occur due to careless behavior of locals and tourists.
For example, a devastating fire raged on the island of Brač a few years
ago. The Croatian government is therefore investing more and more in
fire protection measures every year.
Large predators such as brown bears, wolves, golden jackals and
lynxes are found mainly in the mountainous regions of Croatia.
The birds of prey that occur include griffon vultures, as well as stone
and snake eagles. Large birds that nest in the floodplains and swamps
are the sichler and various heron species. Numerous animal species can
be found in the national parks of the North, which are rarely found in
Central Europe or even extinct: the white-tailed sea eagle, cormorants,
kingfishers, black storks, the little tern or the bee-eater.
The
coastal region is home to land turtles, marsh turtles and sea turtles,
lizards, geckos and snakes (vipers, otters). Some marine mammals are
also native to the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea. The Adriatic
dolphin and especially the Mediterranean monk seal are among the
endangered species. Bluefin tuna stocks are also severely threatened by
industrial overfishing throughout the Mediterranean. There are some
endemic species in Croatia. An example of this is the Grottenolm, which
is found in underground caves in the karst region.
Croatia had 4.0 million inhabitants in 2020. The annual population
growth rate was -0.4%. This was influenced by a death surplus. in 2020,
a birth rate of 8.9 per 1000 inhabitants was contrasted with a death
rate of 14.1 per 1000 inhabitants. The number of births per woman in
2020 was statistically 1.5. The life expectancy of the inhabitants of
Croatia from birth in 2020 was 77.7 years (women: 80.9, men: 74.7). The
median age of the population in 2020 was 44.3 years.
Of the
inhabitants at the time of the 2001 census, 4,399,364 (99.14%) had
Croatian nationality, 44,340 (1.00%) of whom also had a second
nationality. 17,902 (0.40%) had a foreign nationality, 9,811 (0.22%)
were stateless persons. The nationality of 10,383 inhabitants (0.23%)
was unknown.
The Croatian diaspora is above average in size.
There are numerous Croatian minority associations abroad. The largest
association is the Hrvatska bratska zajednica in the USA. The Croatian
Parliament has its own members of the Croatian diaspora, who are also
elected by them.
In 2017, 13.4% of the population was born
abroad. The most common countries of origin were Bosnia and Herzegovina
(390,000 people), Serbia (50,000) and Germany (30,000). A large part of
these people are ethnic Croats.
According to estimates, more than
300,000 Croats have left the country since joining the EU in 2013, half
of them to Germany. The Croatian government has promised financial
incentives for returnees.
According to the 2001 census, almost 90% of all residents consider
themselves Croats. According to the 1991 census, at that time 78.1% of
the population still considered themselves Croats, 12.1% Serbs, many of
whom fled or were expelled in the course of the consolidation of the
Croatian state.
Over the past few years, some of the Serbs who
fled or were expelled in the course of the military operation Oluja have
returned (118,000 until January 2005), so that the Serbian population is
now again higher than at the time of the 2001 census, but still less
than half as large as before the Croatian War.
A campaign was
launched by the government in 2005 to repatriate Serbian refugees. At a
central point, potential returnees can obtain information about the
return.
The main settlement area of the Italian minority is the
western coast of Istria, in addition there are small Italian language
groups in eastern and central Istria, Rijeka, Dalmatia (e.g. Zadar) and
Western Slavonia. Magyars (Hungarians) and Slovaks live mainly in the
east, Czechs in the west of Slavonia. The Bosniaks, Albanians and
Macedonians live scattered all over the country, especially in the
larger cities. A small minority are also the old-established Arbanasi,
who are descendants of immigrant Albanian refugees from the 18th century
and now live exclusively in Zadar.
The once large German-speaking
minority, which dates back to the settlement by Danube Swabians in the
18th century, was expelled by the communist Yugoslav regime in the
course of the Second World War. The minority, which is only very small
today, is recognized by the state and lives mainly around Osijek in the
east of the country.
Amnesty International has noted progress in
dealing with the Roma minority in recent years, especially in the area
of schools and the creation of housing.
In mid-2006, the Simon
Wiesenthal Center ranked Croatia in the highest assessment category in
terms of efforts to prosecute Nazi crimes and their successful
prosecution.
The official language of Croatia is standard Croatian, written in the
Latin alphabet. It belongs to the South Slavic family and is mutually
intelligible with Serbian, Bosnian, and Montenegrin. Speakers of these
related varieties can communicate across most of the country with little
difficulty. Standard Croatian is based on the Shtokavian dialect, the
most widespread of the three main Croatian dialect groups.
The three
historic dialect groups are named after the local word for “what”:
Shtokavian (što / šta) - the basis of the standard language, spoken
across much of Slavonia, Lika, parts of Dalmatia, Dubrovnik, and inland
regions.
Kajkavian (kaj) - typical of northern and central Croatia,
including Zagreb, Zagorje, Međimurje, and parts of Gorski Kotar. It
shares features with Slovenian.
Chakavian (ča) - concentrated along
the northern Adriatic coast, in Istria, on many islands, and in parts of
the Kvarner region. It is the smallest of the three groups.
Visitors who know only standard Croatian will be understood almost
everywhere. Local speech can still sound quite different from the
language of news broadcasts, especially in Istria, on islands, and in
Zagorje.
Italian and Istro-Venetian remain living languages in Istria
and, to a lesser extent, in Rijeka and on some Kvarner islands. Official
Croatian-Italian bilingualism applies in Istria County and in a number
of coastal towns (including Pula/Pola, Rovinj/Rovigno, Poreč/Parenzo,
Umag/Umago, Novigrad/Cittanova, Buje/Buie, and Vodnjan/Dignano). Street
signs, municipal documents, and some schools operate in both languages.
The Italian national minority numbered about 13,800 people in the 2021
census; Italian as a mother tongue was reported by roughly 12,900.
Everyday speech in these communities is often Istro-Venetian rather than
standard Italian. Istriot (also called Istro-Romance), an older Romance
language once spoken in several western Istrian towns such as Rovinj,
Vodnjan, Bale, and Galižana, now has only a few hundred speakers and is
classified as seriously endangered. It was listed as Croatian intangible
cultural heritage in 2023.
Smaller language communities exist
elsewhere:
Hungarian is spoken near the Hungarian border, especially
in northeastern Slavonia (Baranja and around Kneževi Vinogradi /
Hercegszöllős). About 10,300 people identified as Hungarian in 2021;
Hungarian as a mother tongue was reported by about 7,200.
Czech-language communities are concentrated in western Slavonia,
particularly around Daruvar and Končanica in Bjelovar-Bilogora County.
Czechs numbered about 7,900; Czech as a mother tongue about 4,900.
Slovak speakers live mainly in eastern Slavonia (for example around
Našice). Slovaks numbered about 3,700.
Istro-Romanian (locally called
vlåški in the south and žejånski in the north) survives in a handful of
villages in northeastern Istria (Šušnjevica area, Kršan municipality)
and in Žejane. UNESCO lists it as severely endangered; fluent speakers
are now numbered in the low hundreds, mostly older people. Speakers
generally identify as Croatian rather than as a separate national
minority.
Albanian speakers live throughout the country, with larger
concentrations in Zagreb, Istria, and the Rijeka area. The 2021 census
recorded about 13,800 people of Albanian ethnicity and 13,500 with
Albanian as mother tongue.
Slovenian speakers are found along the
northwestern border and in scattered communities nationwide (about 7,700
people of Slovenian ethnicity).
Serbian is the largest minority
language by speaker numbers (about 45,000 as mother tongue in 2021). It
has co-official status in a number of municipalities, mainly in areas
with a historic Serb population.
Croatia recognizes 22 national
minorities in its Constitution. Under the Constitutional Act on the
Rights of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or
Minority Languages, Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Serbian, Slovak,
Ruthenian, and Ukrainian receive stronger protection (including
education and official use where thresholds are met). Boyash Romanian,
German, Istro-Romanian, and Slovenian receive more limited protection.
In practice, English is widely understood in tourist areas, German is
common among older generations and in parts of Istria and Dalmatia, and
Italian is useful along the western coast.
The large majority of Croatia’s population identifies as Roman
Catholic. In the 2021 census, about 83 percent of residents declared
Catholic affiliation when “other Christian” answers that specified the
Catholic Church are included; the narrower official category of
“Catholics” was reported at 78.97 percent of the total population (about
3.06 million people). Eastern Orthodox Christians accounted for about
3.3–3.4 percent (roughly 129,000–130,000 people), most of them members
of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Muslims made up about 1.3 percent (about
51,000), Protestants 0.26 percent, and other Christian groups a further
small share. People with no religion, atheists, and agnostics together
reached about 6.4 percent, up from 4.6 percent in 2011. A few percent
declined to state a religion or were recorded as unknown.
These
figures describe identity more than weekly practice. Church attendance
and personal observance vary widely by region, age, and family
background. Catholic festivals, pilgrimages, and parish life remain
highly visible: Christmas and Easter processions, the feast of the
Assumption (Velika Gospa, 15 August), local sveci (patron-saint days),
and major shrines such as Marija Bistrica. Orthodox communities maintain
their own calendar and churches, especially in eastern and southern
areas with a historic Serb population. Islamic communities are
concentrated in larger cities and among Bosniak and Albanian residents.
A 2020 Eurobarometer survey commissioned by the European Commission
found that religion was important to 53 percent of people in Croatia,
neither important nor unimportant to 28 percent, and unimportant to 18
percent. The gap between high rates of Catholic self-identification and
more mixed answers about personal importance is typical of much of
Central Europe: cultural Catholicism, family tradition, and national
history still shape public life even when regular Mass attendance is
lower than census numbers might suggest. Religious buildings - from
Romanesque and Baroque churches to Orthodox monasteries and a small
number of mosques and synagogues - are among the most prominent
landmarks travelers encounter.
The Constitution of December 1990 (Ustav Republike Hrvatske) defines
the Republic of Croatia (Republika Hrvatska) as the state of the
Croatian people and national minorities. As structural principles, it
specifies the principles of democracy, as well as the rule of law,
social and unitary rule of law. The originally presidential-democratic
system of government was transformed into a parliamentary democracy in
2000. The fundamental yardstick for the exercise of sovereignty is the
human rights provided for in the Constitution. A personal representation
of the national minorities is provided for sovereign institutions; their
languages and characters are also in official use in individual areas.
The state and the Church are separate from each other; there is no state
religion.
On October 16, 2007, Croatia was elected to the UN
Security Council as a non-permanent member for a two-year term. The
state has been a member of NATO since April 2009 and signed the
instrument of accession to the EU in Brussels on December 9, 2011.
Following the decisions at the EU level and the Croatian parliament, as
well as the successful referendum in January 2012, Croatia became an EU
member on July 1, 2013.
The Croatian Parliament (Sabor), a unicameral parliament, has 151 members. The second chamber, the House of Counties (Croatian: Županijski dom), was abolished in March 2000. Deputies are determined by proportional representation, in which a five percent clause applies, based on individual constituencies. There is a special constituency for croats abroad, for which three seats are reserved in the Sabor; in addition, eight seats of deputies are reserved for national minorities. All citizens from the age of 18 are eligible to vote. The last parliamentary elections were held in December 2011 and November 2015. in 2011, the social-liberal "Kukuriku coalition" of SDP, HNS, IDS and HSU won a majority in parliament. Including the mandates of the Croats abroad, the previously ruling conservative HDZ with its coalition parties HGS and Demokratische Mitte won 47 seats. On June 20, 2016, the Sabor disbanded. In the new election in September 2016, the HDZ won 61 of the 151 seats under its new chairman Andrej Plenković and agreed on a new coalition with Most (13 seats). Minority representatives and smaller parties should also be part of the coalition.
The President of the Republic of Croatia (Predsjednik Republike
Hrvatske) is elected directly by the people for a term of five years. He
is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. During
his term of office, he may not belong to any political party. After
parliamentary elections have been held, he issues the order for the
formation of a government and, after the approval of the parliament,
appoints the prime minister. Under special conditions, he can dissolve
the parliament and call new elections. He may not refuse to issue the
bills adopted by the Parliament; if he considers a norm to be
unconstitutional, he may submit it to the Constitutional Court for
consideration. He is also active in shaping foreign policy in
cooperation with the government. Ivo Josipović, incumbent since February
2010, lost the runoff election on January 11, 2015 to Kolinda
Grabar-Kitarović (HDZ), who took office as the first woman in this
position in Croatia on February 15, 2015.
In the 2019/20
presidential election, Grabar-Kitarović again reached the run-off
election, but lost in it to SDP candidate Zoran Milanović, who was
elected the new president. The official handover took place on February
18, 2020.
With the constitutional amendment of March 28, 2001,
the strong position of the president was limited.
The government (Vlada Republike Hrvatske) is the executive state body
and the supreme legislative authority. It consists of the Prime Minister
(predsjednik Vlade) as well as the deputy prime ministers and ministers.
Before taking office, the government must be trusted by the parliament.
It can also introduce bills and, if legally authorized, issue
ordinances. In the performance of her duties, she is responsible to
Parliament. A vote of no confidence can force her to resign from
parliament. The parties HDZ and MOST were involved in the last ruling
coalition, it was supported by independent deputies. Prime Minister
Tihomir Orešković was ousted by a vote of no confidence on June 16,
2016. Andrej Plenković became the new Prime Minister on 19 October 2016.
Internal state administration is carried out under the supervision
of the government. The ministries are assigned the position of
medium-sized administrative authorities. In addition, there is a lower
administrative authority for each county. Special authorities can be
created for special areas of responsibility.
Citizens have a
legally enforceable right to local self-government. Tasks, the
significance of which does not go beyond a certain territory, are
performed by municipal self-governing bodies on their own
responsibility. The right to self-government is exercised locally in 426
municipalities (općine) and 124 cities (gradovi), as well as regionally
in 20 counties (županije) and the city of Zagreb under state
supervision. In addition, state tasks can also be assigned to
municipalities.
The exercise of judicial power is formally independent. However, the
court proceedings are extremely lengthy. On average, civil legal
proceedings take up to ten years. In the Croatian media and on the part
of the EU, the lack of legal certainty and cases of corruption are
repeatedly pointed out. The highest specialized court is the Supreme
Court (Vrhovni sud Republike Hrvatske). The lower instances are divided
into a general, criminal, commercial and administrative judicial legal
process.
The Constitutional Court (Ustavni sud Republike
Hrvatske) exercises judicial power in the field of constitutional law.
The constitutional judges are elected by the Parliament for a term of
eight years. In the event of unconstitutionality, it may annul laws,
official acts and judgments; in addition, it decides in the event of
disputes between the other constitutional bodies. With the
constitutional complaint, the citizen himself can apply to the
Constitutional Court against legal acts of the authorities and courts if
the specialized judicial legal recourse has been exhausted. In other
cases, only a special civil lawyer (pučki pravobranitelj) can conduct
the proceedings. The current President of the Constitutional Court is
Miroslav Šeparović.
Croatia is a parliamentary republic with a lively multi-party system.
Two large national parties have dominated politics since independence.
The Croatian Democratic Union (Hrvatska demokratska zajednica, HDZ) is a
Christian-democratic, centre-right party that has formed most
governments since 1990. It currently leads the cabinet under Prime
Minister Andrej Plenković. The Social Democratic Party of Croatia
(Socijaldemokratska partija Hrvatske, SDP) is the main centre-left rival
and the usual core of the opposition.
Around them sit several smaller
but often influential parties. Most (Bridge of Independent Lists) began
as a platform of local independents and now sits on the centre-right
with a strong anti-corruption and fiscal-conservative message. Možemo!
(We Can!) is a green and progressive force that holds the mayoralty of
Zagreb and a growing bloc in parliament. The Homeland Movement
(Domovinski pokret) occupies the national-conservative right. Regional
parties remain important in specific parts of the country: the Istrian
Democratic Assembly (IDS) is the long-standing voice of Istria, while
other lists speak for Slavonia or other historic regions.
Older
parties still appear on ballots even if their national weight has
shrunk: the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), the Croatian Peasant
Party (HSS), the Croatian People’s Party (HNS), the Croatian Christian
Democratic Union (HKDU), and the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP). Dozens
of other registered parties exist; only a handful regularly win seats in
the 151-member Sabor (parliament). Coalitions are the rule rather than
the exception, so local and regional lists often decide who governs a
county or a city.
Croatia is divided into 20 counties (županije) plus the capital, the
City of Zagreb, which has the same legal competences as a county. County
territories range from roughly 1,000 km² in the compact northern basins
to more than 5,000 km² in the large inland and coastal counties. Each
county elects a county assembly (županijska skupština) and, since 2009,
a county prefect (župan) by direct popular vote. The prefect heads the
county administration and is responsible for regional planning,
secondary schools, health institutions, roads of county importance, and
economic development.
Counties are further split into cities
(gradovi) and municipalities (općine). Official registers list 127
cities and 428 municipalities, giving 555 units of local
self-government. Together with the 20 counties and the City of Zagreb
the country has 576 units of local and regional self-government. Cities
enjoy slightly broader powers than rural municipalities, especially in
urban planning, public utilities, and cultural institutions. About 58
percent of the population lives in cities.
Zagreb is unique: it is
both a city and a county, so its mayor also performs the functions of a
župan. The surrounding Zagreb County is a separate unit whose seat is
not inside the capital itself. County seats such as Split, Rijeka,
Osijek, Zadar, and Dubrovnik serve as natural hubs for visitors; their
county offices handle many practical matters that affect tourism
infrastructure, regional roads, and public services.
For a traveller
the practical effect is simple. National laws and EU rules apply
everywhere, but day-to-day services, local taxes, parking rules, and
many cultural events are organised at city or county level. Checking
which county and which municipality you are in helps when you need a
tourist office, a regional bus timetable, or information about protected
areas that straddle several municipalities.
The Croatian army has about 21,500 soldiers in its peacetime
strength. The number of reservists is 102,700 soldiers, of which about
32,360 are on standby. A total of 1,612,000 citizens of Croatia are
ready for the case of defense.
The defense budget of the Republic
of Croatia in 1997 was about 1.1 billion USD (1997), slightly over 5% of
the gross national product; in 2017 it was about 0.772 billion USD (1.4%
of GDP).
The commander-in-Chief of the Croatian Army is the
President of the Republic of Croatia. The Sabor, the Croatian
Parliament, is responsible for the political control of the armed Forces
as well as the decision-making power over the determination of the
military budget and strategic development.
Since the 1990s,
Croatia has been striving for NATO membership. In particular, the
volatility of the alleged war criminal Ante Gotovina was an obstacle for
a long time. The membership came into force on 1 April 2009.
Croatian troops were part of the International Security Assistance Force
in Afghanistan (ISAF) led by NATO from November 2003 (formation of a
regional development team for the trade of the city of Kunduz and
demilitarization programs); ISAF was replaced by the RS mission on
January 1, 2015.
The Croatian Armed Forces are also used for
peacekeeping and peacekeeping measures within the framework of the
United Nations:
MINURSO in Western Sahara (MINURSO – United
Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara)
UNAMSIL in
Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL – United Nations Assistance Mission to Sierra
Leone)
UNMEE in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE – United Nations mission
in Ethiopia and Eritrea)
UNMOGIP in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP –
United Nations military observer group in India and Pakistan)
In 2019 Croatia’s fire service fielded 3,425 professional
firefighters, 1,070 part-time personnel and 54,219 volunteers - a total
of 58,714 active members working from 1,923 stations and fire houses.
The fleet included 2,248 fire trucks and 115 turntable ladders or
telescopic masts. Women made up 12 percent of the force. Another 21,927
children and young people belonged to youth fire brigades, a pipeline
that keeps the volunteer tradition alive in towns and villages across
the country.
That same year brigades were called out 31,393 times and
extinguished 14,980 fires. During those operations they recovered 30
people who had died in fires and rescued 166 injured. Emergency numbers
are 193 for fire and 112 for general emergencies.
The service is
built on a long volunteer tradition. The first professional unit was
formed in Rijeka in 1863; the first volunteer brigade followed in
Varaždin in 1864. The national umbrella body, Hrvatska vatrogasna
zajednica (HVZ), was founded in 1876 and today represents Croatian
firefighters in the International Association of Fire and Rescue
Services (CTIF). Volunteers still account for roughly 92 percent of
active strength. They are especially vital on the coast and islands,
where summer wildfires, karst terrain, strong winds and heavy tourist
traffic demand extra seasonal crews, aircraft support and rapid
relocation of units from the interior.
Beyond firefighting, Croatian
brigades handle technical rescues, storm damage, traffic accidents and
civil-protection tasks. Local volunteer companies also run youth
programs, competitions and community events, so the fire house is often
a social hub as well as an operational base.
The gross domestic product (GDP) of Croatia amounted to 45.8 billion
euros in 2016. The gross domestic product per capita in the same year
was 10,992 euros. After the outbreak of the financial crisis in 2007,
the country was in crisis for years. Croatia lost about a sixth of its
economic power by 2014. However, the signs of economic recovery have
been increasing since 2015. The economy grew by 1.6 percent in 2015 and
by 3 percent in 2016. Nevertheless, Croatia still has a high
unemployment rate of 16.3%, youth unemployment is very high at about
43%.
Croatia was a member of the Central European Free Trade
Agreement (CEFTA) until joining the EU in July 2013; the European Union
is the country's most important trading partner. The euro has been legal
tender since 1 January 2023 and has replaced the Croatian kuna.
In the Global Competitiveness Index, which measures the competitiveness
of a country, Croatia ranks 74th out of 137 countries (as of 2017-2018).
In the Economic Freedom Index, Croatia ranked 95th out of 180 countries
in 2017. The EU's funding programmes are intended to help increase
competitiveness and open up the economy in the future.
In the
"Global Gender Gap Report 2015" of the World Economic Forum, Croatia
ranked 59th in the global ranking. This report examines, for example,
wage differences between women and men, the participation of women in
politics, as well as in crucial economic positions of a state.
Croatia sits at a strategic crossroads of two major pan-European
transport corridors that link Central Europe with the Mediterranean, the
Balkans, Turkey, Ukraine, and the Baltic region.
Corridor X runs
northwest–southeast from Salzburg in Austria through Ljubljana, Zagreb,
Belgrade, Niš, Skopje, and Veles to Thessaloniki in Greece. Its Croatian
section follows the A3 motorway (European route E70) from the Slovenian
border at Bregana across Zagreb and Slavonski Brod to the Serbian border
at Lipovac. Branch Xa adds a direct Graz–Maribor–Zagreb link, giving
Zagreb a fast connection toward Vienna and the Austrian motorway
network.
Corridor V is the main east–west axis from Venice and
Trieste/Koper through Ljubljana and Maribor toward Budapest, Uzhhorod,
Lviv, and Kyiv. Two of its branches cross Croatia:
Branch Vb:
Rijeka–Zagreb–Budapest, the shortest practical route from the northern
Adriatic through the lowest gap in the Dinaric Alps into the Pannonian
Basin.
Branch Vc: Ploče–Sarajevo–Osijek–Budapest, tying the central
Adriatic port of Ploče to Bosnia and Herzegovina and onward to Hungary.
Together these routes place Zagreb, Rijeka, and Osijek at the
intersection of north–south traffic between Central Europe and the
Aegean/Turkey and east–west traffic between the Adriatic and Ukraine
plus the Baltic states. The same alignments now form parts of the EU
TEN-T core network (Mediterranean Corridor, Rhine–Danube,
Baltic–Adriatic, and Western Balkans–Eastern Mediterranean). For
travelers this means continuous motorways, growing high-quality rail
links, and easy access from the ports of Rijeka and Ploče to inland
Europe.
Croatia is also a key oil-transit country. The JANAF (Adria)
pipeline starts at the deep-water terminal of Omišalj on the island of
Krk, runs inland to Sisak, then splits north toward Hungary and Slovenia
and east toward Slavonski Brod, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia. At
the Hungarian border it connects with the southern branch of the Druzhba
(Friendship) pipeline, allowing seaborne crude unloaded on the Adriatic
to reach refineries in Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic as an
alternative to the traditional overland Russian route. Designed capacity
is about 34 million tonnes per year; the system also includes major
storage at Omišalj, Sisak, Virje, and Slavonski Brod.
The combination
of Corridor X, Corridor V (especially Vb and Vc), and the JANAF–Druzhba
link makes Croatia a compact but high-value node for both passenger
travel and energy supply between the Adriatic, Central Europe, and the
Black Sea hinterland.
Agricultural land now covers a smaller share of Croatia than older
figures suggested. According to World Bank and CIA estimates for 2023,
about 26.6% of the country’s land area is classed as agricultural
(roughly 1.49 million hectares). Of that, about 15.5% of national land
is arable, 1.4% is under permanent crops such as vines and olives, and
9.6% is permanent pasture. Forests occupy around 35% of the territory.
The sector’s weight in the economy has also shrunk. Agriculture,
forestry and fishing now contribute about 2.8–3.4% of GDP (around 3% in
recent World Bank series), down from the 7.2% recorded in 2007.
Employment in the sector is about 4.3–4.7% of the workforce, or roughly
3.2% if only registered agricultural jobs are counted. In 2024 the value
of agricultural output was about 3.09 billion euro.
Trade is no
longer balanced at the 9% of exports and imports seen in 2004. Croatia
remains a net importer of food. In 2024 food and live animals exports
were about 2.85 billion euro, while imports of the same category
exceeded 5 billion euro. Neighbours still take most of the surplus:
Italy, Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Germany are the main
buyers of Croatian food.
The geographic pattern of farming is
unchanged. The most productive soils lie in the Pannonian lowlands
between the Sava and Drava - Slavonia, Baranja and Syrmia - often called
the country’s granary. There, large-scale, intensive cropping produces
maize, wheat, sugar beet, potatoes, soybeans, sunflower and oilseed
rape. Yields of cereals are high by regional standards (about 5.9 tonnes
per hectare for cereals in 2023).
On warmer Adriatic slopes and in
the Neretva valley the picture is Mediterranean. Vineyards (about 21,000
hectares) produce both continental and indigenous coastal wines such as
Plavac Mali, Pošip and Malvazija. Olive groves (around 20,000 hectares)
yield oil that is among the most awarded in Europe, especially from
Istria and the islands. Southern Dalmatia and the Neretva delta still
grow tobacco and citrus, above all mandarins with protected origin
status. Figs, almonds and early vegetables occupy smaller,
climate-favoured plots.
Livestock remains mixed. Cattle, pigs and
poultry dominate the lowlands; sheep and goats are more important in the
karst hinterland and on the islands. Protected products such as
Slavonian kulen, Dalmatian and Istrian pršut, and Pag cheese give
livestock a high-value niche.
Fishing and aquaculture stay a coastal
mainstay. Annual marine catch and farmed production together run to
roughly 80–90 thousand tonnes, mostly small pelagic fish (sardine,
anchovy) plus shellfish and some freshwater carp and trout. Salt pans on
Pag, Ston and Nin add another traditional coastal product.
Most
holdings are still small family farms, often under 3 hectares and
frequently located in mountain or karst areas with natural constraints.
EU CAP support now targets those farms, young farmers, animal welfare
and the conversion of more land to organic production (organic area
already exceeds 8% of agricultural land).
Croatia has a varied but relatively modest endowment of mineral and
energy resources. Its geology is split between the Pannonian Basin in
the east and the Dinaric karst in the west and south, so deposits tend
to be scattered rather than world-class in scale.
Before the Yugoslav
Wars began in 1991, mining and related heavy industry were among the
country’s larger employers. That sector contracted sharply during and
after the conflict. The aluminum works at Šibenik were destroyed,
Istrian coal pits closed one after another (the last around 1999), and
metal mining never recovered on a commercial scale. Today minerals form
only a small share of GDP. What remains active is mostly industrial
minerals and hydrocarbons.
Energy raw materials
Oil and
natural gas are still the most valuable extractive products. Onshore
fields lie mainly in eastern Slavonia and the rest of the Pannonian
Basin; offshore gas comes from platforms in the northern Adriatic. The
national company INA (partly state-owned, partly MOL of Hungary)
operates most production. Output has been declining for years as fields
mature, yet new development wells continue: in late 2025 INA brought a
high-rate gas well on stream from the IKA-A platform and is drilling
further Adriatic and onshore targets. Domestic crude and gas cover only
part of national demand; the rest is imported. The Rijeka refinery
processes both Croatian and imported crude.
Hard coal and lignite
were once important, especially around Labin in Istria. Those mines
supplied industry and households for generations but are no longer
worked. Large remaining lignite and oil-shale volumes are considered
uneconomic.
Hydropower on the Sava, Drava, Cetina and other rivers is
now a larger part of the energy mix than coal ever was.
Metallic
and industrial minerals
Bauxite formed widely on the weathered
carbonate surfaces of the Dinarides. Historic workings existed in
Istria, Lika-Velebit, and inland Dalmatia near Obrovac, Drniš and Oklaj.
Production today is small and is used mainly for special cements rather
than aluminum metal.
Low-grade iron ore, kaolin (china clay /
porcelain earth), gypsum, silica, mica, natural asphalt and small
calcium deposits occur in several regions, especially Istria and the
karst hinterland. Graphite was mined in the Slavonian mountains (Psunj,
Papuk, Krndija). Barite and historic copper-zinc workings exist in
Trgovska Gora, Petrova Gora and Gorski Kotar; none of these metals are
produced at scale now.
Sea salt is still harvested in traditional
solar pans at Pag, Nin and Ston - sites that also attract visitors.
Building materials
The liveliest part of the mineral sector is
construction stone and aggregates. Limestone and dolomite are quarried
across Dalmatia, Istria, Lika and Zagorje. White Brač limestone is the
best-known architectural stone. Cement raw materials, sand, gravel, lime
and gypsum remain in regular production and supply both domestic
construction and export.
In short, Croatia is not a major mining
country by current European standards, but its landscape still shows the
older industrial layer: abandoned Istrian coal towns, karst bauxite
pits, Adriatic gas platforms, and the great limestone quarries that have
supplied building stone for centuries. For a traveler the practical
interest lies less in active mines than in the geology that produced
them - the same karst, basins and islands that shape the country’s
coasts, caves and historic towns.
The predominant industrial enterprises in Croatia are oil refineries, iron and steel mills, shipyards, chemical companies and production facilities for food, machinery, cement and concrete, metal goods and textiles. The formerly important mining industry has been experiencing declines in production for several years. Many of Croatia's industrial enterprises were destroyed or damaged in the Croatian War. The reconstruction of the facilities ties up a lot of financial resources and prevents further development in some other production areas. As a result of the war in their own country, industrial production fell by 42.5% in 1991. From 1993, the Croatian economy recorded growth rates, and by 1996, significant productivity increases were again recorded in most industries. Important industrial companies are the mineral oil and gas group Industrija nafte (INA) (about 17,000 employees), the electrical engineering manufacturer Končar Group as well as the food groups Agrokor (about 36,000 employees), Podravka and Kraš.
Croatia’s banking sector is one of the most concentrated and
foreign-owned in the European Union. After the banking crises of the
late 1990s, almost all large domestic lenders were sold or merged into
Italian, Austrian, and later Hungarian groups. Foreign-owned banks now
hold about 90 percent of sector assets. The five largest institutions
control roughly 83 percent of the market.
The two leaders are
Italian. Zagrebačka banka (ZABA), a UniCredit subsidiary, is the
country’s largest bank, with about a quarter of total assets. Privredna
banka Zagreb (PBZ), owned by Intesa Sanpaolo, is second, with around one
fifth. Together they hold close to half of Croatian banking assets.
Third is Erste & Steiermärkische Bank, part of Austria’s Erste Group (it
absorbed the former Riječka banka). Fourth is OTP banka, the Croatian
arm of Hungary’s OTP Group, which took over Splitska banka.
Raiffeisenbank Austria remains a major Austrian player. HVB Croatia was
folded into UniCredit and no longer operates as a separate brand.
The
main bank that stayed under Croatian control is Hrvatska poštanska banka
(HPB, Croatian Postbank). It is majority state-owned, ranks fifth by
assets (about 9.4 percent market share), and is the only systemically
important lender in domestic hands. Smaller local names still operate,
including Karlovačka banka. KentBank is a privately owned bank with
Turkish capital (Süzer Holding). After years of mergers, the market has
settled at about 19 commercial banks plus one housing savings bank.
Croatia joined the euro area in 2023, so everyday accounts, cards, and
cash are in euros. Deposits are guaranteed up to 100,000 euros per
depositor per bank.
For visitors this means ATMs and cards from the
big groups (ZABA, PBZ, Erste, OTP, Raiffeisen, HPB) are easy to find in
Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, and along the coast. Independent and regional
banks are more common in smaller towns.
Croatia is known first for its Adriatic coast and island chain. The
shoreline is about 1,777 km long. Official counts list more than 1,240
islands, islets, and rocks; only a few dozen are inhabited. The
best-known islands include Hvar, Brač, Korčula, Vis, Krk, Cres, Pag,
Mljet, and the Elaphiti group near Dubrovnik. The coast and islands
still generate the vast majority of tourist nights (around 94 percent).
Visitor numbers have grown far beyond the older “about 10 million a
year” figure. In 2025 the national eVisitor system recorded more than
21.8 million arrivals and a record 110.1 million overnight stays
(commercial plus private and nautical). Commercial accommodation alone
counted 20.7 million arrivals and 94.8 million nights. Foreign guests
still dominate, but domestic travel has been rising. Average stay is
about 4.6 nights.
Revenue from foreign tourists reached about 15.3
billion euros in 2025, more than double the 7.5 billion euros of the
record pre-crisis year 2008 and well above the 6.6-7 billion euros of
2011-2012. Tourism remains one of the largest parts of the service
sector and a major contributor to GDP, though its exact share varies
with how analysts measure it. Istria leads by overnight stays, followed
by Split-Dalmatia County, Kvarner, Zadar County, and Dubrovnik-Neretva.
The busiest individual destinations include Dubrovnik, Rovinj, Split,
Poreč, and Umag. The largest source markets are Germany, Croatia itself,
Slovenia, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom.
Practical note for travelers: peak season is July-August on the islands
and in Dubrovnik and Split. May-June and September are usually cheaper
and less crowded, with swimming still possible in the south. Continental
Croatia (Zagreb, national parks, Slavonia, Zagorje) is growing as a
shoulder-season and city-break complement to the coast.
In Croatia, oil, coal and water are primarily used to generate
electrical and thermal energy. In addition, the Krško nuclear power
plant in Slovenia, which was built in a joint project between Croatia
and Slovenia, supplies the north of Croatia, especially Zagreb, with
electricity. Hydroelectric power plants are mostly found in the coastal
region of Croatia. The largest hydroelectric power station in Croatia is
located on the Perućko jezero (Peruća Lake) near Sinj. Since a decision
of March 2007, renewable energies have also been subsidized in Croatia.
In 2011, 24.5% of electricity was generated from hydropower, 15.8%
from nuclear energy and 27.5% from fossil fuels, 30.9% is purchased on
the electricity market. Wind energy accounted for a share of 1.3%, in
2010 it had been 0.8%.
The electricity consumption of Croatia in
2020 was 13.2 TWh. Of these, 32% came from hydropower, 19% from gas,
almost 7% from coal, 9.5% from wind energy and 5.5% from biomass. Solar
energy, geothermal energy and oil each contributed less than one percent
to the electricity mix.
Zagreb is home to Pliva, Croatia’s largest pharmaceutical company and
one of the most important industrial names in Southeast Europe. The firm
traces its roots to Kaštel, a chemico-pharmaceutical joint-stock company
founded in 1920 in Karlovac and moved to Zagreb in 1928. In 1942 it was
folded into the State Institute for the Production of Medicines and
Vaccines; the acronym PLIVA comes from that title (Proizvodnja lijekova
i vakcina). Organized research began in the 1930s in cooperation with
chemist Vladimir Prelog, later a Nobel laureate, and a dedicated
Research Institute opened in 1952.
Pliva’s defining achievement is
azithromycin, the first member of the azalide class of macrolide
antibiotics. A team led by Slobodan Đokić, with Gabrijela Kobrehel,
Gorjana Lazarevski, and Zrinka Tamburašev, developed the compound in the
late 1970s; priority patent applications were filed in 1979 and 1981.
Croatia is one of only a handful of countries that originated its own
antibiotic. Pliva launched the drug in 1988 as Sumamed. Pfizer licensed
it for Western markets and introduced it as Zithromax in 1991. The
molecule remains one of the world’s most widely used antibiotics. For
that work, Đokić and Kobrehel were named Heroes of Chemistry by the
American Chemical Society in 2000.
After privatization and a period
as a listed regional company, Pliva became part of Barr in 2006 and of
Israel’s Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in 2008. Today it is Teva’s main
Croatian unit and a major R&D and manufacturing site for the group:
finished oral and sterile products in Zagreb, active pharmaceutical
ingredients in Zagreb and Savski Marof, and a substantial generics and
small-molecule development center. Roughly 90 percent of output is
exported, with the United States and EU markets among the largest. Other
Croatian producers, including Jadran Galenski Laboratorij in Rijeka and
Belupo, complement a sector that is a notable source of high-value
exports.
Older CIA estimates for 2012 put general-government expenditure at
the equivalent of about 23.42 billion US dollars and revenue at about
21.56 billion, for a deficit of 3.2 percent of GDP. Public debt that
year was estimated at 68.2 percent of GDP.
The picture has changed
with euro adoption, EU membership, and post-pandemic recovery. Official
Croatian and EU figures show the general-government deficit at 1.1
percent of GDP in 2023, 2.3 percent in 2024, and 3.0 percent in 2025
(about 2.8 billion euros). The European Commission and IMF expect the
deficit to stay close to 2.9 percent of GDP in 2026, still near the EU 3
percent reference line. Consolidated public debt (Maastricht definition)
was 60.9 percent of GDP at end-2023, 57.4 percent at end-2024, and 56.3
percent at end-2025 (about 52.4 billion euros). Forecasts for 2026
cluster around 55–57 percent of GDP, below the 60 percent Maastricht
threshold. Nominal GDP has risen sharply (around 86–93 billion euros in
recent years), which has helped bring the debt ratio down even as
spending on wages, social benefits, public investment, and
energy-support measures has increased.
In short, the 2012 snapshot
described a country still carrying a relatively high debt load and a
mid-sized deficit. A decade later the debt-to-GDP ratio is lower, the
currency is the euro, and fiscal policy is framed by EU rules, while
Zagreb’s pharmaceutical cluster - led by Pliva and azithromycin -
remains one of Croatia’s clearest examples of homegrown industrial
research reaching a global market.
Road transport
The Croatian motorway network is one of the
youngest in Europe. Many kilometres of motorways have only recently been
completed and an end to the busy construction activity is not yet in
sight. The main project was the A1 Zagreb–Split motorway, which was
completed in the spring of 2005 and provides a continuous motorway
connection between the two largest Croatian cities. Some important
construction projects should be completed by 2008. These include the
extension of the motorway to Ploče in southern Dalmatia, better traffic
solutions for Rijeka (further bypass), the motorway connection to
Osijek, the motorway extension to Sisak and the motorway connections to
Serbia, Slovenia and Austria. Currently, the expansion of numerous rest
areas along all Croatian highways is being promoted. Accidents should
also be avoided using the latest video surveillance technology. The
Croatian motorway tunnels are among the safest in Europe.
Rail
The railway transport in Croatia operated by the Hrvatske željeznice,
which was privatized in 2006, is underdeveloped with a route network of
2974 kilometers and is not very competitive with the bus network, which
usually serves routes cheaper and at shorter intervals. Since 2005,
class 7123 tilting trains have been running on the Zagreb–Rijeka
railway, as well as further to Knin and Split, allowing for a much more
comfortable and shorter travel time than before. In contrast, the
outdated railcars are on other routes, especially to the east to
Slavonia. In addition to the completed modernization of the Zagreb–Split
line, a new railway line is to be built from Botovo on the border with
Hungary via Zagreb to Rijeka. This also includes considerations for a
new line Zagreb–Rijeka. However, according to information from 2012,
completion is not expected before 2025.
The telecommunications sector is already well developed in Croatia,
especially in terms of mobile networks, and has made the most progress
in recent years compared to other economic sectors in Croatia. This is
also evident from the fact that the telecommunications sector in this
country contributes a higher share of GDP than is the case in the old EU
countries (over 5%). Legislation in this area is also already at the
European level. As a result of the liberalization of the market in 2005,
more and more alternative telecommunications operators are entering the
Croatian market.
In Croatia, there are currently (as of 2018) the
mobile network operators A1 Hrvatska, Hrvatski Telekom and Tele2, with
the mobile discounters Bonbon and Tomato also competing with each other.
The two largest networks guarantee an area coverage of over 98%. The
introduction of new technologies such as WAP, GPRS or MMS was also
carried out quickly. UMTS, LTE and 5G are also available. The Croatian
telecommunications sector is still credited with quite good growth
potential, since full market saturation has not yet been achieved.
Broadband internet access is not available throughout the country.
The expansion is to be accelerated by targeted growth incentives. in
2005, frequency licenses for Internet radio networks were already issued
in Croatia. In particular, new WiMAX radio networks are to be used to
expand the Internet infrastructure throughout Croatia. The planar
coverage of entire cities and regions with this technology was decided
here.
In 2021, 81.3 percent of Croatia's residents used the
Internet.
Croatia sits at a long meeting point of Central Europe and the
Mediterranean, and that double inheritance still shapes everyday life,
townscapes, and public taste. Inland and in the north-east, centuries of
political union with Hungary and later Habsburg Austria left a
continental stamp: Baroque churches, manor houses, grid-planned military
towns, and a café-and-pastry culture closer to Vienna and Budapest than
to the Adriatic. Varaždin is often called the Baroque capital of
Croatia. Zagreb’s Upper Town, Osijek’s Tvrđa fortress, pilgrimage
churches such as Our Lady of the Snows in Belec, and country seats in
Hrvatsko Zagorje and Slavonia all show the same language of stucco,
gilded altars, and formal squares. New towns such as Karlovac were laid
out as Renaissance “ideal cities” and then finished in the Baroque
period as frontier fortresses against the Ottomans.
The coast tells a
different story. Istria, the Kvarner Bay, Hrvatsko Primorje, and
Dalmatia spent centuries under Venice (roughly 1409 to 1797 in most
places, with Dubrovnik remaining an independent republic until 1808).
The result is limestone towns of compact streets, loggias, campaniles,
and Renaissance civic buildings rather than the heavy Baroque of the
interior. Trogir, Šibenik (Cathedral of St James), Hvar, Korčula, and
the old cores of Zadar and Split carry that Venetian-Dalmatian mix.
After the 1667 earthquake Dubrovnik was rebuilt in a more regular
Baroque manner, yet it still sits on a Renaissance street plan. Roman,
early Christian, and Romanesque layers remain visible everywhere along
the shore, from Pula’s amphitheatre to Poreč’s Euphrasian Basilica.
Society still reflects the same split. Inland Croatia feels Central
European in calendar, cuisine (paprika, strudel, pork), and Catholic
parish life. The coast is more Mediterranean: olive oil, grilled fish,
late evenings on the riva, and a stronger Italian lexical imprint in
local speech. Catholicism is a core marker of identity across both
zones. Traditional music (tamburica inland, klapa singing on the coast)
and the circle dance kolo survive at weddings and village festivals.
Written Croatian culture begins in the 11th century with Glagolitic
stone inscriptions. The most famous early monument is the Baška Tablet
from the island of Krk (around 1100), one of the oldest substantial
texts in the Croatian language.
The first great flowering came in the
Renaissance. Marko Marulić of Split (1450–1524), often called the father
of Croatian literature, wrote the first Croatian epic, Judita (1501), in
the vernacular as well as widely read Latin moral works. In Dubrovnik
and other Dalmatian cities a lively lyric and dramatic tradition grew:
Marin Držić (1508–1567) is regarded as the founder of Croatian theatre;
his comedies still hold the stage. The Baroque peak is Ivan Gundulić
(1589–1638), whose unfinished epic Osman and pastoral-allegorical play
Dubravka became national classics.
The 19th century Illyrian movement
and later realism produced Ivan Mažuranić (The Death of Smail-aga
Čengić) and August Šenoa, who created the modern Croatian historical
novel. Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić earned the nickname “the Croatian Andersen”
for her fairy tales. Antun Gustav Matoš brought Symbolist and
impressionist prose and verse. The towering 20th-century figure is
Miroslav Krleža, novelist, playwright, and encyclopaedist. Marija Jurić
Zagorka popularized historical fiction and remains widely read. The
canon also includes Petar Zoranić, Hanibal Lucić, Ivan Bunić Vučić, and
later modernists such as Antun Branko Šimić.
Together these writers
show the same dual geography as the architecture: a Latin-and-Italian
humanist coast and a later, more Central European inland literature that
still spoke one Croatian language.
Croatia has a lively musical life that runs from coastal a cappella
singing to inland string orchestras and a strong modern pop-rock scene.
Traditional music is strongly regional. Along the Dalmatian coast and
islands, klapa is the best-known form: small groups of singers
(classically male, now often mixed or female) perform unaccompanied,
tightly blended harmonies. The word klapa originally meant a group of
friends. Typical songs praise the sea, wine, homeland, and love. Klapa
grew out of church singing and was inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible
Cultural Heritage list in 2012; the Croatian Ministry of Culture had
already recognized it as national heritage in 2008. Occasional guitar or
mandolin accompaniment appears in newer performances.
In Slavonia,
Baranja, and Srijem the signature sound is the tamburica (or tambura)
orchestra. The tambura is a family of plucked, long-necked wooden lutes
rather than a single instrument. A typical ensemble ranges from a
handful of players to several dozen and includes the small, bright prima
or bisernica (melody), basprim, kontra, and bass tambura. The rapid
“trzanje” tremolo gives the music its shimmering quality. Pajo Kolarić
of Osijek helped standardize the modern orchestra in the mid-19th
century; the oldest surviving dated tambura is from 1847. Tamburica
music is now widely treated as a national symbol.
Other regional
traditions include Istrian-scale singing and double-reed sopile (or
roženice), the bagpipe-like mih, ojkanje two-part singing (also
UNESCO-listed), and the three-stringed lijerica used for dances such as
the linđo on the southern islands.
Contemporary Croatian and
Croatian-heritage artists have a wide international reach. The cello duo
2Cellos (Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser) became a global phenomenon after
their 2011 YouTube cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal,” later
touring with Elton John and releasing several Sony Masterworks albums of
rock, pop, and film-score arrangements. Tomislav Miličević
(Croatian-American) is the longtime guitarist of 30 Seconds to Mars.
Krist Novoselić, born in California to Croatian parents and educated for
a time in Zadar, co-founded Nirvana and is in the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame. Sandra Nasić, of Croatian descent, is the distinctive voice of the
German rock band Guano Apes.
At home the scene includes Dalmatian pop
and festival music (Oliver Dragojević, Gibonni, Mišo Kovač), rock and
new-wave acts such as Parni Valjak and Prljavo kazalište,
singer-songwriters such as Arsen Dedić, and later mainstream names
including Severina, Jelena Rozga, Toni Cetinski, and Thompson. Coastal
festivals, especially in Split, remain important showcases for the
Dalmatian sound.
Visitors regularly encounter live klapa in harbor
towns and on islands, tamburica groups at Slavonian gatherings and
restaurants, and summer concerts in historic squares and fortresses.
The everyday necktie traces its name and one of its early fashionable
forms to Croats. In the 17th century Croatian light cavalry serving in
European armies, especially during the Thirty Years’ War, wore a
distinctive knotted scarf or fringed collar around the neck. French
speakers called the soldiers Croates (or Cravates); the garment became
known as a cravate. The word appears in French sources in the mid-17th
century. German Krawatte follows the same path.
Croatian horsemen
were later organized in France as the Royal-Cravate regiment (active
from the 1660s into the late 18th century). Louis XIV adopted the style
at court; his pages presented a selection of cravats each morning. From
Paris the fashion spread across Europe. Later variants included the
loosely tied Steinkirk (named after the 1692 battle) and the starched
19th-century neckcloth associated with Beau Brummell. The modern long
necktie is a later simplification of that lineage.
A 1622 portrait of
the Dubrovnik poet Ivan Gundulić already shows a knotted neck cloth,
earlier than Louis XIV’s birth year. A 1697 Habsburg military map even
labels part of present-day Slavonski Brod as “Cravatten Statt” (“Croat
town”). Academia Cravatica in Zagreb documents the story; World Cravat
Day is observed on 18 October.
The word family is widespread: French
cravate, German Krawatte, Italian cravatta, Spanish corbata, Croatian
kravata, and many others. Wearing a tie therefore carries a small,
documented Croatian origin story that sits comfortably next to the
country’s music and festival culture.
Croatia maintains a layered higher-education system that mixes old
academic traditions with a dense network of professional schools. In
Croatian usage a full university is a sveučilište, while a university of
applied sciences or polytechnic is a veleučilište. Together they cover
academic degrees (bachelor, master, doctorate) and shorter professional
programmes aimed at the labour market.
The public university map is
no longer limited to seven cities. The largest and oldest is the
University of Zagreb (Sveučilište u Zagrebu), whose legal continuity
dates to 23 September 1669, when Emperor Leopold I issued a charter to
the Jesuit academy. It remains the country’s dominant research
university, with tens of thousands of students and dozens of faculties,
academies and institutes, some of them located outside the capital.
Other major public universities sit in Rijeka (founded 1973), Split
(1974), Osijek - Josip Juraj Strossmayer University (1975), Dubrovnik
(2003), Zadar (refounded in 2002-2003 on a medieval studium generale
tradition that goes back to 1396), and Pula - Juraj Dobrila University
(2006). Newer public universities include University North (Sveučilište
Sjever, with seats in Koprivnica and Varaždin, 2015), the University of
Slavonski Brod (2015), and the specialised University of Defence and
Security “Dr. Franjo Tuđman” in Zagreb (2021). Private universities
include the Croatian Catholic University in Zagreb and Libertas
International University (with activity in Zagreb and Dubrovnik), among
others.
Around these universities operate many polytechnics and
colleges of applied sciences, both public and private, in towns such as
Čakovec, Karlovac, Šibenik, Vukovar, Knin, Gospić, Bjelovar, Virovitica,
Velika Gorica, Zaprešić and Krapina. The original text’s “five
polytechnic and 14 universities of applied sciences” undercounts the
present network: official registers list well over a hundred accredited
higher-education legal entities once faculties, academies and private
veleučilišta are counted separately. The big universities themselves are
not fully integrated; their faculties often have their own legal
personality.
Campuses and institutes extend beyond the main seats. A
clear example is Varaždin, which hosts the Faculty of Organization and
Informatics and the Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering of the
University of Zagreb, as well as activity of University North. Similar
satellite units exist in Opatija (tourism and hospitality, University of
Rijeka), Požega, Đakovo and other regional centres.
Research is not
confined to teaching campuses. The Ministry of Science, Education and
Youth registers on the order of 190 scientific organisations, including
about 25 public research institutes. The flagship is the Ruđer Bošković
Institute in Zagreb (founded 1950), Croatia’s largest natural-science
and technology institute. Other public institutes cover medicine,
physics, agriculture, history, language, ethnology and the sea. An
official ministry and CroRIS registry lists these bodies and major
projects; visitor-facing summaries also appear on study-in-Croatia and
EURAXESS pages.
The oldest genuine Croatian scientific-cultural
institution in the national sense is Matica hrvatska (Latin Matrix
Croatica). It was founded in Zagreb on 10 February 1842 as Matica
ilirska, on the initiative of Count Janko Drašković and other figures of
the Illyrian Movement, during the Croatian National Revival inside the
Habsburg Monarchy. Its first task was to publish classical Croatian
(then called “Illyrian”) literature and useful books in the national
language - an early act of linguistic and cultural standardisation. In
1874 it dropped the Illyrian name and became Matica hrvatska. It is a
nonprofit cultural and scholarly society, not a degree-granting
university: it publishes books and journals (Vijenac, Hrvatska revija,
Kolo), runs branches across Croatia and neighbouring countries, and
still occupies a palace on Strossmayer Square in central Zagreb. After a
forced halt in 1972 following the Croatian Spring, it resumed work after
1990.
For a travel reader the practical picture is simple. Zagreb
concentrates the densest academic life (old Jesuit core, large
faculties, national library, Matica, Ruđer Bošković Institute). Split,
Rijeka and Osijek are the next research poles. Zadar and Dubrovnik add
smaller, historically flavoured universities on the Adriatic. Pula
serves Istria. Varaždin and Koprivnica cover the north. English-taught
programmes exist, especially in medicine, dentistry, business, computing
and tourism, but most undergraduate teaching remains in Croatian.
According to the 2007 regulation, compulsory schooling applies to
children aged 7 to 18 years. Compulsory education is completed at
primary school for eight years, after which schooling is continued at a
technical school for three years up to the 11th grade and at a gymnasium
for four years up to the 12th grade.
In Croatia, native-language
instruction for ethnic minorities is offered both at primary schools and
at secondary schools (gymnasiums) in the following languages: Czech,
Hungarian, Italian, Serbian and German. In 2008/09, 459 teachers were
employed nationwide to teach the Serbian language to a total of 3,207
Serbian students. In second place was the mother tongue instruction for
2139 Italian students by 374 teachers. German-language lessons are now
only offered at a primary school.
About one in four Croats speaks
English, one in seven speaks German.
According to the CIA, the
illiteracy rate among the over-15s was 1.2% of the total population in
2010.
In March 2016, the government dismissed the general director of
public broadcasting HRT. According to Reporters Without Borders, he was
replaced by a "pro-government" director.
Print product
The
press in Croatia is mostly concentrated on the capital Zagreb. The most
important daily newspapers include Večernji list, Jutarnji list,
Slobodna Dalmacija and Novi list. The most widely read weekly magazines
are Globus, Nacional and Hrvatski list. Since 2005, more and more
newspapers have been established in small format. These include 24 sata
as well as the free newspapers Metropola and Metro.
Television/Radio Stations
Croatia has a dual television and radio
broadcasting system. The state-owned Radio Televizija Zagreb became
Hrvatska radiotelevizija (HRT) in 1991, which currently broadcasts five
channels. There have been local private TV channels in Croatia since the
1980s. In the course of liberalization, private national broadcasters
have also established themselves on the Croatian television market in
recent years.
The private channels RTL Televizija and Nova TV as
well as RTL 2, RTL Kockica, CMC and Doma TV can be received freely
throughout Croatia via DVB-T and DVB-T2 as well as in cable. Many other
programs are included in the various Pay TV packages for a fee, which
can be received via DVB-T2, DVB-C and DVB-S. HRT1 (only news, reports
and films as well as series from Croatia), HRT4 (except for sports
broadcasts) and HRT International as well as Z1 from Zagreb can also be
received unencrypted by satellite throughout Europe.
Radio
In
addition to the state radio stations of HRT and the nationally broadcast
private stations Otvoreni radio, Narodni radio and Radio Marija, there
have been dozens of local private radio stations in Croatia since the
early 1990s.
Film
The only major Croatian film production
company is Jadran Film, which, among other things, was involved in the
Karl May films in the 1960s. Numerous Croatian actors are also known to
the international audience, including Goran Višnjić, Ivana Miličević,
Mira Furlan, Miroslav Nemec (eng. Tatort), Dunja Rajter, Antonija Šola
or Mimi Fiedler. However, the most famous Croatian in the film business
is probably the Oscar winner Branko Lustig. Lustig produced, among
others, Schindler's List, Gladiator and Hannibal. He has also starred in
numerous national and international film productions.
A specific Croatian sport is picigin, a popular beach ball game in
shallow water, which was developed in Split at the beginning of the 20th
century.
See also: Football in Croatia, handball in Croatia and
basketball in Croatia
Sporting achievements
Football: The
biggest successes of Croatian national teams include the second place at
the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the third place at the 1998 World Cup in
France. The Croatia national Football team has qualified for the World
Cup final four times since gaining independence in 1991.
Handball:
the victory of the handball players at the Olympic Games in Atlanta in
1996 and in Athens in 2004 – as well as the victory at the World Men's
Handball Championship in Portugal in 2003. In addition, Croatia was vice
world champion in 1995, 2005 and 2009 and vice European champion in
handball in 2008 and 2010.
Basketball: the silver medal for the
basketball players at the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992. In 1993
and 1995, the Croats took bronze at the European Championship and bronze
at the World Cup in Canada in 1994
Water polo: The silver medal for
the national water polo team at the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996 and
the world title in Melbourne in 2007, as well as the gold medal at the
Olympic Games in 2012. In addition, Croatia took gold at the World Water
Polo Championship in Budapest in 2017.
Rowing: The silver medal in
rowing for the brothers Nikša and Siniša Skelin in Athens 2004 (in the
two without helmsman)
Tennis: Goran Ivanišević's Wimbledon victory in
tennis in 2001. Iva Majoli won the French Open in 1997. At the end of
2006, there were also two Croatian tennis players among the top 10 in
the ATP ranking (Ivan Ljubičić and Mario Ančić). In 1993, Croatia
participated in the Davis Cup for the first time as an independent team.
In 2005, Croatia became the first unseeded team to win the Davis Cup. In
the final match in Bratislava, the team narrowly prevailed with a score
of 3:2 against host Slovakia. the second title win followed in 2018.
Croatia defeated France 3-1.
Water sports: The silver medal in
swimming for Duje Draganja at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens (50 m
freestyle) as well as Sanja Jovanović who set a world record time of
26.50 seconds at the 2007 European Short Course Swimming Championships
in Debrecen, Hungary over 50 meters backstroke
Winter sports: Janica
Kostelić won triple Olympic gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt
Lake City (combined, slalom, giant slalom; silver in Super-G). At the
2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, she was able to continue her successful
career with a gold medal in the combination and another silver medal in
the Super-G. At the Winter Olympics in Turin, Janica Kostelić's brother,
Ivica Kostelić, also took the silver medal in the combined event. In
biathlon, Jakov Fak took bronze at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in
2010.
Athletics: At the 2007 World Championships in Athletics in
Osaka, Blanka Vlašić (Split) became the world champion in the high jump
with the jump of 2.05 m, and at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing,
Vlašić took silver. She took gold at the 2009 World Championships in
Athletics in Berlin. The discus thrower Sandra Perković won the gold
medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Special Olympics Croatia was founded in 1992 and participated in
Special Olympics World Games several times. The association has
announced its participation in the Special Olympics World Summer Games
2023 in Berlin. The delegation will be supervised by Barth before the
games as part of the Host Town Program.
Major sporting events
2003 Women's World Handball Championship 2003
2005 Women's European
Volleyball Championship in Zagreb and Pula
2007 World Table Tennis
Championships in Singles in Zagreb
2008 European Figure Skating
Championships in Zagreb
2008 European Short Course Championships in
Rijeka and European Open Water Championships in Dubrovnik
2009 World
Men's Handball Championship in the cities of Zagreb, Split, Osijek,
Varaždin, Zadar, Pula and Poreč
2010 IAAF World Championships in
Athletics in Split
Since 2005, Sljeme has been one of the FIS World
Cup venues for the annual tour of the women's and men's slalom. With its
number of visitors (up to 15,000 people), Sljeme is one of the largest
ski slalom venues in Europe.
2013 European Speedway Championship
Final 3 in Gorican.
2013 EUREKA Poker Tour (at that time still part
of the EPT) Main Event in Dubrovnik
2018 European Men's Handball
Championship in the cities of Zagreb, Split, Varaždin and Porec