1 October 2024

Croatia Road Trip — Dubrovnik, Split & Island Hopping

11 Highlights from Croatia:

1. Plitvice Lakes 📍

A day ticket for Plitvice Lakes National Park costs about 26 euros per person. Additionally, there are 15 euros parking fees for a camper. With the fuel consumed just to get into the inland, it was a bit more costly affair 🤑😁. Unfortunately, we arrived on probably the worst day, a Sunday. Silly us… 😁 Naturally, it was packed to the brim 💀! For this reason, I recommend visiting during the week and as early as possible! Nevertheless, the visit was really worth it! The water was sometimes as blue and green as I had never seen in my life… 🥰 There are various hiking trails in the park: We opted for the "H" path. First, we were taken to the National Park by bus, then we followed the well-signposted paths, and finally, there was a little boat tour included.

Don't forget: Bring snacks, plenty of sunscreen, and sturdy footwear!

2. Zadar 📍

The beautiful old town truly enchanted us 🪄! Especially at night, the city exudes its own charm. You can shop in smaller stores (the quality is somewhat questionable 😆). The big shopping stores are located outside the city center (Zara/H&M…). After the shopping tour, it's perfect to watch the beautiful sunset by the sea. Looking for some party? Then hop onto the illuminated floor plates at the Greeting to the Sun – II Saluto al Sole and then head to a cool bar with live music. Here you'll also find 1-liter cocktail offers 😉. There's supposed to be a sea organ nearby too. If you like churches, don't forget to visit the Zadar Cathedral.

Best Pizza? 🍕

Don't get ripped off – avoid big tourist spots and eat outside. I recommend the pizzeria "Broj 1".

Truly delicious and incredibly cheap prices (They only accept Kuna!! No Euro!! And the Jumbo Pizza is enough for 2 people 😉).

3. Biograd Na moru📍

During our walk at the harbor, we immediately felt like we were on vacation 🥰. Endless souvenir shops 😄! The beaches are unfortunately packed during the high season – but you can find a nice spot a bit further out. One of my top highlights was the Wine-Tasting Tour at the Ilirija Resort (50 Euros) 🍷. . .

There we also met new people with whom we went on a boat tour to Vrgada ( Don't forget snorkeling gear! 🤿). .

Best Pizza 🍕?

Casa Vecchia 😉 – I just love the pizzas in Croatia 😃!

: .

4. Island of Murter & Tisno📍📍

On the Croatian island of Murter lies the small village of Betina. You can easily and freely cross over to the island via the drawbridge. There you'll find many beautiful restaurants & bars. A perfect place to stroll through the alleys and grab an ice cream 😉.

: 📍 Tisno

5. Šibenik📍

A perfect stopover! Sibenik is located between the tourist towns of Zadar, Split, Vodice, and Trogir.It's important to know that this place isn't really suitable for wheelchair users! Hardly anything is barrier-free... Don't miss out on the beautiful sights, like the Cathedral of St. James and the various fortresses!

6. Split📍

One of my highlights in Croatia is Split. This city is beautiful 🥰! In the city center, you'll find a fortress-like complex of Diocletian's Palace, which was built in the 4th century by the Roman Emperor Diocletian. All the old buildings mixed with modern restaurants, cafes & bars have their own unique style!

⛔️ CAUTION ⛔️: ⛔️ :

Avoid the peak season! Otherwise, you'll be overrun by crowds!

7. Cetina River Spring📍

We visited the source of the Cetina River. The spring water was really ice-cold at about 7 degrees Celsius 🥶! Nevertheless, we grabbed our inflatable mattress and took some amazing shots 📸. Unfortunately, you can only see the true wonder of this spring from above, which is why I recommend a visit with a drone 😉.

Nearby, you have the opportunity to take a beautiful hike to the highest mountain in Croatia, Mount "Dinara" 🏔.

With its 1831m height and steep ascent, you should be reasonably fit, but it's definitely doable. 🤙

Good to know:

The locals don't like people swimming there. Unfortunately, we only found that out afterward. 🙁

8. Grandmas📍

The perfect place for a bit of action 😎! Whether it's rafting, hiking, or climbing 💥, in Omiš, you'll find a variety of activities at a fair price!

Small ice cream tip 🍦:

The flavor "White Kinder Bueno" is super delicious! 🍦🤭

9. Trogir📍

In Trogir, we started our next adventure. We booked a sailing holiday for young people! Max & I were complete sailing beginners, so we were pretty excited 🤩. One thing I can tell you: We were not disappointed! It was incredibly fun, especially when we were sailing at a complete tilt 😱!! Additionally, we met great new people and didn't party a little 🥳. Another meeting with the crew is already planned ☑️.

10. Hvar📍

With a speedboat, we went to the Croatian holiday island of Hvar. There we ate, with our sailing group, at a slightly overpriced restaurant 🤑. From there, we had a wonderful view of the luxurious yachts lined up at the harbor. The place definitely represents wealth, which was reflected quite noticeably in the price 😅. Additionally, you'll find one party mile after another here! 🎉

11. Dubrovnik 📍

A city in southern Croatia that everyone knows. The filming location of the series Game of Thrones 👑. Dubrovnik has always been high on my list and now the time had finally come. As we strolled through the well-preserved old town, the new series of Vikings was being filmed. Totally exciting 🤩. Afterwards, we of course checked out the highlights (city walls, Old Town, Placa, the churches....). Also, you should definitely see Dubrovnik from above 🫶🏼.