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Croatia Route

This route begins in Zagreb and then goes on to explore the whole dalmatian coast, packed with islands, medieval port towns, ancient ruins and great beaches.

map with the route

The marked route is available here for online viewing and download in the gpx format.

  1. Zagreb
  2. Zadar
  3. Split
  4. Dubrovnik
  5. Makarska
  6. Rijeka
  7. Pula
  8. Poreč
Start Zagreb
End Poreč
Length ~ 1450 km
Duration 3-4 weeks

Route Description

Zagreb

The capital of Croatia is easily reachable by train or bus from everywhere in central Europe, so most visitors will probably start off here. For tourists it offers a medieval core and many majestic administrative buildings of the former Habsburg empire. Tonally it feels quite different from the other places on this route, because it is by far the largest and far away from the sea, so it is missing the mediterranean flair.
Continue: By bus to Zadar

Zadar

This town situated on a small peninsula and surrounded by Venetian walls is a real gem. Though not big in size it features many historic sights from different epochs, including a roman forum. Because of its location and setup there is always a nice breeze flowing through the streets. In the evening people flock to the promenade to watch one of the most dramatic sunsets in Europe.
Possible excursions:
  1. Go swimming at one of the many surrounding beaches
  2. Go by ferry to discover on of the nearby islands.
  3. Plitvice Lakes National Park, one of the natural wonders of Europe. Can be visited as a day trip by bus. One way takes about 2 hours.
Continue: By bus to Split

Split

One of the most unique places in the world. A town that has grown out of an imperial roman palace. Because of the continuous use, the old structures have survived remarkably well.
In the summer the narrow streets are packed with tourists but in the early morning or cooled down evening hours one can still find the right time to explore this amazing place alone.
The cathedral (once the mausoleum of emperor Diocletian) with the lofty bell tower and the underground palace structures should not be missed.
Possible excursions:
  1. The extensive ruins of the roman town Salona, are very close, about 15 minutes by bus to the northeast.
  2. The medieval town Trogir is only a half hour bus ride away from Split.
Continue: By bus to Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Once an important trading town and rival to Venice, it is nowadays most famous as the setting of Kings Landing, so that many people recognize places around the old town from the show Game of Thrones.
To explore the center one needs to climb a lot because most of it is built in a V-Shape, with streets leading up from a main boulevard.
The highlight is the stroll on top of the 2km city walls, which can take hours because of all the gorgeous views over the sea, the cliffs below and the red tiled roofs.
Possible excursions:
  1. The mountain (mount Srđ) overlooking the city can be climbed in about an hour on foot or in a few minutes with the cable car.
    On top there is an old fortress.
Continue: By bus to Makarska

Makarska

This small town is a great location for hiking and swimming. The water is excellent and the massive karst mountain range comes practically up to the sea, so that one can start hiking right from the center of town.
Possible excursions:
  1. The Biokovo Nature Park in the nearby mountains has many marked hiking trails
Continue: By bus to Rijeka

Rijeka

This busy port city is mostly a stop over point and can be skipped but there are some beaches and a high up castle to visit.
Continue: By bus to Pula

Pula

A pleasant town set in a nice contrast with the lush vegetation and blue water. It has a charming central area and various ancient sights, the highlight of which is the enormous roman amphitheatre.
Possible excursions:
  1. The whole area is filled with old coastal fortresses which can be explored on hikes.
Continue: By bus to Poreč

Poreč

This endpoint of the route being a colorful port town with an ancient roman core in a gorgeous setting, offers once again all the best parts of Croatia.
If you have more time to spare, you can continue along the coast through Slovenia to Italy.
Continue: By ferry to Venice (Italy), by bus to Trieste (Italy) or by bus back to Zagreb