Ancient cities and dreamy beaches: a Croatian summer road trip

SO, you are looking for a destination for your summer holidays. One that includes charming towns full of history, clear water beaches, and stunning national parks. Well, my friend, Croatia is here for you.

Set at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, on the Adriatic Sea, Croatia became popular for cultural and nautical tourism in the 90's. With its charming medieval cities and more than a hundred Blue Flag beaches, Croatia now ranks 18th among the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

Split

The second largest city of Croatia was founded as the Greek colony of Aspálathos between the 3rd and 2nd century BC. During the centuries, Split was under the rule of different empires and its complicated history is reflected in the presence of multiple architecture styles that characterize the city center. Roman heritage is represented by the massive Diocletian's Palace; the medieval structure of Old Town dates back to when the city was a free state based on trade, arts and crafts; the Venetian look of the buildings on the promenade attest that the city was for a long time under the rule of the Italian city. Old town of Split was listed in 1979 as a UNESCO's World Heritage Site.

Split is basically an open-air museum. The compound of Diocletian's Palace occupies most of Old Town and you will find yourself walking through its galleries, climbing its towers to get a view of the city or just chilling with a glass of wine in its courtyard. Diocletian's Palace was built as a heavily fortified military structure by the homonymous emperor in preparation for his retirement. The compound includes the Cathedral of Saint Domnius, the oldest Catholic cathedral in the world still in use in its original structure. Built as the mausoleum of Diocletian, the structure was then dedicated to the patron saint of Split.

Krka National Park

After two days in Split, you may feel the need to escape from the heat and the frenzy of the city, and find relief in one of Croatia's many nature areas. Krka National Park is located at a one-hour drive from Split and can be reached by car or bus. Day tours depart from Split every morning and will take you right at the heart of the park. A small hike in the Mediterranean scrub is necessary in order to get to the waterfalls. Once you are there you are more than encouraged to dip into the fresh waters of the Krka river and relax.

The Makarska Riviera

The real road trip starts once you leave Split and head for the south. The most scenic route to Dubrovnik (the final destination of our journey) is without a doubt the Adriatic Highway. This road goes along the Croatian coast and through one of the most beautiful rivieras on the Adriatic Sea. The Makarska riviera stretches on over 60 km of pebbly beaches and small towns, and is a very popular tourist destination. You may want to get your accommodation in Makarska or another one of the towns on the coast and drive to a different beach every morning. The riviera offers both secluded beaches hidden by vegetation and long sunny shores with any kind of amenities, and it's perfect for some chill time with the family.

Three to four days on the riviera are enough to recharge your batteries and get ready to be back on the road. The route to Dubrovnik is two hours and a half long and includes a small drive into Bosnia Herzegovina: be sure to have your passport at hand to show at border controls!

Dubrovnik

Known by the name Pearl of the Adriatic, Dubrovnik too has a remarkable history. Founded as a Greek colony in the 7th century, the town passed under the protection of the Byzantine empire and it became an oligarchic republic based on maritime trade. It ruled itself as a free city from the Middle Ages to the 17th century and it's famous for being theater of conflict both during World War Two and the Yugoslav Wars. Nonetheless, the city still preserves a medieval charm. Old Town, protected by massive medieval walls, is a twine of narrow alleys organized around the main street, called Stradun, that connects the city entrance, Pile Gate, to the old port. Dubrovnik became a hit destination in recent years due to its cultural events and the fact that it was one of the most important filming locations for the HBO show Game of Thrones. Due to the increasing number of tourists, Dubrovnik had to take steps preserve its Old Town, even getting to stagger the arrival and departure times of cruise ships to spread the number of visitors.

Guarding the city for over 900 years, Fort Lovrijenac is the symbol of Dubrovnik's resistance to the Venetian rule. The triangular shape of the fortress and the 12 meters thick walls made it impossible to conquer for all the Middle Ages. To reiterate the role of the fort in keeping Dubrovnik free through the centuries, an inscription above the main gate reads Non Bene Pro Toto Libertas Venditur Auro ("Freedom is not to be sold for all the treasures in the world"). Today, Lovrijenac remains a symbol of Dubrovnik's cultural scene, being used as a stage for theatrical performances during the Dubrovnik Summer Festival. If some of the pictures below seem familiar to you it's probably because you are a hardcore Game of Thrones fan! Fort Lovrijenac was used as filming location for the Red Keep in the first four seasons of the HBO show.

The first highlight of Old Town, right inside the city walls near Pile Gate, is the Franciscan Church and Monastery. The church entrance is on the Stradun, and its bell tower dominates the city skyline. The entrance to the monastery is instead hidden in a narrow alley on the eastern side of the church. While the church was destroyed by the earthquake of 1667, the monastery from 1360 remains perfectly preserved. The structure was built in late Romanesque style and contains two cloisters. The lower cloister, built in Romanesque-Gothic style, is the perfect spot to find shelter from the summer sun and relax in the cool shade of the gallery and vegetation.

Walking the Stradun to the eastern side of Old Town, you reach Rector's Palace. Built in Gothic style in the 14th century, this palace served as the seat of the Rector of the Republic of Dubrovnik until 1800. The palace now hosts the Museum of the city. From the windows of the southern side of the palace it's possible to admire the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The cathedral was built in the 12th century with money given by the English king Richard the Lion Heart. He contributed to the construction as a votive for having survived a shipwreck off the coast of the city on his return from the Third Crusade. After being destroyed in the earthquake of 1667, the cathedral was rebuilt as a domed three-nave church in Roman Baroque style.

Located at the eastern part of Old Town, inset in the City walls, another highlight of Dubrovnik: the Dominican Monastery. The simple Gothic structure encloses richly decorated interiors and holds major pieces of the cultural and artistic heritage of the city. Besides paintings, artifacts and jewelry you can find a manuscript by Thomas de Aquino and a thousand-years old Bible. The cloister of the monastery, decorated by beautiful porches from the 15th century, is enriched by a stone well and plenty of flowers and vegetation.

Now that you've explored every alley and nook of the city, it's time to change perspective. Sunset is the perfect time for a walk on the Walls of Dubrovnik. Considered to be one of the greatest defense systems of the Middle Ages, as they were never breached by a hostile army during this time, these mighty stone walls run an uninterrupted course of almost 2 km. With over 120 cannons, these walls protected the freedom and safety of the Pearl of the Adriatic, that flourished in peace and prosperity for five centuries. From the walls you can enjoy and take stunning shots of Old Town, Lovrijenac, the port and Lokrum island.

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Where to eat

Jež | Makarska | $$ | www.facebook.com/JezRestaurant

Jež is an elegant restaurant just outside the center of Makarska. The restaurant is specialized in seafood: from appetizers, like the octopus salad, to main dishes, like the seafood risotto and the prawn stew. You need to finish up the dinner with one of their finger-licking cakes!

Preša | Dubrovnik | $$ | www.facebook.com/fast.food.presa

If you are just arrived in Dubrovnik and it's lunchtime, there's no better place than Preša to enjoy a quick meal before starting to explore the city! Be sure to try the Cevapi: this traditional dish includes grilled minced meat rolled in finger-like shape served with sides.

Lucin Kantun Dubrovnik | Dubrovnik | $$ | www.facebook.com/LucinKantunDubrovnik

This fresh little restaurant, hidden in an alley of Old Town Dubrovnik will definitely make your stay. Mediterranean seafood dishes are prepared with mastery by a young and creative chef. The menu includes modern versions of traditional Croatian dishes and delicious desserts.

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Where to sleep

Dolce Vita Apartments | Split | $$ | www.booking.com/hotel/hr/dolce-vita

These cozy flats in the heart of Old Town Split are very clean, well furnished and provided with AC. The highlight is the location: you are at walking distance from everything and from the apartment you can enjoy the view of the historic center and the sea. Chilling on the terrace at sunset whit a glass of wine while listening to the music of the city is priceless.

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Interactive map

Use this map to follow my itinerary and get directions to highlights, restaurant and accommodations on the go.