Wanderlust Travel Magazine (UK)
SOAK UP CROATIAN CULTURE
Croatia’s patchwork of cultural legacies is endlessly fascinating. The Adriatic coastline – with its terracotta-topped towns of Korčula, Hvar, Dubrovnik, Trogir and others – gives a hint of Croatia’s rich culture. Explore Roman history in Pula’s beautifully preserved amphitheatre, built around the same time as Rome’s Colosseum. The Unesco-protected Venetian fortifications in Zadar are another example, and overlooking Split are the hilltop ruins of Salona (modern-day Solin), while Unesco-listed medieval tombstones can be spied in the Dalmatian village of Cista Velika.
Head inland and you might feel as if you’ve arrived in a different country. Centuries of Austro-hungarian rule have left their mark on exquisite Baroque towns such Osijek and Varaždin, whose Baroque music festivals provide a suitably stately soundtrack to all this architectural loveliness. Tiny Međimurje, Croatia’s smallest county, tucked away in the north-west, adds its own melodies in the form of Međimurska popevka,a type of folksong that is on UNESCO’S Intangible Cultural Heritage list. There’s more music back along the Dalmatian coast, where the summer air is filled with the evocative sound of acappella klapa singing. You’ll hear some of the finest klapa singers every July during Omiš’s annual klapa festival. And, of course, the summer festivals in the likes of
Split and Hvar bring together classical musicians and artistic performers.
You can taste Croatia’s culture on a plate, and locals love to honour their dishes with seasonal food festivals. You know it’s springtime when wild asparagus appears, and its return is celebrated all along the Adriatic coast. Autumn brings the distinctive scent of truffles to Istria, while Zagreb celebrates Christmas in classy style with its five-week Advent extravaganza. Even without its festive sparkle, Zagreb entices with its medieval old town, museums and lively café culture.
Sustainable experiences
The Neretva Delta, the largest in Croatia, is a completely different world from the rest of the Adriatic coast.
At its mouth, near the town of Ploče, kitesurfers whizz along the sandy beach, while those who travel slowly by boat or bicycle along the river will soon find themselves in Croatia’s fruit basket. Tangerines, watermelons, cherries, nectarines – they’re all here, filling the orchards and being sold from riverside fruit stands.
Stop at a waterside restaurant to feast on two of the river’s biggest delicacies: frogs and eels. There’s a timeless feel about this land; a sense that goes into overdrive when you visit Narona Archaeological Museum in Vid, which houses the remains of a Roman temple and other artefacts.
There’s more than a hint of Tuscany among inland Istria’s medieval villages, where wine routes take you through cypress-studded hills, olive groves, truffle-rich forests and family-run wineries. Motovun is one of the most enchanting, home to several vineyards and a summertime film festival. In its surrounding forests also lurk prized white and black truffles. From here a squiggling mountain road takes you to the equally captivating medieval village of Grožnjan, whose formerly empty cottages have since been resurrected by a colony of artists, who strengthened the village’s cultural life.
Created in 2020, the 140km Via Brattia hiking route offers a chance to discover Brač’s culture and history. As well as the scenery, there are a dozen cultural highlights, including the 15th-century Dominican monastery in Bol, the Franciscan monastery and St Martin’s Church in Sumartin, and the 15th-century Dragon’s Cave that was once home to Glagolitic priests. One of the most bewitching sights is the 16th-century, cliff-carved Blaca Hermitage, whose museum reveals the rich cultural life of its former monks.