Lost in the Right Direction

Croatia 

Croatia’s beautiful beaches, charming hill towns, and medieval castles make it an attractive destination. There’s also delicious food and lots more to explore.

Hugging the Adriatic Sea, Croatia, once part of the former Yugoslavia, offers access to the beaches, islands, hill towns, lakes, romantic medieval towns, and of course, unlimited wine and seafood. Recovering remarkably rapidly and well from a war two decades ago, you can still enjoy the blend of Italian, Austrian, and Eastern European influence in the food and architectural sites. Spend time in one of the hottest countries to visit, thanks to Game of Thrones and popularizing of Dubrovnik, but make sure you escape the tourist congestion and explore the rest of the country with its stunning beauty and wonderful culture.

See the critical information in our Croatia at a Glance.

Itineraries

Eat & Drink

Konoba Dolina

This charming, unpretentous restaurant is well worth a detour to visit if you are in Istria visiting the hill towns. Located a 5 minute gravel drive from Livade, it’s a serious deal if you love truffles. The truffle pasta was out-of-this world good. Non-truffle items included home-made noodles or gnocchi with goulash, and other pasta dishes.

Nonica

Meaning “grandma” this cafe has every tempting sweet you could think of with many of the recipes coming from the owners own grandmothers. They offer an amazing selection of traditional Croatian desserts, cakes, cookies, muffins, rolls. It’s incredibly tempting to get one of everything.

Dalmatino

Located right in the heart of Old Town, Dalmatino prides itself on serving traditional Dalmatian cuisine “with a twist”. All the food we had was excellent, especially the black ink risotto and mussels, and all of their recipes are made with seasonal local products.

Malvasija Wine Bar

This wine bar was so excellent we went every night during our stay in Dubrovnik. Located within the old city walls, it’s a delightful place for a cozy, charming evening once the cruise ship and day tour crowds leave. They have a selection of over 60 wines, many of which are unique to the area.

Bacchus Palmižana

We found this restaurant to have incredible seafood. Located virtually right on the beach in Vlaka (Palmizana Island) it was very convenient. While they offer lovely patio seating, we sat inside due to rain. Most of our group shared a large fish baked in salt served with potatoes and vegetables that was insanely good.

Kod Kapetana

Located along the marina in Hvar this restaurant was recommended to us by our lodging host. They offered delicious fish and meat dishes and great Croatian fare.

More

Lady Pi-Pi

Yes, this restaurant is named for statue of a lady in front exhibiting her sort-of anatomically correct lady parts. That being said, the restaurant is lovely in a beautiful garden setting with a roof-top view of Dubrovnik.

Pršuta 3 Wine Bar

Located in the old town the inside is eclectic while the outside has with tables extending up along the tiny cobblestoned street. This wine bar offers a great selection of Croatian wines  by the glass or bottle as well as cheeses and meats.

Restaurant Kopan

This restaurant sits on the big square in front of St. Ignatius Church and serves very good regional food of Dubrovnik and surrounding regions. Try the kopun (rooster) that’s a specialty of the restaurant. The restaurant is fairly expensive but had a great ambiance, great wait staff, and very good food all while offering a great view of the church and square.

Pivnica Medvedgrad

This is a fun brewpub on Tkalciceva Street (which you should visit anyway). It has 5 in house beers and serves up heavy pub food either in a cozy interior or outdoor terrace right on one of Zagreb’s most colorful seats.

Restaurant Kamenice

Look for the blue-striped chairs and umbrellas sitting in the Market Square and you know you’ve found your place. It’s a decent restaurant with inexpensive food with good views of the Old Town. Kamenice is not a remarkable culinary experience but it’s a good place for an reasonably priced fresh seafood meal.

Palaca Paladini

This restaurant is located in a 500 year old palace and has a beautiful enclosed garden courtyard with lots of trees and greenery.

Laganini Lounge Bar and Fish House 

This is a great bar on the Vlaka side of Palmizana offering great craft cocktails as well as beer, wine, and food. While the cocktails are a bit pricey, they were very good. It had an extremely beachy vibe with cool drift wood tables and chairs, and seats in the surrounding trees.

Buža II

There are a few bars perched outside the walls on a cliff directly against the Adratic. It’s just cool, there’s no other way to describe it. Follow the “Cold Drinks” sign from the square of Rudjera Boškovića and literally climb through a hole in the wall (Buza = “hole in the wall”) to this bar offering a shaded area with small chairs and tables.

See

Plitvice Lakes National Park

This is one of the most spectacular areas we’ve ever seen. Waterfalls and bright blue pools spill into each other as you walk along boardwalks, hike, and cruise around the lake to take in all the sites. The valley has 16 lakes in total with waterfalls galore.

Museum of Naive Art

This museum was shockingly fantastic and is totally worth the visit. It features expressionistic paintings by untrained Croatian peasant artists between the 1930s-1980s. Evidently in the 19th century the art world began embracing self-trained artists.

Museum of Broken Relationships

This museum is very cool. It hosts a collection of true stories of couples who have broken up around the world and displays their story and corresponding item that represented the relationship (some of them are very odd). It’s fascinating to read through the hundreds of stories in the museum (they rotate them frequently).

Apicultural Museum

Radovljica’s apicultural museum tells you everything you want to know about bees and more. It outlines the extensive history of beekeeping in Slovenia, boasts a large exhibit of historical beekeeping panels (you’ll see replicas for purchase throughout Slovenia), and has a very cool bee hive where you can watch the bees leave through a window, return, and make honey.

Do

Dubrovnik City Walls

If you do one thing in Dubrovnik this should be it (besides wandering the streets within the walls). It’s an incredibly scenic slightly over a mile long stroll along the 15th century walls of the city, giving sweeping views of the Adriatic and nearby islands as well as the crowded streets and red rooftops making up the city below.

Split Walking Tour

This tour was worth the cost. Our guide was extremely well-informed and led us through the historical Old Town and Diocletian’s Palace. She pointed out things we absolutely would have missed otherwise. Friendly, cheerful, and helpful, this tour was great.

Boat tour of Pakleni Islands

Touring these islands around Hvar is a MUST. It was an amazing, fun experience complete with one of the best meals we have ever had.

Vina Fakin Winery

Located near Motovan, this winery provides great wine and quite an experience. It’s family run and we had to call the phone number on the door to request to taste. Then a young man showed up, opened the door, and began pouring wine. You sit in tall plastic chairs in the middle of their barrel room as you taste.

Tomaz Winery

Located near Motovun, this winery offered a nice tasting room and scenic views. Try the muscat and rose. Tasting is free.

Stay

Apartments Biba Hvar Blue

These apartments were absolutely perfect for our stay in Hvar. Run by Biserka, the charming owner, the apartments were clean, located in very convenient walking distance to town, and with spectacular views.

House Tina

Very conveniently located to Plitvice Lakes National Park (10 minute drive), its a lovely farmhouse that’s a great deal for being so near the park. The rooms were nice and wood paneled. A nice breakfast was included.