6 UNESCO World Heritage sites to visit in Croatia
Beauty, ancient history, terraced waterfalls and culture, what more could you want?
Croatia was an absolute pleasure to tour around, and with its clear blue seas and beautiful climate, I would do it all again.
Before Gary and I embarked on our Croatian road trip, we browsed the UNESCO World Heritage website. Here we discovered what was nearby in each of the local regions we were visiting.
Birds-eye view of Dubrovnik
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A little bit of trivia
Did you know that UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation?
There a couple of locations here that have been quite a hot topic recently, for their number of visitors. However, don’t let this put you off dropping by, as the history and architecture are incredible. You just need to arrive out of high season and if possible, stay overnight, so that the day-trippers have left for the evening.
Plitvice Lakes Natural Park
Hopefully, there are a couple of locations that you may never have heard of or not visited yet. Leave me a comment if you have some recommendations yourself.
Let's start with one of Croatia’s natural UNESCO wonders, Plitvice Lakes Natural Park. These beautiful lakes and waterfalls have been flowing and cascading for thousands of years. I can’t imagine that in some regions of the park, that they look too much different from today.
Cascading waterfalls into the opal lake
When we arrived at Plitvice lakes early on a misty September’s morning, the moist air was hanging low across the stilted boardwalks and almost felt quite ethereal. Plitvice has created its own little microclimate and is quite often unpredictable all year round.
The misty morning hovers across Plitvice Lakes
We ventured north to south weaving our way through the damp woodlands, passing opal coloured lakes and terraced waterfalls that could enchant you for hours. Incredibly Plitvice Lakes Natural Park in Croatia was inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.
Tempted to visit the captivating Plitvice Lakes for yourself, why not take a day trip with a tour guide from Zadar?
A helpful guide
If you've yet to discover the delights of Croatia you're in for a treat. While planning our road trip, I used the DK Eyewitness books. I find them extremely informative, easy to follow and the pictures and maps tempt you into discovering more.
We used a previous version of this book to plan our north to south Croatian road trip, now you can grab the revised copy.
In our opinion
We love embarking on road trips, so our preferred mode of transport is always jumping in a car. We find it’s the best way to discover a country, so why not check out Rental Cars as they search multiple well-known car hire brands for the best deals.
The beautiful little city of Trogir is located just north of Split. In my opinion, I actually preferred staying overnight here than in Split. The Renaissance and Baroque architecture are stunning. Head inside the walls of this historic city and get lost in the ancient winding lanes.
UNESCO city of Trogir
Trogir is nestled along the coastline of the Adriatic Sea, and the pedestrian streets just tempt you to delve further into the hidden courtyards. It’s a lovely location to discover day and night, take a stroll along the promenade of an evening and watch the sunset across the magical blue sea.
Hidden courtyards in Trogir
A Venetian style tower
The enchanting walled city of Trogir in Croatia became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. What I really loved about Trogir was the magnificent Venetian architecture. You almost felt like you were in Venice.
If you’d like to find out more about Trogir’s ancient past, why not jump on this reasonably priced 90-minute walking tour?
The city of Dubrovnik has become pretty popular in recent years, and when you arrive, it isn’t too difficult to see why. The old city of Dubrovnik is stunning. Within its ancient walls are enticing little lanes, incredible architecture and so much history, if only the walls could talk.
Far reaching views across the Adriatic Sea from Dubrovnik
You must take a stroll around the undulating ramparts to get a bird’s-eye view over the terracotta rooftops. From these ancient walls, you’ll also be able to enjoy the warm breeze brushing over you as you admire the crystal blue waters of the Adriatic Sea below.
Old City of Dubrovnik from the ancient ramparts
The ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’ has such a beautiful mixture of architecture. This is just one of the reasons why Dubrovnik in Croatia has been inscribed on the UNESCO List since 1979.
There’s so much more to Dubrovnik than meets the eye, find out more of its ancient history on this 90-minute guided walking tour?
In short, the Euphrasian Basilica. This is a beautiful complex of ancient buildings that reveals so much ancient history. Incredibly this Byzantine Basilica in Poreč can trace its Christian roots back to as early as the 4th century.
The intricate and striking mosaic detail within the Basilica is exquisite.
The inner courtyard the Euphrasian Basilica
Within the basilica garden, which is lovingly preserved, you can still see traces of the original mosaic flooring. The historic complex of buildings also includes the atrium, octagonal baptistery and the archbishop’s palace. Make sure you also climb the Bell Tower; the views across Poreč’s rooftops are wonderful.
Intricate detail inside the Euphrasian Basilica
The view up to the bell tower
The ancient Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč on the shores of the Adriatic sea in Croatia was inscribed on to the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
Tempted with Croatia?
Take a peek at our other posts from our Croatian road trip These include Rovinj, Pula and some Croatian Culinary Delights.
Last and by no means least is the historic city of Split, and it’s unbelievable Diocletian Palace. There is history around every little turn in Split, it’s one of those places that you just don’t mind getting lost in its lanes.
4th century Roman Cathedral of Saint Domnius
However, what will stop you in your tracks is the incredible Diocletian Palace. You almost feel like you’ve wandered onto a movie set and amazingly it’s free to stroll around.
The Roman Peristyle in Split
The vestibule
Centuries of ancient structures in various state of preservation are all around you. Once again, the Venetian influences are so clear to see. It was the sunken Roman Peristyle in front of the Diocletian quarters that I loved. Also, the 4th-century Roman Cathedral of Saint Domnius which stands so proud and dominates the skyline.
Although Split can get busy it really is a must to visit, the historical complex and Diocletian Palace were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.
You won’t want to miss Split’s historical sites, so join a 2-hour walking tour and find out all there is to know about this ancient city.
Šibenik is located along the beautiful Dalmatian coast just south of Zadar and north of Split. So, it’s easy to visit for a day trip. If you’d love to incorporate this with a visit to Krka National Park take a look at this full-day tour which picks you up from Split or Trogir.
Outside the Cathedral of St James, Šibenik
The Cathedral of St James in Šibenik was constructed between 1431 and 1535.
It’s extremely unique as it is built entirely of stone.
It’s incredible to look up at the roof from the inside.
You can see the enormous stone slabs which were used to construct the barrel roof.
The stone roof
The Renaissance cathedral was inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000. Take a wander throughout the historic city of Šibenik in Croatia, as it has some lovely squares and a magnificent coastline to promenade along.
Where to next?
We only managed to visit six of Croatia’s UNESCO sites, these are the other four we need to add to our list.
- Stari Grad Plain on the island of Hvar
- Stećci Medieval Tombstone Graveyards in central and south Croatia.
- Venetian Works of Defence between the 16th and 17th Centuries: Stato da Terra – Western Stato da Mar. Which span 1,000km from Italy to the Adriatic coast in Croatia.
- Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe. These forests actually stretch over 12 countries.
Want to discover more?
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