Located on the Balkan Peninsula at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and the Dinaric Alps lies the beautiful Republic of Croatia. With its 718 islands, 8 national parks and a bunch of medieval towns there is a lot to explore in this Mediterranean country.
This summer my boyfriend Pascal and I toured a few countries south of Germany with our british racing green coloured MINI, one of which was Croatia. We drove from the northern region of Istria across Kvarner to the city of Dubrovnik in southern Dalmatia, from where we took a ferry to Italy.
We were simply baffled by Croatia's beautiful coastline with crystal blue water and countless islands in the distance, its historic cities, which served as filming locations to bring fantasy novels to life, and its stunning national parks, which I covered in a separate post.
As the title of this post suggests, in my opinion a road trip along the coast is the best way to explore Croatia. The costal roads are incredibly scenic and, as a bonus, they are also toll-free. Furthermore there are dozens of beautiful view points along the way that will leave you speechless.
View point of the Lim Channel in Istria
Photo spot on the border of Istria and Kvarner
One of the few Croatian islands you can get to by car without taking a ferry is Krk. Krk is located near Rijeka in the Bay of Kvarner and is the largest island in the Adriatic Sea. We went there for a day trip and were impressed by the old towns and beautiful beaches.
I definitely recommend getting off the coastal road and heading inland to explore Croatia's national parks and other sights like the Cetina River Spring. Izvor Cetine, also known as the Eye of the World due to its appearance on pictures shot from a drone, is located near mount Dinara, Croatias tallest peak, close to the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It is an at least 115m (375 feet) deep karst spring that is popular among divers, some of whom have posted video footage of their dives on YouTube, which you can check out if you are interested.
The spring gained popularity through pictures on social media where people are swimming in what looks like an eye in the earth's crust. If you plan on taking that famous shot or to swim in the spring for other reasons, such as snorkeling, be aware that the water is very cold. The temperatures are below 10° celsius (50°F).
There is a viewing platform above the spring, however, you won't be able to take the iconic picture of the Eye of the World without a drone. However, even without that instagrammable shot, you can still admire the spring and the beautiful scenery around it.
Driving further south along the coast you will pass Split, the largest city in Dalmatia and second largest in Croatia. I would recommend stopping there to explore the city.
Split's port is the gateway to many islands, which we unfortunately didn't get to visit on this trip, but maybe we will on the next one. My absolute highlight was the Diocletian's Palace. Its remains are part of the historic centre of Split and are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Only half an hour's drive from the centre of Split lies the Fortress of Klis, which you can visit for 60 kuna (8€). Due to its strategic location, the fortress played an important role in the defence of Dalmatia against the Ottomans. Nowadays, the fortress looks more like a ruin than a military base, however, the views from up there are stunning. The Fortress of Klis was also used as a filming location for the hit series "Game of Thrones" and thus attracts fans of the show.
Currently, when driving to Dubrovnik-Neretva County you must pass Bosnia and Herzegovina thus leaving and re-entering the EU.
However, you will soon be able to avoid border controls and save some time by crossing the Pelješac Bridge, which is expected to be opened for traffic in June 2022. The almost 2.5 km (about 1.5 miles) long bridge will be connecting the exclave to the rest of Croatia, bypassing the short coastal strip of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The city of Dubrovnik is one of Croatia's most famous travel destinations, gaining even more popularity in the last years since being chosen as one of the filming locations for "Game of Thrones". The entire old town was deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its outstanding medieval architecture.
One of the most impressive sights of the city are the Walls of Dubrovnik, the almost 2 km (1.2 miles) long stone walls around the old town, which you can visit for 200 kuna (about 27€).
The round walk offers amazing views of the city, the crystal clear sea and the island of Lokrum. However, there is absolutely no shade on the wall, so you should plan your visit in the morning or the evening on very hot days. There are also guided tours you can book, like the Game of Thrones Tour or the Early Bird Tour, more information on which can be found on the official website of the Walls of Dubrovnik.
The best view of Dubrovnik is undoubtedly from Srd Hill. You can take the Dubrovnik Cable Car to the top which costs 170 kuna (about 23€) for a round trip and visit the Panorama Restaurant & Bar. You can find further information of the experience on their official website.
However, there is a cheaper way to enjoy this amazing view if you are travelling by car.
We drove up the hill (on very narrow streets) to a beautiful view point, which offers the same view free of charge.
I fell in love with this medieval city and definitely want to return to Dubrovnik.
Also there is still a lot of Croatia I have yet to explore, for example various islands.
Bottom line, if you are looking for a scenic roadtrip, Croatia will definitely not diappoint.