Regions of the Croatian Adriatic
Istria
The Istrian peninsula, situated in the westernmost part of Croatia, has always been a very special area. The same can be said for the tourist region of Istria which, although it comprises only a single county, the County of Istria, it is without question the primary tourist region of Croatia. Its quite unique qualities are the result of its location - sitting where the Mediterranean Sea insinuates itself deepest into the European mainland, and being isolated from the bulk of Croatia by the Učka massif. That is why, despite its greatly predominant Croatian population, Istria was under foreign rule from long-distant 7th century right up until some 60 years ago. Its singular position and the blend of various influences have resulted in a special culture and landscape, music, gastronomy...
Kvarner & Highlands
Within Croatia, a land so varied both in its nature and its culture, the most diverse area is Kvarner and the Highlands, which includes two counties: the County of Primorje-Gorski kotar and the County of Lika-Senj, encompassing the coastal area of the Bay of Kvarner, with numerous islands and almost the entire area of mountainous Croatia. It is precisely here that the warm region of the Mediterranean, with its stone houses and rich Renaissance heritage, passes into colder central European domain characterized by mighty fortresses, castles, burgs and Baroque churches. In contrast to Istria and Dalmatia which, for a significant part of their history, have been under foreign rule, the area of Kvarner was ruled by Croatian monarchs from the early Middle Ages. This is why this particular part of Croatia stands out with its numerous monuments of indigenous Croatian culture.
Dalmatia: Zadar
Dalmatia is the largest and in the world the best known Croatian historical region. It occupies the southernmost part of the country and is a land of sun, warm sea, olives, wine, fish, song, and picturesque, stone-built settlements; in a word, the true Mediterranean. It is also its culturally richest part, containing four of a total of five localities protected as part of the UNESCO List of World Cultural Heritage. Considering that Dalmatia is most frequently approached from the north, it is there that we come to the first of the four Dalmatian tourist regions: the Dalmatia - Zadar region, which encompasses the County of Zadar. Within are the historical centres of Dalmatia: the city of Zadar, the islands of Pag, Dugi otok, Ugljan, Pašman, and a number of smaller isles
Dalmatia: Šibenik
Starting from Zadar and proceeding southwards we come to the region of Dalmatia-Šibenik, famous world wide for its Krka and Kornati National Parks. But that is not all that this region has, a region comprising just one county: Šibenik-Knin County. It also has a very valuable cultural heritage. The county is named after its two most important historical towns: Šibenik, the main and still the more important, situated on the shores of the Adriatic, and Knin, the royal town of even greater importance in the past, located in the hinterland of Dalmatinska zagora
Dalmatia: Split
The largest tourist region in Dalmatia is the part around Split, its largest city, a region which covers only one county, the County of Split-Dalmatia. This is the centre and the true heart of Dalmatia, where the majority of its inhabitants live, where the main Dalmatian islands are located, where the beaches are the most beautiful. Here is where most of the precious cultural monuments are to be found as well as two of a total of five Croatian localities included in the UNESCO List of World Heritage: the historical nucleus of Split, with Diocletian’s Palace, and the historical city of Trogir. If Dalmatia is indeed, as many say, the true, primeval Mediterranean, then its central part around Split is, in itself, the heart of the entire Mediterranean.
Dalmatia: Dubrovnik
The most beautiful jewel of Croatia’s cultural heritage, the old city of Dubrovnik, is located in the southernmost part of the sunniest Croatian tourist region of all: the Dalmatia-Dubrovnik area. It comprises one county, the County of Dubrovnik-Neretva, which extends almost entirely along the shore. And within it, Dubrovnik, the most beautiful and the most important, but by no means the only, cultural gem.
Also in this part of Croatia is the island of Korčula - the home of Marco Polo - the green islands of Mljet, Lastovo and the Elafiti with their picturesque settlements; the Pelješac peninsula, with its vineyards and the especially fine houses built by sea captains; the magical Konavle valley; the fertile River Neretva delta.
Croatia