Things to do in Croatia

Dubrovnik, enclosed by mighty medieval walls above the sea, is the most famous town, with marble streets, churches and the green island of Lokrum offshore. Split, further up the coast, is built within and around the palace of the Roman emperor Diocletian, and its ferries reach islands such as Hvar, Brač and Vis.

Inland, Plitvice Lakes National Park is a chain of terraced lakes linked by waterfalls, and Krka National Park has cascades with boardwalks alongside. The Istrian peninsula has hill towns and truffles, Zadar a sea organ and famous sunsets, and the capital Zagreb an Austro-Hungarian charm of its own.

Croatian food leans on seafood, olive oil and wine along the coast, with black risotto, grilled fish and peka, meat or octopus slow-cooked under an iron bell. Warm seas and quieter towns make late spring and early autumn ideal, and later in autumn the olive harvest begins in Istria and Dalmatia. Ferries and catamarans link the islands.