A Wonderful Car Trip Through Croatia

[Lily Berns]

Croatia is such a perfect combination of rich nature along with hundreds of historical monuments, so it has become quite popular among tourists.

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Croatia has almost everything for all kinds of activities from swimming in crystal clear waters of Adriatic Sea, exploring mysterious ruins and castles to the extreme sports in Croatian ski resorts.

Even if you have only several free days you can visit the two most popular tourist destinations of Croatia: the cities of Split and Dubrovnik, which are located not far from each other, about 280 km.

Dubrovnik

Distance from Dubrovnik airport: 20,6 km
Driving time: 24 min
Gas consumed: 1.4 liters

This ancient fortress town on the Adriatic coast is considered Croatia's main tourist destination. Dubrovnik is literally an open air museum, with sandy Adriatic beaches nearby. Let’s find out what attractions of the city are worth visiting first of all.

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The very first view from the Dubrovnik airport overlooks 20 km of winding road leading to the city itself. From one side there are white rocks and green hills, from other beautiful view of the bright blue see. The road to Dubrovnik and then to Split would be more enjoyable if you rent a car with air conditioning. There are plenty of vehicles to rent for lowest rates at Dubrovnik Airport

The Old Town of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik's enclosed old town with its white stone walls and lovely red roofs is the main attractions of the city. Here you can walk for hours admiring beautiful architecture, making pauses in the neat, small cafes and restaurant with delusions seafood.

There are only two nuances: hundreds or even thousands of tourists and extreme heat, because you’ll be surrounded by stone walls, stone floors without any free area with grass or trees. And streets of the old town tend to heat up to incredibly high temperatures. That’s why it’s important to always take with you a bottle of water.

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The City Walls

There is one way to explore the old town of Dubrovnik without encountering crowds of tourists. It’s the old walls of Dubrovnik, encircling the city. The walls have a length of about 2km and offer fantastic views of the city and the sea. But this pleasure isn’t free. There is entrance fee to the city walls of about 15 USD.

Split

Distance from Dubrovnik: 229 km
Driving time: 3 hours 9 min
Gas consumed: 15 liters

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Split, with more than 17 centuries of its history is one of the oldest cities of Croatia and also the second largest after Zagreb. It's a city of museums, ancient monuments, culture, tradition, history and beauty. Among its attractions of Split, the most famous one, definitely worth visiting, is the Palace of Diocletian.

Palace of Diocletian


The palace was built in the 3rd century by order of the Roman emperor Diocletian. Marble for this enormous palace was brought from Turkey, granite columns and sphinxes were from Egypt. The palace was so huge that soon it was gradually turned into a fortress to protect locals from attacks of the barbarians. And years later the city, which soon was called Spalatum (later Italian Spallato), grew up around the fortress.

The palace survived to our times in the good condition. There are the Imperial mausoleum, Temple of Jupiter, the three watchtowers and Peristyle (rectangular open air room surrounded by marble columns, the favorite place of street musicians).

Our last attraction is a unique place of unearthly beauty, which is located in 273 km from Split. It’s the Plitvice lakes - one of the most visited natural attractions in Europe!

Plitvice Lakes

Distance from Split: 273 km
Driving time: 3 hours 27 min
Gas consumed: 18 liters

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The Plitvice national park is located at an altitude of 400-1200 meters above sea level, so the air here is clear and fresh with the scent of virgin forest. There are many hiking routes both for beginners and experienced tourists. National park strikes imagination with the riot of bright colors. The lakes themselves show all imaginable shades of blue and turquoise and the thick foliage of trees complete picture with bright green. The fantastic views of Plitvice national park won’t leave anybody indifferent!

As a conclusion it should be said that two days in Croatia won’t be enough to reveal all its secrets, but at least you’ll have time to get acquainted with the two most popular Croatian cities of Dubrovnik and Split. So don’t hesitate! Book a car online to make first step in arranging your fantastic holidays!