Croatia Travel Guide: Best Places & Time to Visit, Delicacies

Travel Guide To Croatia

Indian Embassy in Croatia
Embassy of India
Bijenik ul. 152, 10000
Zagreb, Croatia
Bijenik ul. 152, 10000
Tel: +385 1 4873 239

Visa Process for Indians

The island-speckled coastline of Croatia is indisputably its main attraction. The pristine waters set against dazzling white pebbly beaches sparkle with jewel-like intensity. you can enter Croatia and stay for 90 days, within 180 days after visa issuance. You will need to carry your passport at the time of entering the country.

Your passport should have been issued less than ten years ago and have an expiry date at least three months after your intended departure from Croatia. Along with your passport, you can also carry the following documents to establish proof of identity:

• Voter ID issued by the Indian Government
• Emergency certificate issued by the Indian Embassy in Croatia

About Croatia

The island-speckled coastline of Croatia is indisputably its main attraction. The pristine waters set against dazzling white pebbly beaches sparkle with jewel-like intensity.  You can easily find full stretches of beaches in varying shades of sapphire and emerald.

Then there are beaches with long sandy and shingly stretches – perfect for lazing around and devouring your favourite novels. You can even indulge in several water-based activities such as snorkelling, kayaking, diving, windsurfing and sailing.

Top Places to Visit in Croatia

There are several popular places that you can visit in Croatia, and every one of them has a unique vibe.

Dubrovnik

The old town of Dubrovnik and its beauty never fails to overwhelm tourists, whether first-time visitors or seasoned ones. The city’s limestone streets and ornate buildings overlooking the shimmering Adriatic Sea are enough to woo you away.

Hvar Island

Have Island’s hub; the Hvar Town is a significant tourist attraction in the country. The Town features 13th-century walls surrounding the baroque ornamented Gothic palaces and marble streets. Tourists on the island love to explore the sights on the curvy stone streets.

Istria

At Istria, the Adriatic meets continental Croatia. This heart-shaped, 3600-sq-km peninsula region features a bucolic interior of fertile plains and rolling hills, offering a delectable food culture.

How to Reach Croatia

The easiest way to reach Croatia from India is by air. There are several prominent airports in the country, including the Zagreb Airport, Dubrovnik Airport, Split Airport, and Pula Airport. From India, there are several direct flights to Croatia, from reputable airlines including Lufthansa, Jet Airways, Air India, Air France, British Airways, Etihad, Turkish Airlines, and Qatar Airways. While there are no direct flights between the two countries, you can opt for a one-stop or two-stop trip.

Best Time to Visit

Most tourists head off to Croatia in between July and August. However, the best time to visit Croatia is between June and September when there is lesser number of tourists, the weather is sunny and warm, and prices are more affordable. Not to mention the sea waters surrounding the country, which are surprisingly more tepid in September than July.

Things to Pack

There are three distinctive climates in Croatia – Mediterranean, mountain climate and a continental island climate. Therefore, you would have to pack light clothes if you are visiting the country during the summer. You may also pack a windbreaker jacket, leggings and a pair of long pants and shorts.

Also, don’t forget to pack the following essentials –

• swimsuits and cover-ups
• water shoes
• sunglasses
• microfiber towel
• sandals
• walking shoes
• waterproof phone bag
• adapters and converters (Croatia works on 220V, 50 Hz frequency, you can find both type C F plugs here)

Top Delicacies

Croatia has many lip-smacking delicacies that you should try while visiting the place:

Peka

Peka is essentially a recipe wherein you place any meat, seafood, and veggies on to a tray, add salt and spices and then cover it with bell-like lid. The tray is placed in a fireplace, together with the lid and then embers are placed on top. Once half cooked, the meat is turned and rubbed with honey, cognac and some Mediterranean herbs, and then served with a baked bread.

Strukli

Originally from Slovenia, this variant of pastry is filled with sour cream and cottage cheese and is prepared either by boiling in water or baked in an oven. You can also try different variations of this traditional recipe (such as with truffles, cheese or blueberries).

Black Risotto

Crni Rizot or black risotto is essentially a squid risotto, wherein the squid ink is used to colour the rice. Along with the squids, the risotto also contains clams, mussels, and other shellfish.

Rakija

Rakija is a form of local spirit produced from grapes (its called Loza). However, there are different flavours of rakija, such as travarica (herb brandy), orahovaca (walnut brandy), medica (honey brandy), mirta (myrtle brandy), visnja (chery brandy), and rogac (carob brandy).

Shopping List Essentials

In Croatia, Cartisan olive oils are some of the most excellent quality produced in the world. You can also shop for some original souvenirs, unique clothes, accessories, bags and jewellery here. In Croatia, you must take some time to explore the supermarkets of Konzum, Lidl, Plodine, Kaufland, and Spar.

Top Indian Restaurants in Croatia

• Incredible IndiaLocation: Thamel Marga, Kathmandu 44600

Location - Croatia, Vetranićeva ul. 6, 20000, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Contact:+385 20 312 743

• Royal India

Location: Ul. Ivana Tkalčića 26, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

Contact:+385 1 4680 965

Healthcare Centers

While travelling in Croatia, you must know of the major healthcare centres in Croatia, where you can avail immediate medical attention in case of an emergency. Here are some of the foremost hospitals in the country that you can contact when in need:

Clinical Hospital Firule

Location: Spinčićeva 1, HR 21 000 Split Contact: Tel: + 385 (21) 556 111 Email - office@kbsplit.hr Website - www.kbsplit.hr

Rijeka Clinical Hospital Centre - Rijeka Site

Location - Krešimirova 42 Phone: +385 51 658 111 Website:www.kbc-rijeka.hr

Rijeka Clinical Hospital Centre - Sušak Site

Location - Tome Strižića 3 Phone: +385 51 407 111 Website:www.kbc-rijeka.hr

Moreover, tourists are advised to purchase a travel insurance policy before visiting Croatia. A travel insurance policy will not only help you look for and reach out to the best hospitals in the country but also avail the best possible treatment without worrying much about the treatment expenses.

Currency

While Croatia is a part of the EU (European Union), it still doesn’t use Euro as its primary currency. Instead, the common currency in Croatia is Kuna.

Basis of Local Communication

The country’s s most popular language is Croatian, with almost 95% of the population being Croatian native speakers. The country also has other minority languages such as Latin, Serbian, Italian, and Czech. Here a few commonly known terms in English and their Croatian transliterations.