Best Fun Unusual Places to Visit in Croatia

 

You’ll find plenty of talk in these pages about Croatia’s big-hitting sites and attractions. UNESCO Heritage Sites, gorgeous beaches, magnificent beaches, Roman, Venetian, and Byzantine architecture, incredible food and drink…you’ll never be short of top-quality sightseeing during your Croatian tailor-made tour or small ship cruise.

If you’ve a thirst for the unusual however, then Croatia certainly doesn’t disappoint! Read on for our list of the most intriguing, unique, or downright odd thing tourist attractions you’ll find in Croatia.

Zagreb Upper Town
Olives picked by hand, Istria

Museum of Broken Relationships – Zagreb

Why not open a museum dedicated to that most intense and heartfelt experience – the end of an affair? Opened by Croatian artist Dražen Grubišić, each exhibit here is a totem of a break-up, each telling a unique and peculiar story. The Museum is found in the capital’s Upper Town, and pairs well with the equally odd Grič Tunnel, a 350m long former air-raid shelter, now fashion, exhibition, and nightclub space.

 

Hand-produced Olive Oil – Istria

Croatia’s Tuscany, the Istrian peninsula is the heartland of Croatian cuisine, producing the highest quality olive oils, wines, prosciutto, and truffles. On a visit to the Brist Olive Grove near Vodnjan you’ll discover how this family produces their award-winning oils entirely by hand, without the use of a single machine. Join them on a tour of the premises, and see if you can taste the difference!

Zadar sea organ
Plitvice waterfalls

Sea Organ – Zadar

Zadar, on the northern Dalmatian Coast, has an eclectic array of sights which include an ancient Roman Forum and a popular waterfront art installation, Greeting to the Sun. Most unique however is its ‘Sea Organ’: 35 pipe organs drilled into steps on the promenade, which are ‘played’ by the lapping waves and changing tides. Both the organ and Greeting to the Sun were developed by local artist Nikola Bašić.

 

Plitvice Lakes National Park

Along with Krka National Park, Plitvice is one of the most alluring natural wonders in inner Croatia. Its chain of 16 interconnected and terraced lakes are connected by hiking trails, and are located around halfway between Zagreb and the Dalmatian Coast, making this a popular stop on road trips down from the capital to Split and Makarska. 

 

Wreck of Baron Gautsch, off Brijuni
Blue Cave, Bisevo

Wreck of Baron Gautsch – off Brijuni

The Baron Gautsch was a high-class passenger ship, which sadly befell a similar fate to the Titanic. Midway through the first World War, while journeying from Montenegro north through the Adriatic Sea back to Trieste, the captain left an inexperienced understudy in charge who consequently sailed straight into a minefield – resulting in 147 fatalities. The wreck can be dived as a day trip from Pula. 

 

Blue Cave – Biševo

The tiny Croatian island of Biševo has little to trouble the tourists, with one notable exception. The island plays host to the alluring ‘blue cave’: a crack in the limestone cave creates a mystical azure effect which is only viewable for two hours on either side of noon each day. Day trips can be arranged from nearby Vis or Hvar, which include swimming stops in beautiful secluded coves nearby. 

 

Froggyland – Split

Never mind UNESCO World Heritage Sites, when in Split why not check out this incredibly eclectic museum which consists of over 500 individually stuffed frogs in various anthropomorphic poses such as fishing, sewing, camping, and circus acts. The museum is found just of Diocletian’s Palace in the city center.

 

If you’re looking for travel ideas, check out our recommended bespoke tours and luxury small ship cruises which feature destinations all across charming Croatia. 

Get started on your dream trip to Croatia by contacting our specialists today

 

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