10 Best Old Coastal Towns in Croatia

The summer season is far away, but with days getting warmer and warmer here in the south of Bosnia and Herzegovina, first feelings and dreams of travel and leisure are starting to come up. Also it is always great to be prepared for travel, so researching can always be done. Croatia is a neighbooring country to Bosnia and Herzegovina. One of the best aspects of Croatia is that it lies on the Adriatic Sea. Over thousand of years many old towns and harbors have been build along the coast and on the many islands.

It can be hard for the fellow traveler to pick and choose, so I wanted to make a selection in this post and show the 10 Best Old Coastal Towns in Croatia in my opinion. You can visit all (it will take you some time) or you can select a few. In any case I'm sure you will be amazed by their beauty, history and offerings.

10 Best Old Coastal Towns in Croatia

1. Korcula

In the Old Town of Korcula you can explore the  narrow streets, eat in one of the many restaurants, visit the gelateria Kiwi or discover the birth house of Marco Polo. Other places of interest on the island is the nearby town Lumbarda (which has a great harbor and walking lane), and Vela Luka, which is a bit further away, on the west side of the island. You can read more about Korcula in my three-part travel series.

2. Hvar

The old town of Hvar is located on the far west end of the same name island. Places of interest are the huge fortress above the city Hvar, the "Pakleni otoci" (Fiery islands), that are small islands where you can escape the busy city beaches, and the old town of Hvar. There is much to see in the lovely old town of Hvar as well. The houses are built right along the coastline and actually make up a big part of it. I have written about this island a bit more in detail previously on this blog, you read that post here.

3. Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik is a city in southern Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It's known for its distinctive old town, encircled with massive stone walls completed in the 16th century. If you take a boat from the old town harbor to the nearby island of Lokrum, you can observe the outer walls and the coast very nicely, and I tired to do so during my visit. 1979, the city of Dubrovnik joined the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Dubrovnik is among the 10 best preserved medieval walled cities in the world. Nowadays the city is swarmed with tourists, and it's actually nice to step on about and escape the crowds a little bit. A boat ride to the island Lokrum costs around 40 kuna (5 $) and also includes a trip back to the old town.

4. Split

The most prominent part of the old town of Split is the Diocletian Palace. This Palace is part of UNESCO's World Heritage List. The importance of the palace far transcends local significance because of its level of preservation and the buildings of succeeding historical periods, starting in the Roman period, which form the base of old Split. The palace is one of the most famous architectural and cultural buildings on the Croatian Adriatic coastline.Walking down the streets gives you a real sense of the history of this place. The cobblestones on the walk paths, lead you to various sub streets of the old town. Almost like a maze, these corridors are connected to the outside world as well as the complex inner structure of this part of the city. More here.

5. Trogir

Founded by Greek colonists in the 3d century BC, then called Tragurium, Trogir is a historic town and harbor on the Adriatic coast in Croatia. I visited it recently with my friend Selma and as we arrived the sun had already set a while ago, so our visit was during the night. Since 1997, the historic center of Trogir has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. It's a cozy, smaller version of an old town when compared to the close by Split or Dubrovnik further east.

6. Sibenik

The atmosphere in Sibenik is youthful and lively. Little streets lead to many squares where modern shop windows unite with the old architecture of the past centuries. What I really like about the city is that everything is within walking distance. From bus station to the old city center it takes only five minutes to walk. You can get to all sights on foot, and the furthest are within half an hour walk. My sister and I made a nightly visit and I was able to get into the small streets and corners and capture the more intimate sights of the city.

7. Ston

Ston is a small town located on the eastern tip of the of the Peljesac peninsula in Croatia. During our weekend trip to Neum, my friends and I decided to make a trip here, since it was close by. Ston is a tiny place, but well worth exploring. The main attraction (besides great food) is the huge stone wall that connects Ston to the nearby town called Mali Ston (Little Ston). You can walk on the wall all the way to the other city. Since we didn't have time for that we decided to explore the other sights of this old town on the Adriatic Sea. More from Ston here.

8. Rovinj

Rovinj is a Croatian fishing port on the west coast of the Istrian peninsula. The old town stands on a headland, with houses tightly crowded down to the seafront. A tangle of cobbled streets leads to the hilltop church of St. Euphemia, whose towering steeple dominates the skyline. South of the old town is Lone Bay, one of the area’s pebble beaches. The Rovinj archipelago’s 14 islands lie immediately off the mainland.
 

9. Pula

Pula, a seafront city on the tip of Croatia’s Istrian Peninsula, is known for its protected harbor, beach-lined coast and Roman ruins. Settled in the prehistoric era and valued for its strategic location, Pula has been occupied, destroyed and rebuilt numerous times. The Romans, Ostrogoths and Venetians, as well as the Allied Forces in World War II, have each administered the city. Mostly famous for its huge arena, visited by many tourists throughout the summer.

10. Zadar

Zadar, on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast, is known for the Roman and Venetian ruins of its peninsular Old Town. There are several Venetian gates in the city walls. Surrounding the Roman-era Forum is 11th-century St. Mary’s Convent, with religious art dating to the 8th century. There’s also the grand, 12th-century St. Anastasia’s Cathedral and the round, 9th-century pre-Romanesque Church of St. Donatus.

Which old coastal town of Croatia do you like the most?

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