Croatia
Dubrovnik
There is plenty to do in and around Dubrovnik. You can use it as a home base while you visit some of Croatia's bordering countries or spend a day in and around the city kayaking, ziplining, walking the fortress wall, or just spend the day looking for Game of Thrones filming locations.
Ziplining over Dubrovnik at sunset is a perfect way to see the city from above at the most scenic time of the day. It's a fun activity and you can following it up with drinking a bottle of wine on the side of the mountain overlooking the sea and the city as the sun goes down.
Croatia is more than beautifully preserved old towns nestled within buzzing cities, it is also a wonderland of natural beauty. The country is home to some amazing waterfalls that are easily accessible from the cities that you are staying in.
These pictures are from an amazing hike through the Plitvice Lakes National Park. During the hike, we walked around 16 cascading lakes surrounded by waterfalls connecting the lakes down the mountain side. On the way to Plitvice be sure to stop in the sweet town on Rastoke, lovingly referred to as a Fairy Village" by the locals. Relax and have a cup of coffee and get a chance to catch a glimpse of a fairy at a small garden dedicated to these tiny creatures.
We also spent a day hiking at the Krka National Park home of more cascading waterfalls. When visiting Krka it is definitely worth your time to stop in the beautiful coastal town of Primosten and cool down with a dip in the Adriatic.
The beautiful seaside city of Split. Split's founder was the retired Roman Emperor Diocletian. The old city of Split is actually housed in the walls of his palace which was built in 293 AD. The shops, restaurants, and apartments are all built into the palace rooms.
While Zagreb and Split are not terribly far apart, they are incredibly different. Zagreb is German Hungarian architecture and food while Split and Dubrovnik architecture are a mix of the ancient and coastal styles, and the food reminds you of any Mediterranean or Adriatic Sea fare. Culturally, the people of these towns are also very different. Zagreb citizens are more independently inclined, leaving families after school to pursue their own future versus Split and Dubrovnik where it is not uncommon to reside within your larger family units for life and grow into your family business. Even the weather is different! In September, Zagreb was cold and rainy but as soon as we arrived in Split it was 70 to 80 and beautiful. Keep the weather thing in mind if you are traveling in the fall to Croatia!
These differences make Zagreb a must-see site. If you want to experience all of Croatia, you have to see both the coast and the north. Also, Zagreb is an excellent place to rent an apartment and take day trips to the National Parks and neighboring countries like Slovenia - all must sees!
Also, there is a museum there that I wondered into in order to escape the rain and it was truly a special museum, and I would recommend it to anyone that has time to visit Zagreb. Put the Museum of Broken Relationships on your list of sites to see when visiting this city.