Tourist Attractions & Monuments Croatia

With its two bell towers (104 and 105 m), the cathedral is the highest religious building in the country. In Romanesque style, the first building (11th century) was destroyed by the Mongolian army. After the earthquake of 1880, the city's architect, Herman Bollé, a disciple of the Viennese Friedrich von Schmidt, redesigned it in neo-Gothic style. Inside there are paintings and sculptures, including the triptych of the Passion, signed Albrecht Dürer (1495), and a priceless sacred treasure.

The Mirogoj is one of the most beautiful funeral sites in Europe. Designed in 1876 by the German architect Hermann Bollé (1845-1926), the neo-Renaissance cemetery is enclosed by an enclosure with monumental arcades. Inside: chapels, pavilions, hundred-year-old trees. A booklet helps to locate the graves of the poets Petar Preradović and Antun Gustav Matoš, that of the painter Vladimir Becić (bust of the hand of Meštrović), the mausoleum of Tuđman, the memorial crosses of the hundreds of soldiers who died in the last war. Ask at the tourist office.

The genesis of this mountain dates back about 200 million years. Through the process of plate tectonics, sedimentary rocks accumulated on the sea floor rose, giving rise to the Dinaric Alps chain. Heavy rains have created caves and natural wells, accumulated limestone, shaped the water, carved superb stalactites and stalagmites. At the highest point of the massif, Mount Zavižan (1,676 m), the highest weather station in Croatia was built. The national park was established in 1999.

Winters are harsh, with frequent snowfall and a strong wind (bura) that cools the atmosphere. But as soon as the weather is good, it is a paradise for lovers of unspoilt nature. Ask the reception offices for information on access conditions (weather, schedules, practicable routes, etc.).

Several naturalistic trails. The path from Premužić leads to the nature reserve of the ridges Hajdučki and Rožanski. It was built in 1930 by Ante Premuzic, a water and forest engineer, who was the first to explore it. This great walker, at an average altitude of 1,500 m, discovered the peaks where unusual shaped limestone piles have accumulated. Between these peaks, deep funnels have deepened, opening the horizon to the Kvarner islands. On a clear day, summit hunters will also enjoy a 360° panoramic view of the mountainous coast, which literally seems to plunge into the Adriatic. Offshore, you can guess the small islands of Goli Otok, Sveti Grgur and Prvic, and the large island of Krk.

Flora and fauna. The park is home to a botanical garden founded in 1967 by Professor Fran Kušan, a botanist and herbalist. With his team, the naturalist has identified more than 2,500 Mediterranean and alpine plants. The best known are thyme, alchemilla, mountain clover, grasses, silica... To the west of the garden, a forest of oaks and maples is now protected from all human exploitation. Going up to the east, beech, black pine, fir, spruce and spruce dominate...

It will be easy for you to see lizards, many birds (180 species) including the great black heather cockerel, birds of prey, the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), master of these places. Large mammals are becoming rare, a pair of binoculars, patience and discretion in the wild will increase your chances of observing these wild animals, lynx, chamois, deer, deer or even a wolf, a brown bear.

To the south of the city, on the road to Rovinj, the Croatian coast was invaded by water when the ice melted and gave rise to this inlet, dominated by high rock walls. The fjord formed naturally by entering the land like a canal. The dense and varied vegetation is now protected in a nature reserve. The site mouth can be visited by road. Trails run along the banks. By boat, sea excursions from Rovinj, Poreč or Pula. All of them stop there but some do not dock.

The agency is located at the roundabout before entering the historic town, next to the post office. Information about accommodation in hotels on the peninsula opposite or holiday rentals in the old town, the new town and outside the walls, restaurants, heritage, excursions to Šibenik, for example, agro-tourism, sports activities, summer entertainment, beaches, conditions of access to the leisure park (Aquapark).

At the end of the lagoon in the direction of Sabunike, a 3 km long beach. Its name is said to come from the first Croatian king, Tomislav I and his wife who lived in the area. The texture of the fine sand, the shallow depth of the crystal blue water and its higher temperature than elsewhere make it an ideal vacation spot. A medicinal mud deposit, the largest in Europe, is another natural wealth of the municipality, coveted by real estate investors.

This website in Croatian and English provides information about Mljet National Park and its latest news and informs users about cultural events in the park.