Croatia
Dazzling coastlines
There’s no hiding it — Croatia’s spectacular coastline is one of the best in the world. The water dazzles in shades of azure blue and emerald green, pebbly beaches provide a sharp contrast to the silky water, and islands stretch out into the sea waiting to be explored. It’s a beach holiday that dreams are made of.
But there’s much more to Croatia than that. Its strategic location between the rest of the Balkans and the central Europe of Italy has meant Croatia has often been in the crossfire of battle, leaving it both scarred and uplifted by its past invaders. You’ll see Roman ruins, Slavic churches and huge Venetian palaces all mixed in together.
What hasn’t changed is the welcome from the locals — while some beach destinations are getting over-crowded, much of Croatia is delightfully under-visited, particularly on its interior of rolling farmland and limestone mountains.
Hidden gems in Croatia
Balkans
Via Dinarica White Trail
Newly waymarked – and with sibling Green and Blue Trails on the way – this epic ‘mega trail’ through the Dinaric Alps links northern Albania with Slovenia via Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia. Don’t expect polish; do expect rewarding and sometimes remote trekking. The trail isn’t generally sold as a commercial thru-hike, but trekking specialists will organise self-guided or guided treks along different segments of the trail. The Via Dinarica is actually three separate trails, with the main, so-called White Trail, following the spine of the Dinaric Alps as closely as possible. The Blue and Green trails follow lower routes and are less complete. The White Trail, described here, through Bosnia and Hezegovina is the most developed so far, stretching a more modest 333km and taking around two weeks to complete. Starting from Prisika on the Croatian border, the trail leads past Lake Buško with a fair amount of road walking. It passes through an area riddled with limestone caves, many that can be visited as detours. After crossing Mt Vran, the trail leads through the beautiful landscape of Blidinje Nature Park and over Mt Čvrsnica, with its distinctive rock-eye known as Hajdučka vrata. Next up, the trail crosses Prenj, a fabulous mountain area bristling with limestone peaks that requires at least two days. Passing beside Lake Boračko, it follows the edge of the Rakitnica Canyon to reach the Ljuta Valley, then skirts the southern slopes of Mt Treskavica. The final part of the White Trail in Bosnia is a two-stage hike across the beautiful landscape of Sutjeska National Park. Including Maglić, the highest mountain in Bosnia that can be climbed as a detour, the park features primeval forests, lush pastures and rocky peaks. After some awe-inspiring views from the border ridge, the route drops down to Lake Trnovačko, set amongst the epic sprawl of mountains that is Montenegro. Need to know The hiking season for the White Trail through Bosnia and Herzegovina is June to October. Bosnia and some parts of Croatia near the Bosnian border have areas with landmines. The trails on the Via Dinarica are perfectly safe, but it’s something you need to be aware of. Under no circumstances should you wander into areas where there are warning signs.
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