10 Best Secret Places to Go in Croatia

Zagorje Region

Though best known as a Mediterranean destination, Croatia's Zagorje Region, with its medieval castles and rolling hills, evokes the country's Austrian-Hungarian heritage. This northern region is a short ride from the busy capital city of Zagreb and almost completely unknown to tourists, and there's no better way to enjoy it than by taking a long drive through its color-shifting countryside in the fall.

Make a stop at Trakoscan Castle, a 13th-century fairytale fortress on a hill complete with turreted towers and a drawbridge. Take some time to stroll around the castle's manmade lake, or travel further back in time by visiting the fascinating Neanderthal Museum, where the first recognizable remains of the Neanderthal were found.

Varazdin

If you're visiting the Zagorje region, book a night away from Zagreb to experience a full day in the peaceful town of Varazdin. As Croatia's formal capital, this small town has a big history and is often referred to as "Little Vienna" for its signature baroque style.

Varazdin is small enough to explore on your own, but a walking tour will give you perspective on the many cultures and styles that influenced the town throughout its history. Take your time and do as the Croatians do by enjoying the cafe scene outside the Old Castle, relaxing and absorbing the daily life of the town.

Varazdin has a population of just 40,000, but that number goes way up whenever one of the many special festivals or events bring in the crowds. Whether it's a two-week celebration of baroque splendor, a 10-day street festival, an international Frisbee golf tournament, or the classic Christmas market festivities, there are plenty of opportunities to watch this quiet little village transform into a boisterous party town.

With a sunny coast and lush inner region, it should come as no surprise that Croatia offers a delicious and varied selection of wine from each of its 12 sub-regions. You could order the local wine as you travel through the country, but to get the full Croatian wine experience you'll have to pay a visit to one of their famously intimate wineries. These small establishments often double as restaurants.

At Zlatne Gorice, in the Zagorje Region, tasting the wine becomes a formal ceremony. Entering through the cellar, you'll walk through three rooms with different varieties of wine. In the final room, you are even offered the opportunity to pledge an oath to wine. Don't worry if you giggle through it, since you'll be on your third glass. After you've tasted the wine, you'll be welcomed into the restaurant for dinner.

You'll find a cozy wine experience at the family-owned and award-winning Skaulj Winery, which offers a large selection of organic wines. The tasting experience includes a tour through the distillery and bottling facilities, as well as an authentic home-cooked Croatian dinner.

For world-class wine and gastronomical splendor, schedule a trip to the famously elegant BIBICh Tasting Room. Home of some of the most popular wines in Croatia, the family-owned and operated BIBICh Winery pairs its wines with multi-coursed meals that blend modern culinary techniques with traditional Croatian cuisine (think cuttlefish appetizers and fried risotto balls coated in gold).

Reservations at BIBICh can only be made via e-mail and are tough to secure, as the tasting room is only open from March to October. If you're dying to get in but can't get a reservation, contact a local tour company like Secret Dalmatia, which may be able to secure a spot for you.

Karlovac War Memorial

As you travel through Croatia, it's easy to forget that just a few decades ago one of Europe's most beautiful countries was engaged in a violent war. If you're taking a road trip through Croatia, stop in the town of Turanj, just south of the city of Karlovac, where much of the fighting occurred. One of two military museums open to the public, the Museum of Arms from the Homeland War, is a free open-air museum displaying military planes, tanks, and weapons of the Croatian War of Independence.

Walk among the retired war machines and take photos of fighter jets, some intact and others destroyed almost past recognition. Also on site are the remains of bombed-out buildings, which you are free to walk through and ponder.

Zadar

You can't just go and see Zadar's most famous attraction—you have to listen for it. The Sea Organ is an award-winning public art piece that uses underground pipes to create music from the waves lapping against the shore. Many visitors come to Zadar for the Sea Organ's hauntingly unharmonious music, but few stay long enough dig into city's fascinating history.

In the center of town, you'll find the ruins and artifacts leftover from the Forum, an ancient gathering place from the town's early history under the Roman Empire. There, you will not only find pieces of Zadar's ancient history, but also markers of the medieval city built on top of the ruins.

While you can spend hours in the city center perusing the Archeological Museum and taking in views from the top of the bell tower, the true hidden gems are found in the most unexpected places—like the secret chapel constructed from recycled Roman columns at the back of the Kavana Louvre Cafe, or the glass-blowing demonstrations at the Museum of Ancient Glass.

At the end of a long day of exploring, you can settle back on the waterfront at the stylish Fosa restaurant to enjoy the best seafood in town with a view of its ancient walls.

Island of Pag

From Zadar, take a day trip to the island of Pag to discover one of the most interesting places in Croatia. With a rocky and alien-like landscape, Pag offers a chance to get off the tourist route and see another side of Croatia.

Though the region is notorious for being something of a party hub for young Europeans, there's plenty of peace and quiet to be found either in the main city or on the secluded beaches. What can't be missed in Pag, however, is a cheese tasting tour at the Gilgora Cheese Factory. This award-winning cheese is reason enough to make a visit to Pag, but when you combine it with the fascinating tour of Gilgora's factory and cheese cave, plus the opportunity to sit down and feast on delicious morsels of cheese, no visit to Pag would be complete without it.

Sibenik

For the most authentic taste of life in Dalmatia without the crowds, Sibenik is a city that blends its rich cultural heritage with the peacefulness of daily life. Home to fortresses and the UNESCO-protected Cathedral of Saint James, there's a lot of sightseeing to be done in this hilly seaside city. However, Sibenik's mystical quality is best found in walking through the steep streets of the city on the hillside, exploring alleys and corridors, and happening upon the secret gardens and palaces nestled within.

Fans of HBO's Game of Thrones might recognize Sibenik as the fictional Braavos, with its tight streets, many staircases, and gloriously blue bay protected by two barrier islands. After your day of wandering, soak in the atmosphere of Sibenik at Pelegrini, a stylish restaurant right across from the magnificent cathedral.

Caves

Croatia's countryside is rich in limestone. And where there's limestone, there are usually caves. In Croatia, that includes the glowing underwater Blue Cave of Bisevo near Split and the awe-inspiring Modric Cave, just twenty minutes from Zadar. Whether you're ready to jump in the water or don a helmet and headlamp, there are plenty of caves and grottos throughout Croatia worth marveling at.

Split

Built on the ruins of the Roman Emperor Diocletian's ancient palace, Split's impressive history and liveliness has drawn in visitors for years. Though hardly off the main tourist track, much of the city's secrets are overlooked on a typical walking tour.

In the city center, traditional Dalmatian singers perform a capella at the circular vestibule of the old palace. It's easy to find the entrance, but few people know that at the top of the vestibule is a small courtyard with the best acoustics in town. Accessible by purchasing a ticket at the Ethnographic Museum, the vestibule rooftop boasts not only excellent views of the city and cathedral tower, but also the opportunity to take a peek over the edge at the singers below.

Trogir

Just 30 miles north of Split, the seaside city of Trogir is one of the best-preserved Romanesque and Renaissance cities in Croatia. From the elaborate St. Lawrence Cathedral to the stone palaces in the city center, there's a lot to see—and the city has been officially recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage City. Don’t miss the Trogir Cooking Experience, which lets you take a cooking class with one of Croatia's most famous chefs and Trogir locals, Tatjana Ciciliani.