Croatia’s Adriatic hotels, beaches and bars receive more and more visitors every year. After World Cup football glory, the country’s tourist board expects even more tourists. However, this small country also has a good many interesting less discovered places that are far from the seaside but still worth seeing.
Camels in the Djurdjevac desert
A desert in Croatia? Yes, in the south of the country, around the town Djurdjevac, there is a unique natural phenomenon, often nicknamed Croatia’s “Sahara”.
It is the only remaining piece of desert in Croatia, and a protected botanical area, with a peculiar natural habitat and a large number of endemic flora and fauna.
To complete the offer, the local mayor recently installed three camels there, which now complement the “Sahara” atmosphere.
The town itself, besides having a desert, offers a lot of things. Rich in history, dating back to the Middle Ages, Djurdjevac has a fine museum located in Djurdjevac Castle. At the moment, it is hosting an exhibition on the works of Picasso.
Velebit’s two in one: hiking and sunbathing
Camp Velebit is located at Baske Ostarije, a settlement on the Velebit mountains, the largest but not the highest mountain range in Croatia.
This location is ideal for a quiet vacation with friends and family and for enjoying home-made food surrounded by Mother Nature.
The camp offers various options for active holidays, such as hiking, biking or skiing, kayaking, horseback and more.
A special attraction are Crobbit Houses, wooden houses that look like Hobbit homes from the fantasy movie trilogy Lord of the Ring.
Another advantage is that the camp is only 20 minutes away from the Adriatic Sea.
Kopacki rit, wetland home to rare birds
Kopacki Rit is a nature park in eastern Croatia in the municipality of Bilje and close to the eastern Croatian city of Osijek.
Lying on the meeting point of the Danube and Drava river, the wetlands are one of the best-preserved flood plains in Europe, rich in wetland vegetation and home to a large number of rare and endangered species.
Look out for white and black storks, purple herons and white tailed eagles especially. It is also famous for pond turtles.
It is an ideal destination for those who like leisure and sports activities. One possibility is to take a ride through Kopacko Jezero lake, a very popular area for birdwatching.
Varazdin, Croatia’s baroque mini-Vienna
Varazdin in northwestern Croatia, situated along the banks of the river Drava, is famous for its baroque architecture. It is only 85 kilometres away from Zagreb, an hour or so on a bus.The historic centre is where you can find palaces and churches decorated in the baroque style. Many were built in the late 18th century, when Varazdin was briefly the capital of Croatia. The atmospheric white-washed castle, however, now home to the town museum, is much older, dating back in parts to the 14th century.
For more read the full of article at The Balkaninsight
