Croatian wine country off the beaten path.
Less-touristed wine towns in Croatia, for travelers seeking fewer crowds but all the beauty.
Bjelovar
Founded in 1756 by decree of Empress Maria Theresa, Bjelovar is one of Croatia's youngest cities, laid out on a planned grid with a regular square street pat…
Raslina
A small Croatian village on the clear turquoise waters of a sheltered bay, Raslina offers a compact waterfront with moored boats, a pine-fringed beach, and w…
Vrsar
This pocket-sized seaside village on Istria's western coast, Vrsar has a café and restaurant scene that outpunches its size, a historic hilltop centre with t…
Zadar
Croatia's oldest continuously inhabited city, Zadar sits on the Adriatic coast in northern Dalmatia with a walkable old town dense with historic churches, ca…
Vrbnik
A medieval walled village on the island of Krk, Croatia, set on a limestone outcrop above the Adriatic and known for its local white wine, Vrbnička žlahtina.
Šibenik
Two UNESCO World Heritage sites anchor Šibenik's historic centre on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia: the Cathedral of St.
Novi Vinodolski
Adriatic coast town in Croatia with a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, Novi Vinodolski sits where the Vinodol Valley — long used for wi…
Metković
A compact Croatian river town where red-tile rooftops climb a wooded hill crowned by a white church, set along the Neretva near the Bosnian border and within…
Promajna
A small Dalmatian hamlet on the Makarska Riviera with a long gravel beach and a coastal promenade connecting it to neighbouring Baška Voda.
Buje
This hilltop Istrian village, historically called the "sentinel of Istria" for its commanding inland position, sits in deep wine country with a café and rest…
Banjol
This waterfront village on the Croatian island of Rab, Banjol has a café and restaurant scene that outpunches its small size, along with several churches and…
Sinj
Sinj, a pocket-sized town in the continental part of Croatia's Split-Dalmatia County, is best known for the Sinjska alka, a knights' tournament held since th…
Solin
Solin, a town on the Adriatic coast just northeast of Split, sits on the site of ancient Salona — the Roman provincial capital of Dalmatia and birthplace of…
Novalja
Small town on the northern end of Croatia's island of Pag, Novalja is best known for Zrće Beach, which has earned the town a reputation as a party destinatio…
Krapina
This compact valley town in Croatia's green Zagorje hills, Krapina sits along a river with forested slopes rising on all sides, vineyard-dotted hillsides nea…
Orebic
Compact port town on the Pelješac peninsula in Dalmatia, Orebić sits directly across a narrow strait from the island of Korčula, with frequent ferry crossing…
Martinscica
This tiny Adriatic village on the Croatian island of Cres sits directly on the water, with a marina opening onto the sea and vineyards in the surrounding lan…
Kastav
This hilltop town above the Kvarner Gulf in western Croatia, Kastav sits on a ridge with views over the northern Adriatic and vineyards in the surrounding co…
Ozalj
Yellow-and-white hilltop castle complex rises above the tree-lined Kupa River in this modest Croatian town, offering striking views from the bridge and easy…
Biograd na Moru
This modest Adriatic town in northern Dalmatia with a well-developed café and restaurant scene for its size, Biograd na Moru sits on the coast overlooking th…
Klanjec
This little wine-country town in the Hrvatsko Zagorje region of northwestern Croatia, close to the Slovenian border and set among mountain terrain.
Benkovac
This modest Croatian town in Zadar County serves as the administrative and cultural centre of the Ravni Kotari region, with vineyards in the surrounding area…
Čazma
A compact Croatian town in central Croatia's Moslavina region, where a twin-towered stone church anchors a tidy main square with a fountain, flower beds, and…
Vukovar
Vukovar, a Croatian town on the Danube in eastern Slavonia, holds Croatia's largest river port at the confluence of the Vuka and the Danube, and carries one…
Brela
Punta Rata beach, just outside this compact Dalmatian village on Croatia's Makarska Riviera, ranked sixth in the world and first in Europe on a 2004 Forbes l…
Lepoglava
This small northern Croatian town where a striking white Gothic-Baroque church with an onion-domed tower anchors the centre, set among green rolling countrys…
Butoniga
This tiny Istrian hamlet above a broad reservoir lake, surrounded by forested hills and vineyard slopes, with elevated viewpoints offering sweeping water and…
Stari Grad
Stone-and-terracotta houses spread across a forested valley on the island of Hvar, with the Adriatic visible in the distance, vineyards nearby, and a surpris…
Tkon
This small village on the island of Pašman in Croatia's Zadar County sits in hilly terrain surrounded by vineyards, with a ferry connection to the mainland t…
Ciovo
A hilly Adriatic island in central Dalmatia, Čiovo closes off the Kaštela Bay and holds several historic religious monuments — including the monastery of Sv.
Pican
Little hilltop village in central Istria with an unusual concentration of historic churches for its size, Pićan sits in agricultural country southeast of Paz…
Trilj
A small inland Dalmatian town on the Cetina River, northeast of Split, with an unusually lively café and restaurant scene for its size and vineyards in the s…
Murter
This little Dalmatian island village on Croatia's Adriatic coast, Murter has an unusually lively café and restaurant scene for its size, with vineyards in th…
Daruvar
This spa town in the foothills of the Papuk mountain in Slavonia, northeastern Croatia, Daruvar sits along the Toplica River and holds a winemaking tradition…
Sirac
Compact Croatian village in Bjelovar-Bilogora County, where a white-steepled church anchors red-tile rooftops spread across a gentle valley, with rolling woo…
Nerezine
This little fishing village on the Croatian island of Lošinj, Nerezine sits at the water's edge in mountain terrain, with vineyards nearby and several histor…
Silba
This small Croatian island in northern Dalmatia is a car-free zone, with no motorised traffic permitted beyond vehicles supplying local businesses — making i…
Gondolici
This tiny Croatian hamlet sitting right at the water's edge, Gondolici offers a surprising mix of historic churches, nearby vineyards, and hill-country viewp…
Biskupec Zelinski
A little Croatian village set where rolling wine-country hills meet the water, offering scenic viewpoints across the surrounding upland landscape and a quiet…
Oslje
This tiny Croatian hamlet where upland hill country meets the water's edge, surrounded by vineyard-covered slopes and set within a wider region rich with UNE…
Motovun
A hilltop walled village in Croatia's Istrian wine country, Motovun rewards visitors with scenic viewpoints over vine-covered valleys, a handful of good rest…
Vrvari
This tiny Croatian village set in hilly upland country, Vrvari sits among surrounding vineyards with water nearby and easy reach of a UNESCO World Heritage s…
Gedici
A tiny Croatian hamlet set in upland wine-growing country, Gedici offers a quiet rural escape within easy reach of water and a UNESCO-recognized region worth…
Udovicic
A tiny Croatian village set in upland country along the water's edge, with vineyards nearby and several UNESCO World Heritage sites within reach of the wider…