Croatia Walking Routes in Five Old Towns

You can cover most of Croatia’s old centres without a guide, because the sights sit within a short stroll of each other. Here are five self-guided walks in the order of a north to south trip. Costs are in euros, and anything with a gate fee has seasonal hours.

Walk 1: Zagreb’s Upper Town

  1. Ride the 66 m funicular for EUR 0.66, a service that departs every 10 minutes between 06:30 and 22:00.
  2. Look over the city from the Lotrščak Tower, where a noon cannon is said to be fired daily.
  3. Pass St Mark’s Church with its patterned roof tiles and go through the Stone Gate.
  4. Descend to the Dolac market, then finish at Ban Jelačić Square.

A ZET ticket for 60 minutes is EUR 0.93 and a day ticket EUR 3.98, and the funicular accepts the same tickets. The funicular page gives current times.

Walk 2: Split, from palace to hill

  1. Begin on the Peristyle square inside Diocletian’s Palace, and follow the Cardo.
  2. Leave by the Bronze Gate onto the Riva seafront.
  3. Climb through the Varoš lanes to the Marjan park, ending at the First Belvedere, with views across to Brač and Šolta.

The palace lanes are open day and night with no entry fee. Cover up when you walk through town, since officials hand out on-the-spot fines in Split and Dubrovnik for wandering in swimwear or without a shirt.

Walk 3: Zadar’s peninsula

  1. Follow the Venetian defensive walls of the old town.
  2. Pause at the Roman Forum and the circular church of St Donatus from the 9th century.
  3. End at the western tip with the Sea Organ and the Greeting to the Sun, both free.

The Museum of Ancient Glass nearby costs about EUR 6, though sources vary, so check before you go.

Walk 4: Rovinj

The old town is a maze of lanes on a former island. Aim for the church of St Euphemia, where the tower is about 60 m tall. The climb costs about EUR 3 to EUR 5, and sources give different figures. Dress modestly inside the church.

Walk 5: Dubrovnik

Pass through Pile Gate and follow Stradun, the street also called Placa, to the Large Onofrio Fountain, then on to Sponza Palace and the Rector’s Palace. The Franciscan monastery houses a pharmacy founded in 1317. The Walls loop is 1,940 m long and costs about EUR 40 for adults. Fort Lovrijenac is included in that ticket. Cruise ships crowd the centre from mid-morning, so go at opening time or late in the afternoon, and pull wheeled bags with care, as they are discouraged on the cobbles. Registered local guides lead Game of Thrones tours at about EUR 25 to EUR 38 per person. The Walls FAQ answers ticket questions.

Tips

Choose shoes with a good grip, and take water in the warmer months. The bura wind can make exposed viewpoints unpleasant, so read the forecast at meteo.hr . To compare guided walks, browse GetYourGuide .

Read more: sightseeing in Croatia and the 3-day plan .