11 Underrated Places In Croatia To Visit This Summer

Remote lighthouses, Habsburg-era resorts and islands where only deer and naturists roam are among the more unusual destinations when you go off the beaten track in Croatia. Most are within easy reach of a transport hub for boat, bus or car – few are frequented by large crowds.

1. Lastovo

Natural Feature

A small, rocky cove with clear water and a dinghy in Lastovo, Croatia.

Beyond Mljet and Korčula, the island of Lastovo would be left to its few natives were it not for the afternoon ferry and catamaran from Split that trek all the way down here. Offering a taste of unspoiled Dalmatia – the whole island was declared a nature park in 2006 – Lastovo appeals to those looking to get away from it all. Light pollution is minimal, hence the recently adopted motto by the Lastovo tourist board, ‘Island of Bright Stars’.

2. Samobor

Natural Feature

On Sundays, Croatia’s capital Zagreb empties and locals head out of town. Many make for Samobor, a picture-postcard community close to the Slovenian border, well versed in providing visitors with traditional dishes of veal, game and trout. Samobor is synonymous with cream cake, the celebrated samoborska kremšnita, served in coffeehouses little changed since poets gathered here in the Habsburg days. Today, hikers convene before and after bracing ascents of the nearby wooded slopes.