Croatia Travel Information
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When to Go to Croatia
To get the most out of your next adventure it makes sense to consider some of the very local factors that combine to make up what you feel is the best time to travel to a destination. Many of these factors are very personal - some people prefer to travel when the weather is not too hot, or sites too crowded - others prefer to travel when a traditional local event is taking place. Taking into account the dates of public holidays can also make sense as these may have an impact on opening times of attractions, shops and restaurants, or might affect public transport or other services. Conversely public holidays can be a time of great local festivities and celebrations providing a feast of local expressionism and culture.
Climate
Croatia's climate can be divided into two distinct types. The coastal areas of the Adriatic coast have a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. Temperatures on average range from around 8°C in January to 38°C in August. Spring and autumn along the coast are warm and pleasant whilst July and August are, as you’d expect, the hottest times of the year. Dubrovnik is the wettest place on the coast with rain falling between October and December.
Northern and inland Croatia has a continental climate with warm summers and cold snowy winters. Temperatures on average range from near freezing in January to about 21°C in August, although temperatures in the summer can reach 30°C.
Seasonality
The best time to visit Croatia is between April and September with May, June and September being the best months for outdoor activities; the weather is warm and sunny and prices more reasonable than summer.
July and August are the main tourist season months and the most expensive months to visit the Croatian coast and the islands. Places can become very crowded and hotels more expensive. However whilst everyone is on the coast the inland cities such as Zagreb will be less expensive and less crowded at this time.
Winter in the mountain ranges of Croatia offer opportunities for skiing whilst in the summer the mountains are a cool respite from the hot temperatures.
National Holidays
| Date |
Description |
| 05 Aug 08 |
Victory and Thanksgiving Day |
| 15 Aug 08 |
Assumption Day |
| 08 Oct 08 |
Independence Day |
| 01 Nov 08 |
All Saint's Day |
| 25 Dec 08 |
Christmas Day |
| 26 Dec 08 |
Saint Stephens Day |
| 01 Jan 09 |
New Year's Day |
| 06 Jan 09 |
Epiphany |
| 10 Apr 09 |
Easter until the 13th April 2009 |
| 01 May 09 |
Labour Day |
| 11 Jun 09 |
Corpus Christi |
| 22 Jun 09 |
Anti-Fascist Resistance Day |
| 25 Jun 09 |
Croatian National Day |
National Events
| Event |
Occurs |
Description |
| Dubrovnik Film Festival |
May |
Dubrovnik Film Festival |
| Dubrovnik Summer Festival |
10 July - 25 August 2008 (annual) |
Dubrovnik Summer Festival Inside the walled city of Dubrovnik this festival presents theatre, concerts, opera and dance productions on a series of open-air stages. |
| Zagreb Baroque Festival |
July - August 2008 (annual) |
Zagreb’s Baroque Festival holds nearly 30 concerts at venues around the city, including the Zagreb Cathedral and St Catherine's Church. |
| Split Summer Festival |
July - August 2008 (annual) |
This festival has been taking place since 1954 and takes over Split’s historic city centre with exhibitions, opera, concerts, dance and street theatre. |
| Dubrovnik Carnival |
February 2009 (annual) |
Dating from the 14th century, Dubrovnik Carnival celebrates with parades and jousting competitions. |
