#1. Plitvice Lakes National Park
By far Croatia's top natural attraction and the absolute highlight of Croatia's Adriatic hinterland, this glorious expanse of forested hills and turquoise lakes is exquisitely scenic – so much so that in 1979 Unesco proclaimed it a World Heritage Site.
The name is, however, slightly misleading, as it's not so much the lakes that are the attraction here but the hundreds of waterfalls that link them.It's as though Croatia decided to gather all its waterfalls in one place and charge admission to view them.
The extraordinary natural beauty of the park merits a full day's exploration, but you can still experience a lot on a half-day trip from Zadar or Zagreb. You must be able to walk a fair distance to get the most out of the place.