Hostels in Croatia

Croatia is the most visited country in the Balkans; and it is visited by so many. Beautiful nature, coast line and several places that are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites make Croatia worth visiting.

Having access to both nice beaches and vibrant cities is not a possibility everywhere you go. Croatia, however, is a destination where you can spend an afternoon on the beach and have dinner in a picturesque street of a vibrant city.

In Croatia, hostels can be found throughout the country. Most hostels are located in the bigger cities such as Zagreb, Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik. In each of these cities, you will have many hostels to choose from. On the Croatian islands however, you will have a harder time to find hostels. You may find a hostel on the island of Hvar, but it seems to be the exception. You can find hostels in other cities in Croatia too, but the choices are not as plentiful as in the cities mentioned above.

Hostels in Croatia are generally of a high quality and come for a decent price compared to the surrounding countries and those on the Mediterranean Sea. The hostels in Croatia can be a lot of fun, but might be quite empty in the off-season. If you’re not looking for the big parties, traveling to Croatia in the off-season could be a positive thing as its seaside cities won’t be as (over)crowded as in the summer. On the other hand, visiting places in the highlands such as Plitvice National Park in the winter might not be a good idea since the park might not be fully accessible due to snow.

If you want to stay in a quiet (beach) town on the mainland, you may end up having to book a hotel or other accommodation as hostels are not available. In any other case, you will be able to find a hostel. You may take a day trip to a smaller town and return to your hostel in the big city.

Plitvice National Park and Krka National Park are two places in Croatia that are not to be missed. They are truly natural beauties and can easily be visited as a day trip from one of the major cities. From Dubrovnik, day trips to Mostar and the surroundings in Bosnia and Herzegovina can also be recommended. Some hostels organize or sell day trips to Mostar.

If you are going to travel in Croatia in February and intend to stay in Rijeka, it is highly recommended to book your Rijeka hostel some time in advance. Rijeka is one of the few places in Croatia where carnival is celebrated. The celebrations are exuberant and the whole city turns into a party zone for the parade. It’s definitely worth stopping by if you are in the area. But as the Rijeka carnival is popular, hostels might fill up.

While most towns worth visiting in Croatia are visited because of their beaches, there are towns that are not all about the ocean. In the north and east you can find nice hiking tracks, and in winter you may even be able to practice some winter sports.

Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, is often overlooked by tourists. Travelers tend to go straight to the coast, but Zagreb has a pretty, old town that’s worth visiting too. Zagreb tends to be cheaper than most cities on the coast and has a nice nightlife. It is also the city where you can find the most hostels. Zagreb is worth stopping by for a few days.

Handwritten by local expert for Croatia hostels Martin Straatman