Justin McDonnell

It's hard to keep track of the ever-rising number of high-end Dubrovnik hotels, but the city also packs some impressive hostel and B&B options. As is common in Dalmatia, high-season prices are significantly higher than in spring or autumn, and some venues close at some point in the winter – though this policy is changing as Dubrovnik becomes a more year-round destination. Read on for your guide to the best hotels in Dubrovnik. RECOMMENDED:🏠 The best Airbnbs in Dubrovnik

Compact and easy to navigate, Zagreb contains plenty of historic sights and fascinating galleries, complemented by destination restaurants, clusters of busy bars and numerous live-music venues. The main square divides the hilly Upper Town – museums, institutions of national importance, panoramic views – from the flat, grid-patterned streets of the Lower Town, with its gastronomic landmarks, designer boutiques and art galleries. Spread out east and west are areas of bucolic greenery while south over the Sava river stretches the post-war residential blocks of Novi Zagreb. Done something on this list and loved it? Share it with the hashtag #TimeOutDoList and tag @TimeOutEverywhere. You can also find out more about how Time Out selects the very best things to do all over the world, or take a look at our list of the 50 best things to do in the world right now.

Many of Dubrovnik's amazing attractions are centred on the compact, fully walkable Old Town. Begin your Old Town sojourn with a stroll around its surrounding City Walls to get your bearings with an amazing view of the city and stupendously blue Adriatic sea. Continue your visit discovering the city's endless gems, from the Rector’s palace and Sponza palace to the Dominican monastery and Church of St. Blaise.  RECOMMENDED: more great things to do in Dubrovnik. Done something on this list and loved it? Share it with the hashtag #TimeOutDoList and tag @TimeOutEverywhere. You can also find out more about how Time Out selects the very best things to do all over the world, or take a look at our list of the 50 best things to do in the world right now.

Rovinj’s tasteful but limited accommodation stock has been transformed by the maistra group, which has created gleaming, family-friendly resorts, turned whole islands into self-contained hotel complexes festooned with pools, spas and restaurants, and conceived two of the finest properties on the Med, one an architectural wonder. The lodgings in historic properties remain in place for those who wish a quiet stay amid the cobbled streets of the Old Town. RECOMMENDED: amazing things to do in Rovinj.

People in Croatia's capital city always give themselves time to linger and socialise over drinks. Whatever the time of year, new Zagreb bars are always raising and lowering their banners across the city centre and beyond, while traditional landmarks stay firm. Time Out's experts discover the best places to sip across town.

The remote, rocky island of Vis has ended its years of isolation and the tourists it now welcomes seek a different, more authentic experience than elsewhere in Dalmatia. Yachters and Hollywood stars might mingle around the marina, but you can easily find your own slice of paradise away from the clicking paparazzi. Secluded beaches, sunlit caves and succulent lobster make the longer crossing from Split well worth the occasionally choppy journey. Done something on this list and loved it? Share it with the hashtag #TimeOutDoList and tag @TimeOutEverywhere You can also find out more about how Time Out selects the very best things to do all over the world, or take a look at our list of the 50 best things to do in the world right now RECOMMENDED: More great travel destinations in Croatia  

Dubrovnik is Croatia's most photographed city and welcomes armies of tourists every day. You won't be able to walk the famous city walls without spending some dosh, and most attractions will have you parting with a handful of coins. While you'll probably conclude that these inimitable sights are worth every penny, you can easily give the spending a break - Dubrovnik's free attractions are some of its finest. Here are some wonderful free things to do in Dubrovnik. Done something on this list and loved it? Share it with the hashtag #TimeOutDoList and tag @TimeOutEverywhere You can also find out more about how Time Out selects the very best things to do all over the world, or take a look at our list of the 50 best things to do in the world right now RECOMMENDED: more great things to do in Dubrovnik

The main street, Ulica Korčulanskog statuta, leads to St Mark’s Cathedral, one of the finest examples of Dalmatian church architecture and design. Taking three centuries to build, it features several styles, including Gothic, Romanesque and Baroque. Beneath it is the sarcophagus of St Theodore, the protector of Korcula. Here you can also see St Mark with St Bartholomew and St Jerome, an early work by Tintoretto, whose Annunciation also stands in the south nave. Next door, the Abbey Treasury contains a collection of Dalmatian art from the 15th and 16th centuries. Opposite the cathedral, the Town Museum, set in a 16th century Venetian palace, contains a copy of the fourth-century Greek tablet from Lumbarda, the earliest evidence of civilisation on the island. Down a side street is the excellent Icon Museum and, entered through it, the 14th-century Church of All Saints. The Memorial Collection of Maksimilijan Vanka, on the water-front near the Monastery of St Nicholas, shows the art nouveau and Expressionist works by this 20th-century painter and hosts temporary exhibitions by renowned Croatian artists throughout the summer.  Done something on this list and loved it? Share it with the hashtag #TimeOutDoList and tag @TimeOutEverywhere. You can also find out more about how Time Out selects the very best things to do all over the world, or take a look at our list of the 50 best things to do in the world right now.

Croatians are sacrosanct about their kava: it’s something to be enjoyed leisurely, not slugged from a cardboard cup on the way back to the office. That said, much of what you’ll find in your cup is commercially blended and can be spectacularly bland. Luckily, a cluster of ace coffee-shops are flying the flag for specialist and third-wave coffee – some double up as artisan roasteries, too. We’ve trawled them all to bring you a definitive guide to the best coffee Zagreb has to offer. RECOMMENDED: the best cafés and coffee shops in Zagreb.

A string of venues line ulica Korčulanskog Statuta or the surrounding street of Šetalište Petra Kanavelića in Korčula town – ranging from the dependable (Pizzeria Caenazzo) to the decidedly swish (the LD restaurant at the Lešić-Dimitri Palace Korčula). Alternatively, sample one of the rustic bistros advertised on wooden signs by the road between Korčula town and Vela Luka. Korčula island is known for its sweet cakes and its famous Korčula olive oil, one of Croatia's best delicacies. Under the general heading of cukarini, they come in different varieties, such as pršurate elsewhere called prikle (deep-fried dough with almonds and raisins) and lumblija (sweet bread with wine and spices). Marinero has theirs baked daily. Renowned cakeshop Cukarin is set in a side street in the Old Town.RECOMMENDED: Croatia's best delicacies

As Korčula sizzles this summer, check out some of the coolest places to dine, drink and relax, with a range of traditional Croatian options, seafood, Korčula's famous olive oil and other Mediterranean fare. Read on for our insider's guide.RECOMMENDED: Croatia's best delicacies

Krk’s tradition of tourism goes back as far as almost anywhere on the coast – they were issuing picture postcards in 1866. After being inhabited by Liburnians, Illyrians, Romans and Croats, Krk was ruled by powerful medieval dukes, the Frankopans, who once held half of modern-day Croatia. Krk town’s walls date to pre-Roman times, and the oldest of the towers in that wall, the square one at Trg Kamplin, was built in 1191. The best-preserved historical site, the three-nave Cathedral of the Assumption, built on the site of an early Christian basilica, dates from the early 1200s, with a bell tower from the 16th to 18th centuries. The Kaštel, with a cylindrical tower, is Venetian, as are the three city gates and the rest of the wall. The Old Town’s squares and main thoroughfare of JJ Strossmayera, now lined with souvenir shops and fast-food outlets, throng with tourists all summer long. Nearby is Punat, where a beautiful bay shelters a large harbour. In the middle is the islet of Košljun, home to a 15th-century Franciscan monastery with a religious treasury. Tourists also pack Baška in the south, Krk island’s other main spot. Its sandy shore, beach towel to beach towel in high season, begins at the harbour edge. You walk to it via a café-lined promenade – in summer you’ll be walking three abreast.

Every city needs a place like Život. A live music venue where you can really let your hair down, Život offers a stage to visiting indie bands and DJs who play everything from grime to Yugoslavian disco. Decorated like your gran's house on drugs-expect to see UV-blasted dollies and dodgy watercolours-it's an essential part of a night out in Rijeka, and its reasonable price-list draws in a loyal crowd.

Inland from Istria’s celebrated coastline, historic hilltop towns and atmospheric villages beckon the curious visitor. Here are six of the most attractive ones to see and experience. Gračišće Right in the centre of the Istrian peninsula, near the regional capital of Pazin, Gračišće is the ideal destination if you fancy leaving the modern world behind for a day or two. Its history shrouded in mystery, Gračišće looks little different to how it would have done a few centuries ago. The entire village under heritage protection, Gračišće comprises a handful of medieval churches – including St Euphemia’s from 1383, with a crucifix from a century earlier – with an observation defence tower to the south, a five-minute walk uphill from town. From there, great swathes of central Istria are spread out before you, the skyline of Gračišće punctuated by St Vid Church tower. Walking enthusiasts should try the Trail of St. Simeon that starts and ends in Gračišće; it’s 9 km long, of medium difficulty and takes about 3.30 hours to complete. © Istria Tourist BoardGrožnjan Grožnjan Few of Istria’s medieval hilltop towns are as pretty as Grožnjan – or as culture-focused. Set at an altitude of 228 metres, surrounded by spectacular views all the way to the Adriatic, Grožnjan was just another depopulated community until it was declared a ‘Town of Artists’ in 1965. This not only led to the opening of many studios and galleries, bringing the village to life with artists, artisans and gallerists, but

Dane Henrik Jeppesen is barely 28 years old, but the Danish travel blogger has already visited every country in the world. It's a dream every wanderluster has, but few manage to accomplish. What makes this feat even more incredible is that Henrik comes from a tiny town in Denmark with a population of just 40,000 people. We checked in to see how he did it, and what he thought about his time in Croatia. Where did your journey begin? Denmark. I grew up in the Thy-district of Northwestern Jutland, where Denmark got its first national park called Ty. How do you afford all this globetrotting? I kept track of my spending. Staying with locals. Eating cheap food at supermarkets often instead of restaurants. Hitchhiking (more than 1,000 times) or local buses instead of taxis whenever possible. Hotel points and air miles helps as well. On many days I spent less than 5 dollars. It’s much cheaper to visit every country in the world than people think, but you must be willing to live like a local on a budget, not like a tourist. Almost anyone can do it but it takes time and effort. When I visited 50 countries, I began getting sponsorships from hotels and when I visited 100 countries, I began to get sponsorships from airlines. It made a big difference in visiting all 193 countries in the world.     Tibet is an amazing travel experience, but not the easiest place to visit. You first have to obtain a Chinese visa, then get in touch with a tour operator to get a Tibet permit. I can highly re

That's a wrap on Time Out Zagreb! On sunny Friday afternoon, the Time Out team held a celebration of the new 208-page magazine at the Croatian National Theatre. In a room of exquisitely painted frescoes, radio presenter Katarina Moškatelo hosted the event with guest speeches from Zagreb Tourism Board director Martina Bienenfeld, HNK intendant Dubravka Vrgoč and Ognjen Bagatin, CEO of Bagatin. Time Out's editor (er, me) Justin McDonnell and head of video Ashley Colburn also presented their thoughts and greetings to the audience.   The 208-page magazine is a celebration of all things summer in Zagreb, and the only guide you need to get around the city with hundreds of restaurant and bar reviews as well as features on art, music and cutting-edge culture - and a special section dedicated to healthcare and wellness. People spilled out onto the sun-drenched patio afterwards, enjoying fabulous canapés and drinks. National broadcasters HRT and RTL were there capturing the action, as well as Zagreb's TV station Z1.   Check out the highlights from Time Out Zagreb's launch party below.              

Time Out has paired up with R'n'B Weekend where we'll be awarding three of the best bars, cafés and restaurants in Zagreb. Tonight, we'll toast Zagreb's finest venues, acknowledging the most daring, cool and original places in the city. Find out the winners below. Our selection criteria Anonymity: Time Out Croatia's team of reviewers visit restaurants throughout the year, always paying for their own meals. This ensures they experience every meal as a regular paying customer and receive no special treatment. Independence: Time Out’s team of reviewers are not influenced in any way by Time Out advertisers, partners or friends. Expertise: Time Out reviewers are serial “doers”. They’re out every night of the week, in all corners of the city, to ensure they’re real local experts. And with a team comprised of nationalities from all over the world, who’ve lived and dined in countries all over the world, there is no dish too daring, no trend too twee, for them to sink their teeth into. Value for money: The Time Out brand is committed to telling its readers the best things to do and places to eat in town, saving its readers both time and money. A restaurant’s value for money offering is assessed with every review. We do not set a limit on the cost of the final bill, there is no numeric cut-off point. It is the overall quality of the dining experience, measured against a number of criteria, that determines a restaurant’s value. The winners   The bravest restaurant: NAV Tvrto Šakota's N

Calling all Game of Thrones heads! A museum dedicated to the HBO series has opened in Split. The city is one of the filming locations used in the series, alongside Dubrovnik, which famously doubles up as the King's Landing. Located near Diocletian’s cellars where Daenerys keeps her dragons, the museum is packed full of props, costumes and knick-knacks from the series.   Life-sized statues of the show's most popular characters are dotted around the museum, from Jon Snow to Daenerys and Tyrion to Hodor. The permanent exhibition is composed of five themed rooms, starting at the Split-inspired Meereen, the Dubrovnik-themed King's Landing, Winterfell and Weirwood tree, where guests enter through a hole in the tree.             Game of Thrones guides are also available, where storytellers take visitors on geeky tours around the museum. So far, the museum has had mixed reviews - but if you want to try it yourself, stop by The Game of Thrones Museum on Bosanska ulica 9, open daily from 9am to 10pm.  Need to satisfy your Game of Thrones thirst? Try our guide to Game of Thrones filming locations in Croatia.  

The Michelin Guide's 2019 winners will be awarded this Friday at the R'n'B Weekend. Zagreb's Noel, Lovran's Draga di Lovrana, Rovinj's Monte, Dubrovnik's 360 and Sibenik's Pelegrini are all Michelin-starred kitchens that made the critic's shortlist this year. The country now possesses five Michelin stars, the ultimate culinary accolade. Read our reviews of Michelin-starred and recommended restaurants here. Time Out will also be awarding three awards for the coolest, bravest and most daring bars, restaurants and cafés in the capital. The three awards are for the boldest restaurant, the bravest bar and the coolest café. We'll be announcing our winners at the event on Saturday evening - keep your eyes peeled. Here are the five restaurants in Croatia that will be accepting their Michelin star on Friday. Noel Noel is sizzling hot restaurant dedicated to contemporary trends in gastronomy. This upscale restaurant mixes the best of Croatian ingredients with nouvelle experimentation, offering mains like the pork belly with shrimp and passion fruit. Portions are small but well garnished and more extravagant diners can opt for the taster menu - options include four, six or nine courses costing between 220 and 450kn. The decor is polished, and the attentive staff boast military timing. 360   Set within the great walls of Dubrovnik with impressive views over the port, 360 blends its historical setting with a progressive, forward-thinking menu. Dishes change constantly but 360 is particu

Alongside Flos Olei, the New York International Olive Oil Competition is the biggest olive oil competition around. NYIOOC has revealed this year's best extra virgin olive oil - and it's good news for Croatia. The country's olive oil won 32 gold and 18 silver medals, bolstering Croatia's status as one of the world's best olive oil producers. Brilliant olive oil producers like Chiavalon, Belić Selection and Salvela Aurum snagged a gold prize out of 903 samples from 26 countries. The year’s best olive oils were unveiled at a press conference streamed live from New York. The results of the competition are followed by producers, importers, distributors chefs, food service professionals and journalists around the world.

Follow Time Out Croatia’s very own Ashley Colburn all around the country for our Why Croatia? series on RTL Play, which premieres from midnight tonight. Watch it here. Ashley begins her epic road trip through Croatia in the region of Lika, steering her classic Zastava minivan along lesser-known byways to meet the locals and make a few amazing discoveries.   Aiming for the stunning national park of Plitvice Lakes, Ashley first drops into Rastoke, a picture-postcard old mill town with two fast-flowing rivers and traditional waterside guesthouses. She then goes spelunking with Filip Špehar as they explore Baraćeva Caves, dating back more than five million years. Home to hibernating horseshoe bats, the caves are filled with dramatic stalactites and stalagmites, as pointed out by underground expert Špehar. Then comes Plitvice, Croatia’s number one tourist attraction but a destination the much-travelled Ashley has never visited in winter. Pleased to find no crowds out of season, cheaper admission prices and free parking, Ashley is shown around the snowy cascades and waterfalls of this outstanding natural wonder by Ivica Špoljavić, Plitvice born and bred. We find out that Plitvice has 92 waterfalls and covers some 30,000 hectares, about the size of 30,000 football fields. The water’s so pure, it’s drinkable, as Ivica can prove. Opting to spend the night in a luxurious treehouse lodging nearby, Ashley sets off the next morning for the Stilanova Lika. Here in a traditional family-ru

Wu-Tang Clan will perform at Sea Star Festival from May 24-25 in the Stella Maris resort, Umag. The hip-hop crew marks the 25th anniversary of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) with a performance from all nine members—that’s RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa and Cappadonna, if you’re keeping track. It took several months to negotiate Wu-Tang Clan's appearance in Croatia, as they insisted promoters tailored the price of tickets to accommodate local audiences. Wu-Tang Clan have sold more than 40 million albums worldwide. They join Sven Vath, Nina Kraviz, British hip-hop diva IAMDDB, DJ Illario Alicante and others.  

That's a wrap on Time Out Istria! Time Out Istria's launch party rocked Rovinj this week. The magazine was launched at Dom Kulture with special guest speakers Korado Korlević, Ashley Colburn and Mike Downey from Motovun Film Festival. Big shoutout to the County Mayor Valter Flego and Denis Ivošević from the Istria Tourist Board who also took to the stage. The action moved to the sunny terraces of the Hotel Adriatic next door, where guests enjoyed an amazing spread of food and wine - including Istrian delicacies of seafood, pršut and fuži - and perfectly sculptured cakes almost too beautiful to eat. Almost. National broadcasters RTL and HRT were there capturing the event, as well as Glas Istre. You can read RTL's awesome write-up of the event here. Drinks flowed freely, thanks to Marjan Arman, Matošević and Fakin wineries. Guests took away fabulous goodie-bags containing one of the world's best olive oil from Chiavalon and hand-waxed bottles of premium gin by Hvar. And, of course, our beautiful pink magazine - Time Out's Essential Guide to Istria - with 160+ pages packed full of brilliant content. Check out the highlights from Time Out Istria's launch party below. Download your copy of free copy of Time Out Istria now.          

Michelin has given out a fresh batch of shiny new stars and Croatia is the proud recipient of two new awards, winning five Michelin stars in total. Zagreb's Noel, Lovran's Draga di Lovrana, Rovinj's Monte, Dubrovnik's 360 and Sibenik's Pelegrini are all Michelin-starred kitchens that made the critic's shortlist this year. The country now possesses five Michelin stars, the ultimate culinary accolade. Read our reviews of Michelin-starred and recommended restaurants here. Noel Noel is sizzling hot restaurant dedicated to contemporary trends in gastronomy. This upscale restaurant mixes the best of Croatian ingredients with nouvelle experimentation, offering mains like the pork belly with shrimp and passion fruit. Portions are small but well garnished and more extravagant diners can opt for the taster menu - options include four, six or nine courses costing between 220 and 450kn. The decor is polished, and the attentive staff boast military timing. 360   Set within the great walls of Dubrovnik with impressive views over the port, 360 blends its historical setting with a progressive, forward-thinking menu. Dishes change constantly but 360 is particularly skilled with seafood, modern Mediterranean dishes and innovations of Croatian classics. Without being too stuffy or formal, they pride themselves on providing a casual vibe where creative cuisine takes centre stage. Peligrini       Hands down the nicest place to eat in central Šibenik, at Pelligrini, diners opt for the 400kn deg

Spring is in the air and to celebrate, we've packed all of the amazing stuff happening in the city into our second edition of Time Out Rijeka.  Drinking, dancing and pagan beasts... Join thousands of revellers at Croatia’s biggest street party this weekend! More than just a costumed jamboree, bellringers known as Zvončari parade a centuries-old route, drinking wine, clanging bells and making noise to scare off the evil spirits of winter and bring on the new cycle of spring. We meet the people who make the carnival happen, from the costume designers to the DJs and the horn-headed Halubajska bellringers (P22). Get the best of spring in Rijeka with our seasonal guide (P26) and discover May’s celebration of LGBT+ and feminist culture (P47). Rijeka 2020 European Capital of Culture is all about diversity (P43) so join the parade and let your freak flag fly. Download your free copy now or pick up your magazine at Tisak.