Even though museums are not the first thing that pops into your mind when you think about
vacationing in the Dalmatian region of Croatia, there are
plenty of interesting museums that are definitely worth your time. The listed museums below are only a small fraction of the choices you have and the
most visited ones.
If you are visiting
Zadar, make sure to visit the
Glass Museum that has the
greatest collection of Ancient Roman glass outside of Italy. Also, a pretty cool experience is that you can witness glass being
blown on the site. Another really fun and interactive experience that will surely leave you either confused or fascinated would be the
Museum of Illusions in Zadar. Make sure to pass through the Vortex tunnel (if you dare!), the Mirror room or check out the holograms.
If you are into archeological finds, make sure to visit the
Archeological museum in Zadar, which is (fun fact) one of the oldest museums in Croatia, and features
more than 100 000 artefacts ranging from the Paleolithic era up until the 11th century. It is well worth visiting if you would like to get the idea of the
developmental history of the Zadar region.
If the traveler road leads you to
Split, another great city in the Dalmatia region, there are 2 museums that are
a must visit. One is the
Ivan Mestrovic Gallery, which is dedicated to one of the greatest artists in Croatian history. Ivan Mestrovic is one of the first Croatian artists who
exhibited his work in the United States, and the famous NYC Metropolitan Museum of Art. The museum honors Mestrovic’s life and versatile work through the exhibits of his
sculptures, drawings, designs and architecture.
The other museum that should be on your bucket list is the
Museum of the City of Split, especially interesting due to its location in the iconic
Diocletian palace, the ancient residential palace of Roman emperor Diocletian and the most famous landmark in Split. This museum features interesting displays of the Diocletian palace and the development history of the city.
We are sure you heard about our
Pearl of the Adriatic – Dubrovnik, but have you ever wondered what the best museum to visit there is? Look no further than the
Museum of Croatian war of Independence which, through the 500 exhibits, covers the
turbulent Croatian history from 1991 – 1995, incl. the weapons, the battle maps, the documentary photographs and the video footage.
You can reach this museum with the
cable car, because it is located on top of the
Mount Srd, from where you have the
memorable vistas of the Old Town Dubrovnik.
Have you heard of the story about the Belgian tourist who
accidentally bumped into a 2000-year-old sculpture while diving? True story! Not only did this sculpture of the
Greek athlete travel the world, it found its permanent home in the museum named after it – the
Apoxyomenus museum. The museum is located in
Mali Losinj, one of the islands in the beautiful Losinj archipelago in the Kvarner region.
If you are visiting the
island of Pag, which is also in the Kvarner region, then we recommend visiting the
Museum of salt, as the salt was once the main trading export and still is the important economic factor. The museum is
located in the former salt storage, and features tools and devices that were used to extract and transport salt in the past. We can assure you that you will never
take salt for granted after seeing how much effort it takes to get salt from the sea and into the saltshakers on our tables.
After you have had enough of the sun and the sea, the museums are the place to be, and here is a
list of available villas in Dalmatia and Kvarner to complete the experience!
Petra Stazic
10.1.2023
MY ISTRIA GUIDE
