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Last Update: 23 Aug 2011

Riding Holidays | Croatia

Croatia is a crescent shaped country in central Europe on the east side of the Adriatic Sea, just across from Italy. It has a diverse landscape with three main regions. The coastal area has beautiful sandy bays, islands, reefs, cliffs and seaside villages and a warm and sunny Mediterranean climate. Inland is a mountainous region of outstanding natural beauty, home to several national parks including the UNESCO World Heritage Plitvička Jezera Lakes Park, plus canyons, forests, waterfalls and river rapids. In the east near the Hungarian border is the Pannonian plain. This is a flat agricultural area with a continental climate giving hot summers and cold snowy winters.

There are many riding clubs in Croatia and several stables offering hourly tuition and day treks into the countryside, particularly in the southern coastal zone around the Cetina River Valley and Dalmatia. For a full week long riding holiday visit Istra in the north west. Mounted on well schooled Arab and Thoroughbred horses you can travel from the coast to inland rural villages exploring scenic tracks through vineyards, olive groves, past lakes and into open countryside and forests.

For adventurous mountain riding join a week long trail ride to the Plitvička Jezera Lakes National Park. Enjoy stunning panoramic views from Pljesivica Mountain, ride through meadows and pristine pine forest, visit waterfalls and river valleys. Visit Fužine in Gorski Kotar for a family riding holiday, with riding tuition for children, horse drawn carriage rides and horse treks through the local area.

Croatia’s capital city is Zagreb and English is widely spoken as a second language. The coastal areas generally are very popular with tourists, with friendly towns full of history and culture, sandy beaches and a warm sea, good beers and tasty Mediterranean cuisine and provide a lovely add on at the end of a horse riding holiday.