View over Hvar town harbour and the Pakleni islands from the Spanish Fortress

Maritime Coastline

The Adriatic

A sheltered sea of limestone cliffs, pine-fringed coves, Venetian bell towers, and ancient walled ports stretching from Trieste to the Ionian gate.

Every country on the Adriatic coast: Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Albania.

6 countries

Featured Countries

ItalyCountry atlas →SloveniaCountry atlas →CroatiaCountry atlas →Bosnia and HerzegovinaCountry atlas →MontenegroCountry atlas →AlbaniaCountry atlas →

Curated Guides

Destination Guides (86)

A street of whitewashed trulli with conical stone roofs in Alberobello

Italy

Alberobello & the Valle d'Itria

Trulli roofs, white hill towns & the Puglian countryside

2–3 days

Colourful cliffside houses of Positano overlooking the Mediterranean Sea

Italy

Amalfi Coast

Cliffside villages, lemon groves & Mediterranean light

3–5 days

Italy

Bologna

Porticoes, the oldest university & Italy's richest table

2–3 days

Italy

Brisighella

Three-pinnacle village, the donkeys' road & Romagna olive oil

1–2 days

Italy

Cinque Terre

Pastel fishing villages, terraced vineyards & coastal footpaths

2–3 days

The jagged Odle peaks above the meadows and church of Val di Funes

Italy

Bolzano & the Dolomites

Pale peaks, alpine meadows, Ötzi & a bilingual Alpine city

4–6 days

Italy

Florence

The Renaissance, close up — and a trattoria lunch after it

3 days

Italy

Lake Como

Aristocratic villas, mirror waters & Alpine foothills

2–4 days

Vineyard hills of the Langhe seen from the belvedere at La Morra

Italy

Langhe & Alba

Barolo, white truffles & hilltop villages · UNESCO

3 days

The carved baroque façade and rose window of the Basilica of Santa Croce in Lecce

Italy

Lecce & Salento

Honey-coloured baroque and two seas at the heel of Italy

3–4 days

Italy

Matera

Cave city of the Sassi, rock churches & ravine views

2 days

Italy

Milan

Fashion, design & the best aperitivo in Italy

2 days

Italy

Naples

Pizza, Baroque churches & a volcano on the horizon

2–3 days

Italy

Palermo

Arab-Norman gold mosaics, loud markets & Italy's best street food

3 days

Parma Cathedral, its bell tower and the octagonal pink Baptistery from above

Italy

Parma & the Food Valley

Parmigiano, prosciutto, culatello & Correggio's domes

2 days

The Colosseum lit against a deep blue evening sky

Italy

Rome

Twenty-eight centuries stacked on top of one another

3–4 days

Siena's rooftops and Piazza del Campo from above, with the Torre del Mangia

Italy

Siena & Chianti

Gothic Siena, the Palio & the vineyards of Chianti Classico

3 days

The Greek theatre at Taormina with the coast and snow-capped Etna behind

Italy

Taormina & Etna

A Greek theatre over the sea and Europe's great active volcano

3 days

Italy

Venice

A city on the water, best seen early, late & off the main routes

2–3 days

The Roman Arena on Piazza Bra in Verona under a summer sky

Italy

Verona & Lake Garda

Opera in a Roman arena, Amarone & Italy's largest lake

3–4 days

Slovenia

Goriška Brda

Slovenian Tuscany, terraced vineyards & orange wine cellars

2–3 days

The bronze statue of the mythical horned chamois Zlatorog standing guard on the shore of Lake Jasna beneath the razor-sharp limestone peaks of the Julian Alps

Slovenia

Kranjska Gora

Alpine resort, Lake Jasna & the Planica ski flying cradle

2–3 days

Slovenia

Lake Bled

Alpine lake, cliffside castle & church on the island

2 days

Slovenia

Lake Bohinj

Wild Alpine glacial lake, Church of St John & Mount Vogel

2–3 days

Slovenia

Ljubljana

A river, a castle & Europe's most walkable capital

2 days

Slovenia

Maribor

World's oldest vine, Drava riverbanks & the Pohorje hills

2 days

Slovenia

Piran

Venetian Gothic alleys, Tartini Square & Adriatic sea salt

2 days

Slovenia

Postojna Cave

Underground electric train, olm salamanders & Predjama Castle

1–2 days

Slovenia

Ptuj

Slovenia's oldest recorded town, hilltop castle & Kurent carnival

1–2 days

Slovenia

Škocjan Caves

UNESCO subterranean canyon, Cerkvenik Bridge & the roaring Reka

1–2 days

The astonishing emerald-turquoise waters of the Soča River flowing over polished limestone boulders beneath the Julian Alps

Slovenia

Soča Valley

Emerald river rapids, Vršič Pass & the First World War trails

3–4 days

Slovenia

Velika Planina

High mountain plateau, spruce-shingle huts & Trnič cheese

1–2 days

Aerial perspective of Zlatni Rat's white pebble horn extending into the blue Adriatic

Croatia

Brač & Zlatni Rat

White limestone quarries, golden pebble horn & alpine heights

2–4 days

Dubrovnik's walled old town on its limestone peninsula above the Adriatic

Croatia

Dubrovnik & Elafiti Islands

Limestone ramparts, Adriatic light & island escapes

3–5 days

Croatia

Hvar & Pakleni Islands

Venetian piazzas, lavender hills & Pakleni island lagoons

2–4 days

Aerial panorama of the fortified hilltop town of Motovun rising above Istrian vineyards

Croatia

Istrian Hill Towns

Medieval ramparts, oak truffle forests & bohemian art colonies

2–3 days

The medieval walled peninsula of Korčula Town projecting into the Adriatic channel

Croatia

Korčula & Pelješac

Venetian ramparts, Grk vineyards & Adriatic oyster beds

2–4 days

The Maiden with the Seagull bronze sculpture looking out over the Kvarner Gulf in Opatija

Croatia

Kvarner Gulf, Opatija & Cres

Habsburg villas, coastal promenades & wild island crags

2–4 days

Towering limestone canyon walls and mountain gorge in Paklenica National Park

Croatia

Paklenica & Velebit Coast

Limestone sea-canyons, world-class climbing & coastal peaks

2–3 days

Croatia

Plitvice Lakes

Sixteen terraced travertine lakes, thundering cascades & beech forests

1–2 days

Rovinj's pastel houses on the rounded peninsula crowned by St. Euphemia church

Croatia

Rovinj & Western Istrian Coast

Venetian fishing harbour, pastel alleys & pine-fringed bays

2–4 days

View over the stone roofs and fortress ramparts of Šibenik from Barone Fortress

Croatia

Šibenik & Krka National Park

Renaissance stone cathedral, sea fortresses & cascading waterfalls

2–3 days

Split waterfront and the bell tower of Diocletian's Palace on the Dalmatian coast

Croatia

Split & Trogir

Roman palace living, Venetian stone & Dalmatian island hub

3–5 days

The picturesque fishing harbour and St. Nicholas church of Komiža on Vis island

Croatia

Vis & The Blue Cave

Remote island solitude, naval secrets & glowing sea caves

2–4 days

The 9th-century circular Church of St. Donatus and the Roman Forum in historic Zadar

Croatia

Zadar & Kornati

Sea organ melodies, Roman stones & the lunar Kornati islands

2–4 days

Croatia

Zagreb

Austro-Hungarian avenues, vibrant café life & quirky museums

2–4 days

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Banja Luka

Leafy parks on the emerald Vrbas, Roman Kastel fortress & reconstructed Ferhadija mosque

2 days

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Blagaj

Mystical 16th-century Dervish Tekke, Europe's mightiest karst spring & clifftop medieval fortress

1 day

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Jajce

Royal medieval citadel, dramatic urban Pliva Waterfall & historic Austro-Hungarian watermills

1–2 days

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Konjic

Stara Ćuprija stone bridge, secret Tito's Nuclear Bunker & gateway to Neretva white-water rafting

1–2 days

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Kravica Waterfalls

Semicircular travertine amphitheatre, roaring 25-metre cascades & emerald swimming lagoon on the Trebižat

1 day

Traditional stone drystone cottages with steep tin roofs in the remote highland village of Lukomir on Mount Bjelašnica

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Lukomir & Bjelašnica

Bosnia's highest stone village, 800-metre Rakitnica Canyon & ancient pastoral sheep-farming traditions

1 day

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mostar

Stari Most stone arch, turquoise Neretva canyon & Ottoman cobbled lanes of Kujundžiluk

2 days

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Počitelj

Stone amphitheatre citadel, medieval Sahat Kula clock tower & pomegranate orchards on the Neretva

1 day

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo

Where East meets West: Ottoman Baščaršija, Austro-Hungarian boulevards & resilient Olympic valley

3 days

Monument to the Battle of the Sutjeska at Tjentište with the rugged limestone peaks of Maglić in the background

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sutjeska & Foča

Perućica primeval rainforest, Mount Maglić summit & the modernist Battle of the Sutjeska monument

2–3 days

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Travnik

City of Viziers, medieval fortress citadel & the painted floral Šarena Džamija

1 day

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Trebinje

Mediterranean sunlight, 16th-century Arslanagić Bridge & ancient wine cellars on the Trebišnjica

2 days

Dramatic multi-tiered roaring cascades of Štrbački Buk waterfall on the emerald Una River in Una National Park

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Una & Bihać

Emerald karst river canyon, thundering Štrbački Buk waterfalls & white-water rafting in Una National Park

2–3 days

Montenegro

Budva

Ancient Illyrian walled citadel, cliffside Mogren beaches & pulsating Adriatic nightlife

2 days

Montenegro

Cetinje

Royal capital of Montenegro, Biljarda palace & high-mountain gateway to Mount Lovćen

1 day

Mirrored alpine waters of Black Lake (Crno Jezero) framed by dark pine forests in Durmitor National Park

Montenegro

Durmitor & Žabljak

Glacial Black Lake, limestone peaks of Bobotov Kuk & wild Dinaric highlands

3 days

Montenegro

Herceg Novi

City of Fortress Towers, lush botanical gardens & the sunlit gateway to Boka Bay

2 days

Quiet emerald glacial lake surrounded by the dense virgin rainforest of Biogradska Gora National Park

Montenegro

Kolašin & Biogradska Gora

Primeval temperate rainforest, glacial lake reflection & Bjelasica mountain katuns

2 days

Montenegro

Kotor

Fjord-like Boka Bay, medieval Venetian city walls & clifftop San Giovanni fortress

2 days

Iconic horseshoe bend of the Crnojević River at Pavlova Strana flowing into Lake Skadar

Montenegro

Lake Skadar & Virpazar

Southern Europe's largest lake, water lily carpets, Dalmatian pelicans & Crmnica wines

2 days

Montenegro

Perast

Baroque captain palaces, twin fjord islets & Our Lady of the Rocks sanctuary

1 day

Montenegro

Petrovac

A red-pebble bay, a Venetian sea fort & the quietest stretch of the Budva riviera

2–3 days

Montenegro

Podgorica

Modern capital on six rivers, monumental Resurrection cathedral & Europe's largest single vineyard

1 day

Montenegro

Sveti Stefan

Fortified fifteenth-century stone island, pink sand tombolo & royal olive groves of Miločer

1 day

Dramatic five-arch concrete span of Đurđevića Tara Bridge towering 172 metres above the emerald river

Montenegro

Tara River Canyon

Europe's deepest river canyon, arched Đurđevića Tara bridge & world-class white water rafting

2 days

Montenegro

Ulcinj

Pirate citadel, 13km sandy Velika Plaža & bohemian delta huts of Ada Bojana

2 days

Albania

Berat

Town of a Thousand Windows, hilltop living citadel & UNESCO Ottoman timbered quarters

2 days

Albania

Durrës

Emperor Trajan's grand Roman amphitheatre, Byzantine coastal walls & sandy Adriatic beaches

1 day

Albania

Gjirokastër

City of Stone, monumental fortress castle & fortified Ottoman tower-mansions

2 days

Pristine white pebble cove and turquoise waters of Gjipe Beach framed by sheer red canyon cliffs on the Riviera

Albania

Himarë & Albanian Riviera

Dramatic Ionian coastlines, hilltop castle ruins & secluded pebble canyon coves

3 days

Albania

Korçë

Paris of Albania, National Museum of Medieval Art & renovated Ottoman bazaar terraces

2 days

Albania

Krujë

Skanderbeg's mountain citadel, cobblestone artisan bazaar & panoramic Bektashi teqes

1 day

Albania

Ksamil Islands

Turquoise Ionian archipelagos, white sand coves & fresh Lake Butrint mussel farms

2 days

Arched stone Ottoman bridge of Ura e Katiut spanning the crystalline Lengarica canyon near Përmet

Albania

Përmet & Vjosa River

Europe's first Wild River National Park, Bënjë thermal sulphur baths & walnut gliko preserves

2 days

Ancient Roman theatre and ruined stone temple remains nestled among cypress trees in Butrint

Albania

Sarandë & Butrint

UNESCO sanctuary of ancient Butrint, sunset castle views & lively Ionian harbourfront

2 days

Albania

Shkodër

Legendary Illyrian Rozafa fortress, cycling along Lake Shkodra & Marubi photographic archive

2 days

The iconic stone Catholic church of Theth framed by jagged limestone peaks in the Accursed Mountains

Albania

Theth & Albanian Alps

Alpine stone lock-in towers, limestone gorges & dramatic hiking in the Accursed Mountains

3 days

Albania

Tirana

Pastel Ottoman relics, cold war subterranean bunkers & pulsating Blloku terraces

2 days

Glacial gravels and emerald waters of the Valbona River surrounded by towering beech forests and limestone peaks

Albania

Valbona Valley

Glacial river valley, jagged karst peaks & traditional high-altitude shepherd katuns

2 days

Albania

Vlorë

Birthplace of Albanian independence, sheltered bay waters & pine-fringed Narta lagoon

2 days

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