Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is located between Central Europe, Southern Europe and the Adriatic Sea; where it shares a border with Italy. Its capital is Zagreb, which is also its most populous city. Furthermore, it borders with Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Slovenia. Croatia, a beautiful country on the shores of the Mediterranean, has a lot to say. If you want to know the curiosities of Croatia, join us in this new Supercurious article where we have compiled 20 curious facts about Croatia. How many do you know?
20 Curiosities of Croatia
Due to the geographical position of the country, in Croatia the climate is modernly warm, which attracts many tourists who like to enjoy it in its more than 1,000 beaches. In addition, its division also allows this to be the country with greatest biodiversity in all of Europe. Let’s get to know him!
1. Are Dalmatians Croatian?
Surely you recognize these beautiful dogs by their characteristic black spots on a white coat. But, did you know that its origin was in the Dalmatia region belonging to Croatia? In this region you can see an old painting dating from 1700 in which there is a representation of “The Last Supper” with a Dalmatian, this is proof that this breed originated there.
In addition, it is said that the inhabitants of Dalmatia were sailors and merchants, so they used these dogs as merchandise due to their beauty, elegance and employment opportunities.
On the other hand, in this country the dalmatian coast which is said to resemble dogs as it is dotted with islands. Do not stop knowing her!
2. Where does the word Croatia come from?
Unfortunately, there is not much information about the origin of the name of this country. But here we share a few theories that seek to explain the origin of its name. The first hypothesis says that it comes from the old Persian and that it means shepherd or city of cattle.
The second says that its origin is Greek and that it means land or landowner. A third theory agrees with the Greek origin, but states that it means skin or pale. Which of these theories do you think is the most accurate?
3. Tie, Croatia?
One of the curiosities of Croatia is that the first tie was invented there. That’s right, this garment that is present in our daily lives has its origin in this country. Its invention is said to date back to the year 1635, when the Croats flocked to Paris to support King Louis XIII.
These soldiers wore a very particular clothing in which they used a kind of handkerchief tied with a knot in the middle of the neck. Seeing this unique outfit, the King was amazed, so he wanted to imitate it in his members of parliament, but this time with the royal insignia.
He named this scarf “Carvet”, which means Croatian. On the other hand, it is said that the Croats may have based their attire on Roman orators, who wore a similar garment to protect their vocal cords from the cold.
4. Curiosities of Croatia: Hum
One of the curious facts about Croatia is that the smallest city in the world is located there. Hum is located in the heart of Istria in northeastern Croatia and holds a record for being the smallest city in the world. In 2001 it had only 17 inhabitants, but in the last registered census it says that in 2017 the population of Hum had increased to 411 inhabitants.
5. Curious facts about Croatia: at what age can you vote?
One of the curiosities of Croatia is that you can vote with only 16 years. Of course, this point has its conditions. Well, minors will be able to vote if they are employed. If they do not have a permanent job, they will have to wait until they are 18 years old, as in most countries in the world.
6. Embroidery is one of the curiosities of Croatia
It may seem strange, but embroidery is a World Heritage Site in Croatia, it was declared as such by UNESCO in 2014. In this country, embroidery plays a fundamental role and is part of the Croatian identity.
In the culture and tradition of this country, both the shape of the embroidery and the color of the thread have a different and particular meaning. Previously, the action of embroidering was considered a social event that took place mainly among women, who had to pass this tradition on between generations.
7. The oldest calendar in Europe
The oldest calendar in Europe was found in Croatia. In 1978 this calendar was found inside a cracked pot in Vinkovci. The calendar is based on the Orion constellation and dates from approximately 2600 BC. It is believed that it belongs to an ancient culture that spread along the banks of the Danube and that stands out for its findings of ceramic samples, the Vučedol.
8. Game of Thrones was filmed in Croatia
Surely you have heard about the famous series “Game of Thrones”. In addition to the plot, the series became very popular because of the beautiful landscapes it presented on the screen. It turns out that most of these are from cities in Croatia. For example, several of the scenes that take place inside palaces were filmed in the palace of Emperor Diocletianwhich was declared a World Heritage Site and is located in the city of Split.
Another of the most famous places in the series is King’s Landing. The scenes of this place were shot in the beautiful city of Dubrovnik. Its walls were built in the 13th century and are considered the largest fortification systems of the entire Middle Ages.
If you were a fan of this acclaimed series, be sure to read our post about: Game of Thrones Curiosities.
9. The Iris is the national flower of Croatia
Among the curiosities of Croatia we find that the Iris is its national flower. This beautiful flower It is considered as a symbol of peace between nations. His Croatian name is perunika, a word that comes from Slavic mythology and refers to the god Perun and his wife, the goddess Peruna. According to legend, when the rays of Perun fell from the sky, they left the irises of different colors.
On the other hand, it is said that each of the colors of this flower has a different meaning. Thus purple is the symbol of sagacity and greetings, blue is a symbol of hope and good faith, yellow is the symbol of passion, and white represents purity and innocence.
10. What is FroggyLand?
FroggyLand is one of the strangest Croatian curiosities. This is a museum that is made of stuffed frogs. Yes, you read that right. This is a famous taxidermy museum in Croatia where frogs are displayed doing different human actions. It is estimated that in this museum there are more than 1,000 frogs that were stuffed by a single taxidermist between 1910 and 1920.
11. Croatia does it big!
One of the curious facts about Croatia is that there are approximately 23 world records there.
- The first of them is that in 2015 they took the world record for the longest strudel lines, they had a length of 1,762.45 meters.
- Another very curious record that the Croats took was in 2003 for the largest tie knot in the world. The tie was 808 meters long and was tied around the Pula arena.
- Finally, we want to mention another Croatian record that was for the longest painting in the world. The painting measured 10,800 square meters and was done by Ðuka Siroglavic between February and July 2007.
12. What is Picigin?
Picing is one of the curiosities of Croatia. This is a very characteristic water sport of the country in which groups (of about five people) are formed that must pass a small ball (approximately the size of a tennis ball) between them without it touching the water.
This game is mostly seen in the coastal cities since they must play it andn shallow water. This sport is very loved in the country and was declared as Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Croatian Ministry of Culture.
14. The oldest sphinx
Splint is one of the must-see cities in Croatia. This city is impressive and immortal that is located about 400 from the capital Zagreb.
The riches that are kept in Split have no comparison, among them is the Palace of the Emperor Diocletian, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and where you can see an ancient Egyptian sphinx. The sphinx is said to be over 4,000 years old and was brought by Diosclaciano himself, who was fascinated by Egyptian culture.
A curious fact is that this statue belongs to the group of androsphinges, creatures with the human head and the body of a lion, but the one in Split differs because its members end with human hands, and not with the lion’s claws.
15. What is a marine organ?
What does the sea sound like? This was the question asked by the architect Nikola Bašić. This man was assigned the task of redrawing the waterfront area of the city of Zadar. On the seashore I design some marble steps that have tubes underneath. The movement and push of the waves of the sea reproduce different musical sounds.
This great architectural invention was released in 2005 and since then it has been one of the biggest attractions of the place. Those who have visited it say that just like the waves of the sea, it is never the same sound.
16. The Stone Walls of Ston
Ston is an old fortified city where we can see another of the curiosities of Croatia. These are the Stone Walls, which were used in ancient times as a method of protection against the Ottoman Empire. These huge walls surrounded Stone and its neighboring town Mali Stone.
It is said that they are one of the longest stone walls in all of Europe, as they are 7 kilometers long. But these walls are surpassed by Hadrian’s Wall that is located between Scotland and England.
17. Nikola Tesla
Do you know who Nikola Tesla was? This man was a famous inventor and scientist who was born in 1856, in former Serbia, now part of Croatia. Among his greatest achievements we can see the radio that, unfortunately, is attributed to Guillermo Marconi.
And it is that, due to Tesla’s opposition to business, several of his inventions and patents were stolen. Another of his great discoveries, without which we could not live today, was alternating current. The debate continues today: Is Tesla a Serbian or a Croatian? One of the curious facts about Croatia that is still in doubt. What do you think?
If you want to know more about the inventions and phrases of this great character, be sure to read: Nikola Tesla Quotes.
18. Lakes National Park
Among the curious facts about Croatia, the Lakes National Park stands out, which is the best-known park in the country. This is located in Plitvice and there you can admire lakes, waterfalls and dream springs. Its beauty is such that since 1948 it was declared a National Park and in 1979 it was proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
19. The amazing beach of Zlatni Rat
If you thought you already knew enough curiosities about Croatia, you were wrong. Well, they have one of the strangest beaches in the world…
This beach is undoubtedly something that we cannot rule out. It is located on the coast of Brač and, like all Croatian beaches, it has a singular beauty. Its peculiarity is that it is a beach that changes color and shape depending on the wind and the weather.
20. Rijeka Carnival
Rijeka Carnival is definitely the most colorful side of Croatia. This festivity has existed since 1982 and is celebrated every June 13. This is the largest carnival in Croatia and the third largest in the world. In this festivity, the masks and colored fabrics are prepared to remember San Antonio de Padua, a priest of the Franciscan order.
What do you think of these curiosities of Croatia? Tell us which one you found most surprising! As always we will be very happy to read you.