Croatia trivia: 46 questions and answers

Zagreb. Zagreb is the capital and by far the largest city, on the Sava river in the north of the country.

True. True. The euro replaced the kuna on 1 January 2023, and Croatia joined the Schengen area on the same day.

Dinara. Dinara, 1,831 m at its Sinjal peak near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, is the highest mountain in Croatia. Triglav is the highest mountain of Slovenia.

False. False. Croatia borders Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. Slovenia and Hungary lie between Croatia and Austria.

Tomislav. Tomislav is called king in a papal letter of 925 and is remembered as the first king of Croatia.

Ragusa. Dubrovnik was known as Ragusa, and the Republic of Ragusa governed itself from 1358 to 1808. Zara, Spalato and Pola are the old Italian names of Zadar, Split and Pula.

Ferdinand of Habsburg. The parliament chose Ferdinand of Habsburg, hoping for protection against the Ottomans. King Louis II had died at the Battle of Mohács the year before.

True. True. The Croatian parliament declared independence on 25 June 1991, and the European Community recognised Croatia in January 1992.

False. False. It was Napoleon's France: French troops occupied Dubrovnik in 1806, and in 1808 Marshal Marmont abolished the republic.

False. False. Both happened on the same day, 1 January 2023.

The 28th. Croatia became the 28th member of the European Union. (Ten years later it became the 20th country to use the euro.)

Cuttlefish or squid ink. Cuttlefish or squid ink turns crni rižot black. It is cooked with the cuttlefish itself, garlic, onion, parsley and wine.

Cottage cheese with eggs and sour cream. Štrukli are thin pastry rolled around cottage cheese with eggs and sour cream, then boiled or baked.

True. True. Soparnik is filled with Swiss chard and onion, baked on an open hearth and finished with olive oil and garlic.

Sheep's milk. Pag cheese is a hard sheep's milk cheese. The salty herbs the sheep graze on give it its special taste.

Hot red paprika. Hot red paprika gives kulen its heat and colour. The traditional recipe contains no black pepper.

False. False. 'Ispod peke' means 'under the bell': meat and potatoes are cooked slowly under a metal or clay lid covered with hot embers.

A strong fruit brandy. Rakija is a strong fruit brandy made from grapes, plums or pears, sometimes flavoured with herbs or walnuts.

Split. Split is the second-largest city and the largest on the coast. Rijeka is third and Osijek fourth.

Rijeka. Rijeka is Croatia's principal seaport. Its name simply means 'river'.

True. True. The coast around Neum belongs to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since 2022 the Pelješac Bridge lets drivers go around it.

Varaždin. Varaždin had for some years been the seat of the Croatian government, but after the fire of 1776 the offices moved back to Zagreb.

False. False. Swimming in the lakes is strictly forbidden, to protect the fragile natural barriers between them.

Pula. Pula Arena once held about 23,000 spectators and is one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheatres in the world.

The waves of the sea. The waves of the sea push air through pipes hidden under the marble steps, which makes the notes.

The Cathedral of St. James in Šibenik. The Cathedral of St. James in Šibenik, built of stone between 1431 and 1536, has 74 carved heads thought to show people of the time.

Greek colonists. Greek colonists from the island of Paros divided the plain into fields in the 4th century BC, and it is still farmed today.

False. False. As of 2026, Croatia's World Heritage Sites include Dubrovnik, Diocletian's Palace in Split, Plitvice and the Euphrasian Basilica, but not the Pula Arena.

The cravat. The cravat: the French word for Croats, 'Croates', became 'cravate', after the knotted neckerchiefs of Croatian soldiers in the Thirty Years' War.

The Dalmatian. The Dalmatian is named after Dalmatia, the Croatian coastal region where its origins can be traced.

True. True. Kuna means marten in Croatian. Marten furs were used in trade in the Middle Ages.

More than 1,000. More than 1,000: one official count gives 1,185 islands, islets, rocks and reefs, of which 48 islands are inhabited.

The Pelješac Bridge. The Pelješac Bridge, 2.4 km long, opened in July 2022 and links the mainland with the Pelješac peninsula, bypassing the Neum strip.

True. True. Croatia played France in the 2018 final in Moscow. It also finished third in 1998 and 2022.

Thank you. 'Hvala' means thank you. For thank you very much, say 'hvala lijepa'.

A ferry. A trajekt is a ferry. A train is a 'vlak' and a bus is an 'autobus'.

False. False. 'Ne' means no, and 'da' means yes.

Dobar tek. 'Dobar tek' means enjoy your meal. 'Živjeli' is cheers, 'Laku noć' good night and 'Do viđenja' goodbye.

Cheers!. 'Živjeli!' means cheers! and is said when glasses are raised.

Račun, molim. 'Račun, molim' means the bill, please.

112. 112 is the official emergency number for police, ambulance and fire, free from any phone, as in the rest of the European Union. 192 reaches only the police, 193 only the fire service and 194 only the ambulance.

True. True. From 1 November to 31 March, dipped headlights or daytime running lights must be on even during the day. Motorcycles and mopeds need lights on all year round.

Buy a ticket online for a set entrance and time. Buy a ticket online for a set entrance and time: you must arrive at the entrance you chose within your time slot.

5 to 10%. 5 to 10% is usual in a restaurant, and rounding up is normal for drinks. More than 10% is unusual.

True. True. Swimwear and bare chests in town centres can bring on-the-spot fines. Put on a shirt and shorts or a dress when you leave the beach.

A strong, cold wind from the mountains. The bura is a strong, cold wind from the mountains that blows down to the sea and can close roads and delay ferries.