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There are hundreds of things you should know about Croatia. Croatia is an amazing country with incredible people and a history so full and deep that it could be placed among some of the most ancient civilizations. However, that is all stuff that you can find out while there.
Although I could probably give you dozens of things you should know about Croatia before you go I have decided to stick to my top 11. Hopefully, these will help you with your Croatian travels.
Malk (And Other Dairy Products)
I will not apologize for that video as I find it absolutely hilarious even if it is very dark. Especially as it is kind of fitting to this topic. Milk and other dairy products are huge here.
It is quite common to see the odd person walking around with a carton of milk; drinking it as if it were just another water bottle. Cheese is a daily occurrence for most as well.
Not just this, but with certain foods, such as burek (a meat, cheese, or potato pastry), the go-to beverage for most locals is drinkable yogurt. With a cheese burek that is doubling down on the dairy and it is oh-so delicious.
Admittedly I thought it was weird at first, but don’t knock it until you try it! It’s actually pretty good.
Most People Are Super Friendly (And Trustworthy)
There is a narrative that locals will give about people from both Croatia and the Balkans in general. As someone who had very little knowledge about the Balkans before my time there, I made a few mistakes (such as calling it the Baltics once or twice. Oops!).
Every single time I did I would hear almost the exact same thing. “One thing you should know about Croatia is that you need to be careful what you say around people. You are fine here because we understand, but some people would take offence and be very rude to you”.
Yet with every mistake or opinion that I voiced no one was anything, but incredibly friendly and understanding. Between friends, they will slightly jeer or jab at each other in a very friendly and jovial manner.
If you start getting jabs taken at you then chances are that they have accepted you as a friend and you should make a jab or two back.
As you get to know people you will also find yourself constantly invited to partake in meals, drinking and whatever other events that people may be doing. Not only that, but usually the person who does the inviting will pay.
Just don’t be the person who always lets others pay for things. You should try to pay for the group at times too. Therefore maybe you should invite them out as well!
Crime against other people is also very low in Croatia. They tend to not steal from others, but instead steal from the government or big businesses.
There is a Very ‘Old-Fashioned’ Mentality
If there were only one thing you should know about Croatia before you go would be this. It’s a warning really. Especially for westerners. There is a very old-fashioned mentality here. To a point where Balkan men will look down upon women.
The man of the family or household is in charge. His order doesn’t get questioned. The women are expected to cook, clean and keep the house in order while also doing what the men say.
In certain cities, such as Split, you can find Croatian men scouring bars and clubs to find foreign girls. They like that they are strong and independent and will try to date them. It won’t last long though. When they find out they can’t control foreign girls it quite often ends with the statement “I wish I could find a sweet village girl that will do whatever I tell her”.
Out west we would view this as incredibly misogynistic and it is. Yet at the same time, a village girl will leave a man who isn’t direct or stern enough with them. Please is not a word in those relationships. They don’t view it as misogyny but as tradition.
Tradition, Tradition, Tradition
Speaking of tradition….. It’s super important to them. From the traditional family homes where two or three generations live together to what side of the war people’s grandfathers were on to religion to the making of olive oil and wine. It’s all very important to Croatians.
Therefore Croatians will take huge pride in their traditions and they should. Croatia is a country full of so many traditions and such a vast history that it should be admired and respected. Unfortunately in some places that tradition has been drowned out from overtourism.
That being said, if you find the right place to stay then your trip can be full of tradition and knowledge of the country. If you want to learn all the things you should know about Croatia then staying with some locals and being wrapped in their traditions is key.
Red vs White
When it comes to wine I’m sure we have all heard this debate before. What’s better? Red or white? For myself it’s red, but my wife prefers white and that’s ok. Especially in Croatia! Here there is no problem when it comes to preference as there are so many options for local wines in both categories.
Grk is a very famous white wine that the island of Korčula is renowned for. It is quite strong and therefore is mixed with sparkling water to fully bring out all the flavours of this sweet white.
Plavac Mali is the most well-known red wine coming out of Croatia and it is booming with flavour. Some of the locals will mix it with Coca-Cola, but I found it was best on its own.
Those are only two of the vast variety of local wines Croatia has to offer. Most are so local that they don’t even have a name. Perhaps only referenced by what type of grape was used.
It’s Very Unlikely You Will be Taken Seriously as Anything Other Than a Tourist
Another big thing you should know about Croatia is this. Although you will be loved and welcomed as a tourist chances are you will never be taken seriously as anything more. Especially if you don’t speak Croatian finding a job will be very difficult.
Croatians themselves say “It doesn’t work here the way it does in most of the West. If you don’t know how to properly work things or talk to people then chances are no matter how hard you work you will probably end up broke and struggling.”
This is a fact of Croatia. The way they do things is different. Whether that is business dealings or friendships people here go about things differently and don’t really take foreigners seriously as much other than tourists. The foreigners I did meet that were working there were usually volunteering or doing a Workaway exchange at a hostel or something similar for a place to stay.
There are certain cities such as Zagreb, Dubrovnik, and Split that this is less significant though so it is still worth a try.
Not Conspiracy Theorists
Croatians have one of the biggest attitudes of distrust towards their government I have ever seen. They don’t believe anything their government tells them and for good reason. Their Government has had a very long history of lying to the people for their own benefit.
Therefore this mistrust has extended not only to their own, but also to all other governments as well as police. Most people have a complete mistrust of what any government says, especially their own. This led to mass disbelief in many things including the coronavirus.
Loose on Rules
This mistrust of government and police has in turn caused most Croatians to be pretty loose on rules and regulations. Instead, they look at these as guidelines more than anything.
This is shown in situations such as, what Westerners would consider, shady business deals, a tourist/local pricing system, scuba diving to depths or in locations someone is not certified for, and so many others.
Many people take major advantage of how loose people are on the rules. Sometimes it can be great while others can be disastrous.
Laid Back
The fact that Croatians are loose on rules may just be a symptom of how laid-back they are. Most of the time at least.
Seriously though, Croatians are some of the most laid-back and chill people I have ever met. They live by the motto “Work hard, play harder” which can lead to wildly fun moments.
This leads to things being a lot slower as not many are in a rush. This can be seen in late arrivals and leaving times for public transport and events.
Watch Where You Step
This is more a thing you should know about Croatia’s southern provinces such as Dalmatia. If you aren’t in a city or town watching where you are stepping is essential. Depending on the time of year avoiding going under trees is also a pretty good idea.
“Why?” you ask. Only so you don’t meet a painful and gruesome death at the hands of a venomous snake. There are three species of venomous snakes in Croatia. The Common Adder, the Nose-Horned Viper, and the Karst Meadow Viper.
Of these three the Nose-Horned Viper is by far the most dangerous. A bite from one of these guys requires immediate attention or it will most likely be fatal.
At certain times of the year, some of these can be found falling out of trees as that is where they like to lay their eggs.
Tipping is Key
Tipping will get you so very far in Croatia. Tip well and tip as soon as possible. If you tip well it will be remembered by everyone at the place you tipped. By this, I mean tipping well by Croatian standards which are far below North American standards.
I tend to spend a lot of time in coffee shops and beachside bars while travelling so that I can work. In a lot of places, this is frowned upon or even an offence that could get you kicked out. My Croatian friend told me “This is the number one thing you should know about Croatia. No matter where you go if you tip them 50 or 100 Kuna (~13 Euros or 16 USD) as soon as possible they will let you stay as long as you want, bring you drinks, and treat you well. They will do this every time you come no matter how long you stay. This way you won’t get kicked out anywhere”
I am sure there are still some things you can do to get kicked out, but you would really have to try.
In Conclusion:
This by no means is a complete list of things that you should know about Croatia. Even as I wrote this more and more things popped into my head, some of which I added.
Someone could probably write a listen of 100 or 1000. Hell, maybe I could. However for now I leave you with 11 things you should know about Croatia.
Malk (And Other Dairy Products)
Most People Are Super Friendly (And Trustworthy)
There is a Very ‘Old-Fashioned’ Mentality
Tradition, Tradition, Tradition
It’s Very Unlikely You Will be Taken Seriously as Anything Other Than a Tourist
Hopefully, this helps you on your travels and stages off a bit of culture shock. If there are any you’d think would be good let us know in the comments below!
