The best winter festivals in Croatia

Arguably the one great social event of the autumn season, the Zagreb Film Festival is certainly one of the most informal and enjoyable celebrations of celluloid in this part of the world. It’s also one of the most popular cultural happenings in the country, putting bums on seats in a way that would drive most other festival organisers purple with envy. The deftly curated programme delivers a genuinely global selection of non-Hollywood production, focusing attention on films that wouldn’t normally get a run down at the local multiplex. Prizes are handed out to the best films on the final weekend, but the whole affair is treated with relaxed good humour rather than award-ceremony angst. It’s certainly not a formal affair and there‘s hardly any VIP segregation; you’ll probably see international directors drinking in the same café as the filmgoers themselves. The festival’s main venue is the venerable, Art Nouveau-styled Kino Europa, and it is here that festivalgoers come to enjoy pre-show drinks or hang around in search of an after-party. However, it is also a genuinely citywide affair, with retrospectives, themed seasons and documentary screenings taking place in all manner of venues across town. And with what seems like the entire population of Zagreb going out to watch films that they might not bother seeing if they were on general release, tickets sell out very quickly – so consult the programme carefully, make your choice and book in advance. 

The main regional showcase for documentary films, with an international range of the best contemporary work, and prizes for the best submissions. Prizes are awarded in numerous categories, and the winning films are re-screened on the last day of the festival.

The swish Habsburg-era resort town of Opatija has remained a popular haunt for wealthy holidaymakers for centuries. With its attractive parade of chocolate box houses, it's hard to think of a better place to hold this celebration of the sweet stuff. Domestic producers and international are well-represented here, with plenty of opportunities to nick a free sample or two.

Surrounded by the snow-blanketed Dinaric Alps, Split looks gorgeous on a crisp winter day, and it's market stalls, quirky shops and cobbled streets are an enchanting place to go Christmas shopping. Split goes big for Christmas - here, you'll find wooden-roofed stalls selling festive food-stuffs, seasonal concerts and a diverse programme of activities to jump into. Split's postcard-perfect setting, twinkly lights, and the smell of mulled-wine lingering in the air is enough to warm the cheeks of any Scrooge.

Zagreb in winter? I bet you never imagined it could be so much fun, what with an Advent programme that embraces pre-Christmas markets and live music in several destinations. Sausage vendors, mulled wine stalls and igloo-shaped rakija bars help to stimulate the senses. Stalls on the pedestrianised streets around Cvijetni trg sell everything from craft toys to traditional sweets, fruit preserves, speciality biscuits and gingerbread hearts. The music programme features a month-long season of outdoor gigs and DJ high-jinks.

When New Year comes around, Croatians turn to music. The country’s top live acts and DJs put on special one-night shows at prime locations in all major cities. In Split, the party takes place along the waterfront Riva, where rock band Buđenje and local singer Petar Grašo entertained the masses in 2017.