April, or Travanj in Croatian, is an eye-catching month of the year with all the flowers, foliage and seasonal food coming to life as the temperatures warm. There is so much to do in Croatia in April with traditions and events inviting you to experience the great outdoors. For all you adrenaline junkies out there, you have plenty of races to choose from whether that's by bicycle, rally car or foot.
Palm Sunday, or Cvjetnica in Croatian, takes place either in March or April depending on the calendar of when Easter falls. Some churches gather with olive branches, like in Igor's hometown of Tribalj, and others use flowers or palm branches. In the city of Dubrovnik, it is a tradition to braid the palm leaves, called Pome. The Holy Week continues and make sure to be on the lookout for giant painted easter eggs around symbolizing friendship, love and joy. On Good Friday, or Veliki Petak in Croatian, you fast until Easter on fish, beans, nuts and fruit, but no other meat through Saturday. On Saturday, boiled eggs are painted and different dishes of egg, ham, lamb, leeks and pastries are prepared and placed in a basket that is then brought to the church on Easter to be blessed. Igor's mother puts a little bit of everything in the basket, even the salt you use to dip the raw leeks into before biting.
Easter, or Uskrs in Croatian, is celebrated either in March or April depending on the calendar, from Sunday through Monday, and ends the practice of Lent. It is an old tradition to bury in the ground any scraps that remain after the Easter feast instead of throw in the garbage because the food is blessed, so it's like a Holy version of composting for all those eco-friendly peeps out there...wink, wink, did you see what I did there?
For more about this season READ: Spring in Croatia
Istria 100 by UTMB: April 4-7
This event is also called the greatest Croatian trail race, 100 Miles of Istria. Several races take place over the weekend with four different courses scattered around the Istrian Peninsula. The yellow course is 41km (25 miles), the green course is 67km (42 miles), the blue course is 110km (68 miles) and the red course is 161km (100 miles). All courses have breathtaking views of the mountains, valleys and Adriatic Sea in the most northwestern part of this beautiful country.
Dobro World Cup: April 6-7
The FIG World Challenge Cup or Dobro World Cup takes place in Osijek. Beginning in 2009, this yearly gymnastics competition brings professional athletes from all over the world displaying their talents and winning metals.
Zagreb Dox: April 14-21
Zagreb's international documentary film festival is where some of the most influential film makers from all over the world feature their work, including Oscar nominated films as well as Venice, IDFA and Sundance winners. Along with the international competition there is a regional competition of prestigious Croatian directors and live music events.
April 20
It's not spring in Croatia without asparagus! The town of Lovran celebrates this healthy vegetable by making a humongous kind of omelette, Croatian's call fritaja, using 1,000 eggs and 30 kilograms of asparagus and bacon. Nearby restaurants feature the plant on their menu with creative dishes and along with the food there is a musical program and other cultural happenings.
After the festival, visit the nearby, enchanting city of Opatija! Here's our Travel Guide.
Four Islands MTB Stage Race: April 16-20
This is a team mountain bike race taking place over 5 days across the stunning northern islands of Krk, Cres, Lošinj and Rab, totaling approximately 289km (180 miles) with ascents up to 6,022 meters (19,757 feet).
April 18-20
This festival takes place in the town of Baška, on the island of Krk, presenting workshops and cultural and musical performances, as well as a large assortment of delightful spring flowers.
Looking to visit more of Croatia's northern islands?
Check out our Day Trip to Krk, Cres and Lošinj Islands!
WRC Croatia Rally: April 18-21
This rally is Round 4 of the World Rally Championship where teams compete in 20 different stages across five counties. The race begins in the capital city of Zagreb and makes its way even to areas near the north coast, such as the ski resort of Platak and the town of Ravna Gora.
Krk GranFondo: April 27
This 82 kilometer bike tour takes place on the island of Krk, beginning in the town of Punat and taking a scenic route through the towns of Baška, Vrbnik, Malinska, Omišalj and Njivice all while highlighting the areas history and unique features. There is a 4 day bike camp April 24-28 and a 3 day children's camp April 25-27 available as well.
Rijeka Run: April 28
Known as Rijeka's Festival of Sport and Recreation. Athletes can choose from competitive races, such as 539 Steps, Molo Longo Run, Half Marathon, Relay Race, 10km and 5km, or non-competitive races, such as Homo Si Teć, Dm Mići Trk and Milka Milinković Memorial.
To find out more about the city of Rijeka go to our Travel Guide!
So whether you want to participate in a race or just be a spectator at a sports event, take part in Easter traditions or seasonal festivals or just want to stop and smell some roses, there is an abundance of events awaiting in Croatia in April.
North Coast Croatia Travel Agency specializes in travel to Croatia and surrounding European countries. Providing consultations, custom itineraries, pre-designed theme itineraries, summer beach rentals and a travel blog. Booking flights, accommodations, cruises, tours, rental cars, transfers, bus/train/ferry tickets, travel insurance and more!
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Happy Travels! Sretan Put!
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