Croatia has 14 national holidays, many of which are based in Catholicism or are associated with a notable milestone in national history, during which government agencies and many businesses across the country are closed.

Depending on the holiday, bus service may be limited and some supermarkets may be closed so be sure to be aware of the major ones. I’ve starved on more than one national holiday when all the markets and restaurants were closed simply because I didn’t plan ahead.

Public national holidays in Croatia

Some cities in Croatia such as Split and Dubrovnik celebrate their own holidays, in addition to the public ones, that celebrate patron saints or other milestones in their history.

UPDATE 19/11/19: The government changed the law on national holidays and officially moved Dan državnosti (Statehood Day) from June 25 to May 30. As part of this law change, the government also added a new holiday called Dan sjećanja na žrtve Domovinskog rata i Dan sjećanja na žrtvu Vukovara i Škabrnje, which will be celebrated on November 18. Dan neovisnosti will be marked on June 25, instead of October 8. They also decided that Dan neovisnosti will no longer be marked as a national holiday – now, it is a memorial day.