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Croatia — Introduction

Croatia is an eastern European country located along the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea with a history and culture all its own. This uniqueness is partially a result of its location: it sits at the crossroads of many different cultures. Located on the edge of the Balkans, it neighbors Hungary and, across the Gulf of Venice and the Adriatic, Italy. Croatian culture, then, features an unusual but enjoyable blend of central European, eastern European, and Mediterranean influences.

Croatia is home of one of Europe's most beautiful coastlines, with rocky shores stretching across nearly 2000 kilometers, along with over 1000 islands. The area has attracted much interest for its natural beauty, yet the Croatian people have worked to keep the coast pristine and unspoiled. This means that the visitor will still find many quiet places, untroubled by excessive human traffic and modern development. Natural beauty has been left undisturbed, while the cities and towns retain a great deal of old-fashioned charm as well as many remnants of the country's long history. Countless other treats await the traveller who journeys inland. There you can find mountains, lakes, and wetlands and enjoy great choice of accommodation Croatia.

Where to Go in Croatia

Zagreb, Croatia's capital and largest city, is located inland and thus displays many characteristics in common with other major cities in central Europe. Despite new development there are many charming older buildings to be seen, including Catholic, Orthodox, and Islamic places of worship, as well as many museums and government buildings. Other adventures lie in store for those who travel outside the city to the hilly rural countryside.

East of Zagreb you will find fertile Slavonia, the lowland region which serves as Croatia's breadbasket, and more small towns with long histories. Osijek, once a major frontier town on the border of the Habsburg and Ottoman Empires, is now the largest city in Slavonia and boasts many attractions, both medieval and modern.

Hikers will discover that inland Croatia offers them plenty of opportunity for outdoor exploration. A number of mountains are located not far from Zagreb, some of which feature gentle, easy-to-navigate slopes, and others of which present a more formidable challenge to the hiker. In addition, nature lovers should not pass up the opportunity to see the breathtaking Plitvice Lakes National Park, in the district of Lika. There they will find mountains, lakes, caves, waterfalls, and myriad species of plants and animals.

Moving down to the coast, we discover even more attractions for international visitors to Croatia. Istria, a large peninsula in the north, presents vivid reminders of Croatia's complex past: Roman villas, medieval Venetian villages, and modern tourist resorts all reside side-by-side with the natural wonders of the Adriatic coast. The port city of Pula is the largest urban area in the region. Grožnjan, Hum, Motovun, and Roč are four examples of old villages to be found in inland Istria, where travellers can see the remains of medieval structures still standing today.

South of Istria lie the islands of the deep Kvarner Gulf. The largest islands, Krk, Cres, and Lošinj, are tourist-friendly areas where visitors can still find out-of-the-way places to relax in peace. To the south and east of these islands lies the smaller island of Rab, whose central town, also named Rab, is filled with well-preserved historical heritage sites, including four medieval bell towers, as well as the attractive, scenic views typical of Croatia's Adriatic islands. On the mainland at the northern end of the Gulf stands Rijeka, the busiest port in the country and host of one of the world's largest Carnival festivals.

Further south we find Dalmatia, where a mountainous inland region called the Zagora gives way to a rich strip of land along the coast, home to numerous historic towns and fishing villages. Mountaineers may attempt to climb Dinara, Kozjak, or any of the other famous mountains in the area. Zadar, the most important of Dalmatia's cities, features a forum founded during the early days of the Roman Empire and many medieval Romanesque churches, such as the Cathedral of Saint Anastasia. The visitor who has finally seen enough of Zadar may also travel out to the islands, many of which feature rugged and unspoiled scenery. Further down the coast is the city of Šibenik, whose mother church, the Cathedral of St James, is a stunning example of Renaissance architecture.

In southern Dalmatia we encounter Split, a major city with a history dating back to the later Roman Empire. In the adjacent sea there are more islands to visit as well, from nearby tourist-friendly Brač, Dalmatia's largest island, to the more isolated islands of Lastovo and Vis. Hvar and Korčula are two other large, must-see islands in the region, both of which can be quickly reached from Split. Hvar prides itself on being the "sunniest spot in Europe" and is famous for producing wines and lavender, while Korčula boasts a booming agro-tourism industry.

At the southern end of both Dalmatia and Croatia stands the city of Dubrovnik, once an independent republic and now a major center of Croatian industry and art. As with the rest of Dalmatia, there are also beautiful islands waiting to be explored off the coast. Mljet, the southernmost and easternmost of Croatia's islands, is the home of a heavily forested national park. Other islands include Koločep, Lopud and Šipan, which, like many of the other islands we have discussed, are beautiful enough to be worth a visit yet sparsely travelled enough to provide relaxation and tranquility.