Croatia info

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.

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, 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, one of the most important 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 and pre-Romanesque Church of St. Donatus. 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.

Important phone numbers in Croatia:

112 - Emergency number

9155 - Service search and rescue at sea

94 - Emergency assistance

Important sites:

Croatian nationa tourist board

Meteorological and Hydrological Institute

Croatian auto club

Croatian railways

Zagreb airport

Pula airport

Split airport

Osijek airport

Rijeka airport

Dubrovnik airport

Zadar airport

Main bus station Zagreb

The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service

Public holidays in Croatia

Electricity

Wall sockets in Croatia operate at 220 volts and take round, two-pin plugs. A standard continental adaptor allows the use of 13-amp, square-pin plugs.

Mail

Most post offices (pošta or HPT) are open Monday to Friday from 7 or 8am to 7 or 8pm, and Saturday 8am to 1 or 2pm. In villages and on islands, Monday to Friday 8am to 2pm is more common, though in big towns and resorts some offices open daily, sometimes staying open until 10pm.

Stamps (marke) can be bought either at the post office or at newsstands. If you're sending parcels home, don't seal the package until the post office staff have had a look at what's inside: customs duty is charged on the export of most things, although newsprint and books are exempt.

Time

Phones

Croatian phone booths use magnetic cards (telekarta), which you can pick up from post offices or newspaper kiosks. They're sold in denominations of 25, 50, 100, 200 and 500 units (impulsa). Generally speaking, a single unit will be enough for a local call, and the 25-unit card (costing around 13Kn) will be sufficient for making a few longer-distance calls within the country or a short international call. For international calls of longer duration, invest in a higher-value card, or head for the post office, where you're assigned a cabin from which to phone and given the bill afterwards – either way, rates are cheapest Monday to Saturday 10pm to 7am, and all day Sunday. It's best to avoid making international calls from your hotel room: charges are extortionate, and seem to rise in proportion to the star-rating of the hotel.