Official Name Republic of Croatia
Capital City Zagreb
Population 4,496,869
Language Croatian 96%, other 4% (including Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak,
and German)
Time Zone GMT+1 in winter and GMT+2 in summer
Independence 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)
National Holiday Statehood Day, 25 June (1991)
Currency Croatian Kuna(HRK)
Summer Temp: 22º C
Winter Temp: 1º C
Ethnic Groups Croat 89.6%, Serb 4.5%, Bosniak 0.5%, Hungarian 0.4%, Slovene
0.3%, Czech 0.2%, Roma 0.2%, Albanian 0.1%, Montenegrin 0.1%, others 4.1%
Religions Roman Catholic 87.8%, Orthodox 4.4%, Muslim 1.3%, Protestant 0.3%,
others and unknown 6.2%
Location South-eastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia
Area
total: 56,538 sq km
land : 56,410 sq km
water: 128 sq km
Land boundaries
total: 2,197 km
border countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km, Serbia and
Montenegro266 km (241 km with Serbia; 25 km with Montenegro), Slovenia 670 km
Coastline 5,790 km (mainland 1,778 km, islands 4,012 km)
Climate Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with
hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast
Terrain geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border, low mountains
and highlands near Adriatic coast, coastline, and islands
Elevation extremes
lowest: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest: Dinara 1,830 m
Natural resources oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, natural
asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt
Natural hazards frequent and destructive earthquakes
The lands that today comprise Croatia were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
until the close of World War I. In 1918, the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed
a kingdom known after 1929 as Yugoslavia. Following World War II, Yugoslavia
became a federal independent Communist state under the strong hand of Marshal
TITO. Although Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, it
took four years of sporadic, but often bitter, fighting before occupying Serb
armies were mostly cleared from Croatian lands. Under UN supervision, the last
Serb-held enclave in eastern Slavonia was returned to Croatia in 1998.
The area known as Croatia today has been inhabited throughout
the prehistoric period, since the Stone Age. In the middle Paleolithic, Neanderthals
lived in Krapina. In the early Neolithic period, the Starcevo, Vinca, Sopot,
Vucedol and Hvar cultures were scattered around the region. The Iron Age left
traces of the Hallstatt culture (proto-Illyrians) and the La Tène culture
(proto-Celts).
In recorded history, the area was inhabited by the Illyrians, and since the
4th century BC also colonized by the Celts and by the Greeks. Illyria was a
sovereign state until the Romans conquered it in 168 BC. The Western Empire
organized the provinces of Pannonia and Dalmatia, which after its downfall passed
to the Huns, the Ostrogoths and then to the Byzantine Empire. Forebears of Croatia's
current Slav population settled there in the 7th century.
Medieval Croatian state (until 1102)
The Croats arrived in what is today Croatia in the seventh century.
They organized into two dukedoms; the duchy of Pannonian Croatia in the north
and the duchy of Littoral Croatia duchy in the south. The biggest part of Christianization
of the Croats ended in the 9th century.
Croatian duke Trpimir I (845–864), founder of Trpimirovic dynasty, fought
successfully against Bulgarians, and against Byzantine strategos in Zadar. He
expanded his state in east to the Drava River. The first native Croatian ruler
recognized by a pope was duke Branimir, whom Pope John VIII called dux Chroatorum
in 879.
The first King of Croatia, Tomislav (910–928) of the Trpimirovic dynasty,
was crowned in 925. Tomislav, rex Chroatorum, united the Pannonian and Dalmatian
duchies and created a sizeable state. He defeated Bulgarian Tsar Simeon I in
battle of the Bosnian Highlands. The medieval Croatian kingdom reached its peak
during the reign of King Petar Krešimir IV (1058–1074).
Following the disappearance of the major native dynasty by the end of the 11th
century in the Battle of Gvozd Mountain, the Croats eventually recognized the
Hungarian ruler Coloman as the common king for Croatia and Hungary in a treaty
of 1102 (often referred to as the Pacta conventa).
Union with Hungary (1102–1526)
The consequences of the change to the Hungarian king included the introduction
of feudalism and the rise of the native noble families such as Frankopan and
Šubic. The later kings sought to restore some of their previously lost
influence by giving certain privileges to the towns. The primary governor of
Croatian provinces was the ban.
The princes of Bribir from the Šubic family became particularly influential,
asserting control over large parts of Dalmatia, Slavonia and Bosnia. Later,
however, the Angevines intervened and restored royal power. They also sold the
whole of Dalmatia to Venice in 1409.
As the Turkish incursion into Europe started, Croatia once again became a border
area. The Croats fought an increasing number of battles and gradually lost increasing
swaths of territory to the Ottoman Empire (Battle of Krbava field).
Habsburg Empire, Venice and the Ottomans (1527–1918)
Ban Josip Jelacic
The 1526 Battle of Mohács was a crucial event in which
the rule of the Jagiellon dynasty was shattered by the death of King Louis II.
The Ottoman Empire further expanded in the 16th century to include most of Slavonia,
western Bosnia and Lika.
Later in the same century, large areas of Croatia and Slavonia adjacent to the
Ottoman Empire were carved out into the Military Frontier (Vojna Krajina, German
Militaergrenze) and ruled directly from Vienna military headquarters. The area
became rather deserted and was subsequently settled by Serbs, Vlachs, Croats
and Germans and others. As a result of their compulsory military service to
the Habsburg Empire during conflict with the Ottoman Empire, the population
in the Military Frontier was free of serfdom and enjoyed much political autonomy
unlike the population living in the parts ruled by Hungary.
After the Bihac fort finally fell in 1592, only small parts of Croatia remained
unconquered. The remaining 16,800 km² were referred to as the remnants
of the remnants of the once great Croatian kingdom. The Ottoman army was successfully
repelled for the first time on the territory of Croatia following the battle
of Sisak in 1593. The lost territory was mostly restored, except for large parts
of today's Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Croats have participated in the Thirty Years' War. They were remembered
by brutality throughout the Protestant world. One Protestant church in Aachen
still has a saying about Croats as they were remembered in common prayers of
German people from that time: "God save us from hunger, Croats and plague!".
By the 1700s, the Ottoman Empire was driven out of Hungary and Croatia, and
Austria brought the empire under central control. Empress Maria Theresia was
supported by the Croatians in the War of Austrian Succession of 1741–1748
and subsequently made significant contributions to Croatian matters.
With the fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797, its possessions in eastern Adriatic
became subject to a dispute between France and Austria. The Habsburgs eventually
secured them (by 1815) and Dalmatia and Istria became part of the empire, though
they were in Cisleithania while Croatia and Slavonia were under Hungary.
Croatian romantic nationalism emerged in mid-19th century to counteract the
apparent Germanization and Magyarization of Croatia. The Illyrian movement attracted
a number of influential figures from 1830s on, and produced some important advances
in the Croatian language and culture.
Following the Revolutions of 1848 in Habsburg areas and the creation of the
dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, Croatia lost its domestic autonomy, despite
the contributions of its ban Jelacic in quenching the Hungarian rebellion. Croatian
autonomy was restored in 1868 with the Hungarian–Croatian Settlement which
wasn't particularly favorable for the Croatians.
First Yugoslavia (1918–1941)
Shortly before the end of the First World War in 1918, the Croatian Parliament
severed relations with Austria-Hungary as the Entente armies defeated those
of the Habsburgs. Croatia and Slavonia' became a part of the State of Slovenes,
Croats and Serbs composed out of all Southern Slavic territories of the now
former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy with a transitional government headed in Zagreb.
Although the state inherited much of Austro-Hungary's military arsenal, including
the entire fleet, the Kingdom of Italy moved rapidly to annex the state's most
western territories, promised to her by the Treaty of London of 1915. An Italian
Army eventually took Istria, started to annex the Adriatic islands one by one,
and even landed in Zadar. After Srijem left Croatia and Slavonia and joined
Serbia together with Vojvodina, which was shortly followed by a referendum to
join Bosnia and Herzegovina to Serbia, the People's Council (Narodno vijece)
of the state, guided by what was by that time a half a century long tradition
of pan-Slavism, joined the Kingdom of Serbia into the Kingdom of the Serbs,
Croats and Slovenes.
The Kingdom underwent a crucial change in 1921 to the dismay of the Croatian
political leadership led by the Peasant Party of Stjepan Radic. The new constitution
abolished the historical/political entities, including Croatia and Slavonia
centralizing authority in the capital of Belgrade. The Croatian Peasent Party
boycotted the government of the Serbian Radical People's Party throughout the
period, except for a brief interlude between 1925 and 1927, when external Italian
expansionism was at hand with her allies, Albania, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria
that threatened Yugoslavia as a whole.
In 1928, Radic was mortally wounded during a Parliament session by Puniša
Racic, a deputy of the Serbian Radical People's Party, which caused further
upsets among the Croatian elite. In 1929, King Aleksandar proclaimed a dictatorship
and imposed a new constitution which, among other things, renamed the country
into the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The territory of Croatia was roughly composed
out of the Sava and Littoral Banates.
In 1934, King Aleksandar was assassinated abroad, in Marseilles, by a coalition
of two radical groups: the Croatian Ustaše and the Macedonian pro-Bulgarian
VMORO. The Serbian-Croatian Cvetkovic-Macek government that came to power, distanced
Yugoslavia's former allies of France and the United Kingdom, and moved closer
to Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany in the period of 1935-1941. A national Banovina
of Croatia was created in 1939 out of the two Banates, as well as parts of the
Zeta, Vrbas, Drina and Danube Banates. It had a reconstructed Croatian Parliament
which would choose a Croatian Ban and Viceban. This Croatia included a part
of Bosnia (region), most of Herzegovina and the city of Dubrovnik and the surroundings.
World War II (1941–1945)
The Axis occupation of Yugoslavia in 1941 allowed the Croatian radical right
Ustaše party to come into power, forming the so-called "Independent
State of Croatia", led by Ante Pavelic, he was styled (Führer-like)
Poglavnik Nezavisne Drzave Hrvatske (i.e. Leader of the Independent State of
Croatia). His fascist puppet regime enacted racial laws, formed eight concentration
camps and started a campaign to exterminate Croatia's ethnic minorities (Serbs,
Romas and Jews in presice) and remove the "enemies of the state".
Up to 200,000 persons are estimated to have been killed in this campaign, most
notably in the Jasenovac extermination camp. This complex of internment and
extermination camps was one of the larger sites of mass murder in occupied Europe.
The communist anti-fascist partisan movement emerged early in 1941, under the
command of Josip Broz Tito, spreading quickly in the other parts of Yugoslavia.
Serbian royalist guerilla Cetnici were also formed, but acted mainly against
partisans rather than occupying fascist forces.
By 1943, the communist Partisan resistance movement had gained the upper hand
and in 1945, with the help of the Soviet Red Army, expelled the Axis forces
and local supporters. The ZAVNOH, state anti-fascist council of people's liberation
of Croatia, functioned since 1943 and formed an interim civil government.
Following the defeat of the Independent State of Croatia at the end of the war
a large number of sympathisers (soldiers and civilians) attempted to flee in
the direction of Austria where they were interned by British forces and then
returned to the Partisans. A large number of these persons were killed in what
has come to be called the Bleiburg massacre.
Croatia became part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1945,
which was run by Tito's Communist Party of Yugoslavia. Tito, himself a Croat,
adopted a carefully contrived policy to manage the conflicting national ambitions
of the Croats and Serbs.
Croatia was a Socialist Republic part of a six-part federation. Under the new
communist system, private property was nationalized and the economy was based
on a type of planned market socialism. The country underwent a rebuilding process,
recovered from WWII, went through industrialization and started developing tourism.
The constitution of 1963 balanced the power in the country between the Croats
and the Serbs, and alleviated the fact that the Croats were again in a minority.
Trends after 1965, however, led to the Croatian Spring of 1970–71, when
students in Zagreb organized demonstrations for greater civil liberties and
greater Croatian autonomy. The regime stifled the public protest and incarcerated
the leaders, but this led to the ratification of a new Constitution in 1974,
giving more rights to the individual republics.
In 1980, after Tito's death economic, political, and ethnic difficulties started
to mount and the federal government began to crumble. The crisis in Kosovo and,
in 1986, the emergence of Slobodan Miloševic in Serbia provoked a very
negative reaction in Croatia and Slovenia. As communist hegemony was challenged
throughout Central and Eastern Europe calls for free multy-party elections were
becoming louder.
Croatian War of Independence(1991-1995)
In 1990, the first free elections were held. A people's movement
called the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) won, led by Franjo Tudman General
of Croatian WW2 antifascist movement, the Partisans. HDZ's intentions were to
secure more independence for Croatia, contrary to the wishes of part of ethnic
Serbs in the republic and official politics in Belgrade. The excessively polarized
climate soon escalated into complete estrangement between the two nationalities
and even sectarian violence.
In the summer of 1990, Serbs from the mountainous areas where they constitute
a relative majority rebelled and formed an unrecognized "Autonomous Region
of the Serb Krajina" (later the Republic of Serbian Krajina). Any intervention
by the Croatian police was obstructed by the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), mainly
consisting of Serbs. The conflict culminated with the so-called "log revolution",
when the so-called Krajina Serbs blocked the roads to the tourist destinations
in Dalmatia.
After the Croatian government had declared independence from Yugoslavia on 25
June 1991, the Yugoslav National Army (JNA) began military actions. Many Croatian
cities, notably Vukovar and Dubrovnik, came under the attack of the Serbian
forces. The Croatian Parliament cut all remaining ties with Yugoslavia on October
8, 1991.
The civilian population fled the areas of armed conflict en masse: generally
speaking, thousands of Croats moved away from the Bosnian and Serbian border,
while thousands of Serbs moved towards it. In many places, masses of civilians
were forced out by the Yugoslav National Army (JNA), which consisted mostly
from conscripts from Serbia and Montenegro, and irregulars from Serbia, in what
became known as ethnic cleansing. Ethnic Serbs in Croatian-dominated parts of
Croatia were similarly forced out by the Croatian army and irregular forces.
The border city of Vukovar underwent a three month siege — the Battle
of Vukovar — during which most of the city was destroyed and a majority
of the population was forced to flee. The city fell to the Serbian forces on
November 18, 1991. Some historians believe that the city could'e been spared
and defended, but was left to "fend for itself" to gain sympathy votes
from the west.
Subsequent UN-sponsored cease-fires followed, and the warring parties mostly
entrenched. The Yugoslav People's Army retreated from Croatia into Bosnia and
Herzegovina where the Bosnian War was just about to start. During 1992 and 1993,
Croatia also handled estimated 700,000 of refugees from Bosnia, mainly Bosnia's
Moslems.
Armed conflict in Croatia remained intermittent and mostly on a small scale
until 1995. In early August, Croatia started the Operation Storm and quickly
reconquered most of the so-called "Republic of Serbian Krajina", leading
to a mass exodus of the Serbian population. An estimated 200,000-400,000 Serbs
fled shortly before, during and after the operation. A few months later, as
a result, the war ended upon the negotiation of the Dayton Agreement. A peaceful
integration of the remaining Serbian-controlled territories in Eastern Slavonia
was completed in 1998 under UN supervision. Most of the Serbs expelled from
the Krajina region have not returned.
President Tudman died in late 1999. In February 2000, Stjepan Mesic was elected
president, ending the HDZ's rule. The country underwent many liberal reforms
beginning in 2000. An economic recovery as well as healing of many war wounds
ensued and the country proceeded to become a member of several important regional
and international organizations. The country has started the process of joining
the European Union, but a perceived lack of co-operation with the International
Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia concerning the tracking down of
the indicted general Ante Gotovina long formed difficulties. After Gotovina's
capture on 8 December 2005 negotiations with the aim of Croatia joining the
EU have begun, although no sooner than 2009.
Dubrovnik
So smitten was Lord Byron with Dubrovnik that he eulogised the one-time city-state
as the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’. George Bernard Shaw was not slow
to praise this superlative inducing paradise either, proclaiming that ‘those
who seek paradise on earth should seek it in Dubrovnik.’ Backed by steep
limestone crags to the rear and fronted by the sublimely blue waters of the
Adriatic, this perfectly preserved gem is encompassed within sturdy medieval
walls, which house a cocktail of baroque churches and palaces.
Dubrovnik (formerly known as the Republic of Ragusa) survived for centuries
as a free city state whose motto was ‘Libertas’ (freedom), standing
up both against the powerful Venetians to the north as well as the Ottomans
to the south with the sort of skilful negotiation and double-dealing that Machiavelli
would have been proud of. Its proud citizens boast that their thick city walls
have never been breached, though the walls and the resolve of the inhabitants
were tested in the winter of 1991-1992 when Serb and Montenegrin paramilitaries,
backed up the Yugoslav National Army, the Navy and the Air Force laid siege
to a city that had no real strategic value or Serb claim to ownership in a brutal
act of cultural vandalism that helped bring Europe round to the Croatian cause.
Today the only legacies of the siege are the swathe of new roof tiles, easily identified by their new shade (the original quarry closed down before the siege), and the large board that guards the entry to the old city, and marks where the shells hit. Today the crowds are back in Dubrovnik as it reclaims its crown. In high season, the city overflows with tourists and cruise ship passengers and more and more citizens from the rest of Europe are investing in property in this idyllic corner of the Adriatic.
Unanimously considered the jewel of Croatia, Dubrovnik is best known for its well-preserved historic center contained within 13th-century city walls, its terracotta rooftops, and a stunning location overlooking the Adriatic. Today a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city was a wealthy independent republic up until 1808. The finest monuments date back to those golden years: the 16th-century Rector’s Palace, the Franciscan Monastery (home to Europe’s oldest pharmacy), and a number of delightful baroque churches, including the Cathedral, St Blaise’s Church and the Jesuit Church. Also worth visiting is the Maritime Museum, which highlights Dubrovnik’s former importance as a world naval power. Each summer, from mid-July to late August, the city hosts the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, featuring various cultural events plus open-air evening performances of theater, jazz and classical music.
Split
Overlooking the Adriatic Sea and backed by the rugged Dinaric Mountains, this
splendid Dalmatian city resembles a living museum. Ancient Roman architecture
forms a backdrop to modern-day life, with boutiques displaying imported designer
wear and cafes playing techno amid the stones of an imperial palace.
Split was founded when Diocletian built his retirement home here in AD 295. Born in nearby Salona, this able soldier went on to rule the Roman Empire for two decades. When the palace was complete, he resigned and withdrew to his native Dalmatia where he spent his final years.
In the seventh century when tribes of Avars and Slavs rampaged through the region, the people of Salona took refuge within the abandoned palace, turning it into a town in its own right. By the 11th century, the settlement had expanded beyond the ancient walls. As a port town, under Venice (1420-1797), Split enjoyed prosperity and cultural development, as can be seen from the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque buildings from that period. With the fall of Venice, the city passed to Austro-Hungary.
After World War II, as part of Yugoslavia, industrialization brought urban expansion and high-rise suburbs. Sports flourished: Hajduk football club, basketball players Tony Kokoc, Jan Tabak and Dino Radja, plus tennis champions Goran Ivanisevic and Mario Ancic are all from Split.
Today, as the main gateway to Dalmatia, with an international airport, daily ferries from Italy and local boat services to the nearby islands, Split is an important tourist destination. The historic center is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the city is Croatia’s largest base for charter companies hiring sailing boats.
The city of Split was founded in the third century AD by the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Today, the traffic-free historic center lies within the imposing walls of Diocletian’s Palace, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A vibrant cafe scene focuses on the Roman Peristil, presided over by the majestic Cathedral with its 13th-century Romanesque bell tower. The Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments displays early Croatian religious art, while the Meštrovic Gallery celebrates the country’s best-known 20th-century sculptor. On the hill above town, Marjan, an extensive nature reserve planted with pine woods and fragrant Mediterranean shrubs, affords stunning views over the Adriatic. During the Split Summer Festival, held annually from mid-July to mid-August, the city becomes an open-air stage with night time opera and concerts.
Zagreb
Central European in appearance and spirit, Zagreb bears the hallmark of centuries
spent under Vienna and Budapest, as opposed to Mediterranean ambience of the
coastal towns, which were under Venice. The capital of Croatia, with almost
1 million inhabitants (a quarter of the nation), Zagreb is the country’s
economic, industrial and administrative powerhouse.
The city was founded in the Middle Ages as two separate but neighbouring settlements, Kaptol and Gradec, which today make up Gornji Grad (Upper Town). Kaptol was a religious center, built around the cathedral, while Gradec was the home to craftsmen and merchants who supplied the needs of the Kaptol clergy. Although relations between the two were strained, outsiders saw them as a single town, which they referred to as Zagreb (meaning ‘behind the hill’).
In 1557, the settlement became Croatia’s capital, with the parliament meeting alternately in Gradec and Kaptol. It was not until 1850 that the two parts were united to become the city of Zagreb. The second half of the 19th century saw a period of economic and cultural development, with the arrival of the railway and the construction of Donji Grad (Lower Town). Under Yugoslavia, industrialization brought migrant workers from neighbouring republics and the high-rise suburbs developed.
During the war of independence, Zagreb saw little fighting, though the Croatian Parliament was hit by a rocket in 1991. However, the economic and social consequences, with industrial collapse, an influx of refugees, plus political corruption, took their toll.
Today, despite unfulfilled requests from The Hague to hand over war criminals, Zagreb is working towards EU membership, which could be achieved as early as 2009.
Croatia’s economic, cultural and administrative heart sits on the north bank of the river Sava. Its historic nuclei, Gradec and Kaptol, in Gornji Grad (Upper Town), were founded in the Middle Ages. Here, a labyrinth of peaceful cobbled streets links the city’s oldest and finest monuments: the Cathedral, St Mark’s Church (noted for its red, white and blue tiled roof) and the Sabor (seat of the Croatian Parliament). At the foot of the Upper Town lie Trg Bana Jelacic, the main square, and Dolac, the colorful open-air market. The main square links the Upper Town to Donji Grad (Lower Town), the commercial center of modern-day Zagreb, with theaters, shops, cinemas, museums and cafes. A number of important 19th-century public buildings are located here, including Glavni Kolodvor (main train station), the imposing neo-Baroque Croatian National Theater and the Academy of Arts and Sciences. The Museum of Arts and Crafts traces Croatian craftsmanship from the Renaissance up to the present day, while the Mimara Museum presents a rich collection of painting, sculpture and ceramics from abroad. Also worth visiting are the Museum of Zagreb, the Archaeological Museum and the Gallery of Naïve Art. The city boasts one of Europe’s very first planned parks: Maksimir, a magnificent feat of landscaping, with lakes, pavilions and sculptures, dating back to 1794.
The Coast
Istria
Istria is the largest peninsula on the Croatian coast and, thanks to its easy
transport links with nearby Italy and Austria, has also become the country’s
major tourist destination. The region’s administrative center and chief
port, Pula, was founded by the Romans in the fifth century BC. Several interesting
buildings remain from this period, notably the Arena, a well-preserved amphitheater,
which hosts summer concerts and the annual film festival. The city is a good
starting point for excursions to Brijuni National Park, an archipelago of 14
unspoilt islands. It is possible to stay overnight on the largest island, Veli
Brijun, where a range of tourist facilities is available. On the west coast
of Istria lies Croatia’s most visited resort, Porec. Fortunately, the
large hotel complexes of Plava Laguna and Zelena Laguna are situated out of
town, a little way along the coast, leaving the historic center intact. Built
on a small peninsular, Porec dates back to Roman times, and its star attraction
is the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Euphrasius Basilica, decorated with stunning
sixth-century Byzantine mosaics. Istria’s second most popular resort,
Rovinj, was originally built on a small island, though the narrow strait that
separated it from the mainland was filled in during the 18th century. Just out
of town lies Zlatni Rt, a blissful park affording access to several secluded
coves for bathing. Also by the sea, midway between Porec and Rovinj, lies Vrsar,
home to Koversada, Europe’s largest nudist resort. Inland Istria, with
romantic hill towns such as Motovun and Groznjan, makes an ideal day trip from
the coast.
Kvarner
The economic and administrative center of this popular and busy island region
is Rijeka, Croatia’s largest port. Other than Trsat Castle, built on a
hilltop commanding splendid views out to sea, Rijeka has little architectural
interest, its main claim to fame being the exuberant celebrations it puts on
each year in February for Carnival. The main tourist centers of the Kvarner
region are Opatija, Crikvenica and Novi Vinodolski (sometimes referred to as
the ‘three rivieras’), all of which have extensive pebble beaches
complemented by good accommodation and recreational facilities. Opatija, Croatia’s
oldest tourist resort, was popular with the Austro-Hungarian nobility and some
of its former fin-de-siècle elegance remains. Of the many islands scattered
throughout the Kvarner Bay, Krk, connected to the mainland by a road bridge,
is the most developed as well as the largest, with clean beaches and extensive
tourist facilities. Further out lie Rab, home to the delightful medieval Rab
Town with a number of elegant Romanesque bell towers; Cres, which contains the
Vransko Lake and is popular with nature lovers; and Lošinj, which has pine
woods and numerous bays with beaches. Inland from Rijeka, the Risnjak National
Park is located in the mountains of Gorski Kotar and rises to 1528m (510ft)
above sea level, making it a popular destination for hiking and climbing.
Northern Dalmatia
The chief city and port in the region is Zadar, the historic center of which
is made up of narrow cobbled streets, some Roman remains and several interesting
churches, notably the 12th-century Romanesque Cathedral. However, the region’s
main attraction is the Kornati National Park, an archipelago consisting of over
90 islands scattered over an area of 300 sq km. Virtually uninhabited, the islands
display a harsh, rocky landscape practically devoid of vegetation. Most visitors
arrive on organized day trips by boat, though several renovated stone cottages
provide ‘Robinson Crusoe’-type holiday accommodation. Inland from
Zadar, on the southern slopes of the Velebit Massif, lies Paklenica National
Park, a popular destination for hiking and climbing. The region’s second
city is Sibenik, worth seeing for its 15th-century UNESCO-listed Cathedral,
and a good base for visiting Krka National Park. Here, the river Krka has sculpted
a picturesque canyon, famed for its spectacular Skradinski buk (Skradin Waterfalls)
and the islet of Visovac, home to a Franciscan Monastery, which can be visited
by boat.
Central Dalmatia
Croatia’s second-largest city, Split (see Main Cities section) is also
the economic and cultural capital of Central Dalmatia. Nearby, the tiny medieval
city of Trogir, founded by the Greeks in the third century BC, is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site noted for its beautiful Venetian Gothic stone buildings. The resorts
of the Makarska Riviera, centered around the pretty town of Makarska, boast
long stretches of pebble beaches and are able to accommodate large numbers of
holidaymakers. However, the highlight of Central Dalmatia has to be its islands,
which are less exploited than those in the north of the country. Taking Split
as a base, the closest island, Brac, is best known for its magnificent beach,
Zlatni Rat (Golden Cape), close to the well-equipped but unspoilt resort of
Bol. Hvar, possibly Dalmatia’s most beautiful island, is renowned for
its rugged coastline, excellent wines and lavender fields. The largest settlement,
Hvar Town, is built around a picturesque harbour presided over by a hilltop
fortress. Chic cafes and restaurants focus on the main square, lined with elegant
15th-century ‘palaces’ and the much-photographed Renaissance Cathedral.
Hvar Town claims to have more hours of sunshine than any other resort on the
Adriatic, and hotels offer free accommodation in the unlikely event of a snowfall.
Slightly less sophisticated, but equally well equipped with hotels and bathing
areas, is the friendly town of Jelsa. Vis, Croatia’s most remote inhabited
island, is wild and unspoilt. Due to its former status as a Yugoslav military
base, it was closed to foreigners until 1989 and therefore has very limited
tourist facilities.
Southern Dalmatia
The chief center of the southernmost region of Croatia is Dubrovnik (see Main
Cities section). Nearby, a group of tiny traffic-free islands, known as the
Elaphites, offer secluded beaches and basic tourist amenities. Further up the
coast, the island of Korcula is reigned over by the beautifully preserved Korcula
Town, a marvel of medieval urban planning which has charmed foreign visitors
since the first tourists arrived in the 1920s. During summer, regular performances
of the colourful Moreška sword dance are staged here. Nearby, the village
of Lumbarda is home to one of Croatia’s few sand beaches. On the island
of Mljet, the green and unspoilt Mljet National Park boasts dense indigenous
forests and two interconnected saltwater lakes – Veliko Jezero and Malo
Jezero. In the center of the larger lake sits the exquisite St Mary’s
Island, crowned by a Benedictine Monastery. A series of paths, perfect for mountain
biking or hiking, runs round the lakes and through the woods. Lastovo, like
Vis (see Central Dalmatia section), is a remote island and former home to a
Yugoslav military base, hence the lack of tourist facilities. Back on the mainland,
south of Dubrovnik, Cavtat is a pretty holiday resort with numerous hotels and
pebble beaches. South from here lies the border with Montenegro.
Inland Croatia
While the vast majority of tourists head straight for the coast, inland Croatia
also holds several places of interest, notably the capital, Zagreb (see Main
Cities section). North of Zagreb lies Zagorje, a rural area of undulating hills
and vineyards with several castles open to the public, the most visited being
Veliki Tabor and Trakocšan. East of Zagreb lies the flat fertile region
of Slavonia, the major city of which, Osijek, makes an ideal base for visiting
Kopacki Rit Nature Park, a vast expanse of wetland popular with birdwatchers.
South of Zagreb, on the edge of the Dalmatian hinterland, lies one of Croatia’s
biggest tourist attractions, the UNESCO-listed Plitvice Lakes National Park.
Situated in a densely forested valley, the park features 16 beautiful blue-green
lakes joined together by a succession of spectacular waterfalls. There are numerous
hotels, motels and campsites in the area, although tourism development has thankfully
been combined with strict environmental preservation policies.
Food
Croatian food is normally simple peasant food, which is easy to prepare but
delicious nonetheless. People from the Croatian Adriatic eat food that is very
similar to Italian cuisine. As the authors come from Northern Croatia (Koprivnica,
north-east of Zagreb), where dishes are similar to those of Central Europe (Austro-Hungarian).
Normally people in Croatia would not think about using canned or pre-prepared
items.
Getting There
Flights connect Zagreb to a swag of European cities. Croatia's international
airport is 17km (11mi) southeast of Zagreb. The departure tax is usually included
in the price of the air ticket.
Buses run between Zagreb and several cities in Hungary and Germany, as well as to Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and Brussels (Belgium).
Trains connect Zagreb to Italy, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Slovenia and Serbia-Montengegro, while many ferries link Croatia to Italy.
Travellers with their own vehicle can use four border crossings between Hungary and Croatia, 29 between Slovenia and Croatia, 23 between Bosnia-Hercegovina and Croatia and seven between Yugoslavia and Croatia.