Croatia

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Located in southern Europe, Croatia is truly one of the most diverse and beautiful Balkan countries. It lies at the crossroads of Central Europe and the Mediterranean and shares borders with Slovenia, Hungary and Serbia to the north and northwest, Montenegro to southeast and Bosnia and Herzegovina to the east. Finally, Italy lies to the south of the country across the Adriatic Sea. The geographical diversity of Croatia apart from its location can also be seen it its landscape. A combination of plains, hills, lakes, rivers, densely wooded mountains and wonderful beaches have elevated Croatia to major tourist destination. Additionally, cities like Zagreb or Dubrovnik attract thousands of tourists all over the world, devoting great investments for the improvement of the provided facilities to their visitors. Of course, accommodation facilities could not be an exception, as the last years saw the rise of more and better hotels in Zagreb and hotels in Dubrovnik as well. Of course, as you will see in the lines that follow there are more places worthy visiting in Croatia and even more reasons to consider it as your future holiday destination.        

History

Croatia settled by the Croats in the 7th century into two principalities, namely Dalmatia and Pannonia. In 925, the Croats defeated both Byzantine and Frankish invaders, establishing their own kingdom under King Tomislav. For the next two centuries, the kingdom of Croatia thrived significantly reaching its peak at the 11th century. This was the period that Croatia entered into a union with Hungary. In particular, in 1091, the Hungarians first conquered the country and successively in 1102, the two nations united politically under the Hungarian monarchy. However, the defeat of the Hungarians from the Turks at the Battle of Mohács in 1526, led Croatia under Habsburg’s Monarchy in 1527. The coalition between Croatia-Hungary and Austria continued during the Austro-Hungarian kingdom in 1867 and lasted until the collapse of Austria-Hungary in 1918 at the end of World War I. From 1918 until 1929, Croatia was part of the kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, which later on changed its name to Yugoslavia. During the Second World War and the invasion of Germany into Yugoslavia in 1941, Croatia claimed its independence cooperating closely with the Germans. However, after the victory of the Allies and the defeat of Germans in 1945, Croatia became a republic within the reconstituted Communist nation of Yugoslavia. However, the declaration of independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 led to a destructive war between Croatia and Serbia, which ceased initially in 1992 and principally ended in 1995 with the Dayton Agreement. Today, after a long period of turbulences and political instability, Croatia is an independent country that has been developed significantly, being a candidate member of the European Union and a non-permanent member of the United Nations.

Art and Culture

Croatia’s culture is actually a result of an eclectic mix of its own historical origins, the Serbian or Slavic influence and its Mediterranean location. Thus, while in the Dalmatian Coast there is an apparent Italian style in architecture, gastronomy and even music, the inland is more culturally bonded to Slavic traditions. However, a distinctive cultural similarity across the country is its prominence and national pride. Art and culture have a very important role in modern Croatia too, a fact that is depicted in the numerous museums and galleries all over the country. In particular, Croatia houses today more than 219 museums and galleries and a large number of private collections with many significant pieces of art. In Zagreb for instance the Croatian History Museum, Zagreb  and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb are very famous for the quality of their exhibitions, dedicated in local history and art. The National Museum of Split or else the Gallery of Fine Arts, Split is another interesting art place with a wide overview of art of Split and the rest of Dalmatia, especially from the period between the 16th and the 20th century. Some other brilliant museums worthy visiting are the Modern History Museum, Dubrovnik  and the Gallery of Fine Arts, Osijek. Finally yet importantly, once in Pula you must visit the Archaeological Museum of Istria, Pula that houses findings from the prehistory up to the middle ages together with mosaics and various construction fragments and of course the Museum of Istrian History, Pula, which is actually located in the heart of a four-bastions castle.  

Gastronomy

Croatian cuisine presents a unique variety that stems from the cultural and geopolitical diversifications of each region. The most notable differences can be found between the coastal and the inland parts of the country. Particularly, in mainland the gastronomic traditions have mainly been influenced by the Slavic and the Hungarian cuisines while in the coastal regions many cooking methods have come from the Greek, the French and the Italian gourmets. However, Croatian cuisine does have its own distinctive identity as well. This is especially depicted in the traditional preparation of fish. The grilling or roasting of fish follows a long tradition that focuses on cooking techniques such as the type of wood chosen for the grill, the particular olive oil known as gradelavanje and the local spices that make fish menus unrivalled. Of course, Croatian cuisine is not only about fish, as there are many delicious meat recipes as well. Apart from the abundant menus with pork, lamp and beef that can be found in nearly all European cuisines, Croatia presents some unique meat dishes too. Some of them include the so-called Sarma, which is a winter dish, made by meat-stuffed cabbage leaves, Kobasice, a kind of pork sausage and the famous Kulen, a hot-pepper flavored sausage. You can always accompany these delicacies with Strukli, a special cheese cooked in water.

Croatia is also famous for its excellent beverages and particular its quality wines. There are up to 700 wines today in Croatia with protected geographic origin, making them among the richest wine palettes in Europe. Among the top quality wines, served in all good restaurants all over the country, are Faros, the Istrian Teran, Postup, Bablic and the red Dingac. Some great wine wines include the popular sweet desert wine of Prosek, Posip, Bogdanusa and Grk. Finally, Bevenda, a unique mixture of wine and pure plain water, is very popular among the Croatians and it usually accompanies food. Last but not least, varieties of local beers such as Ozujsko pivo and Karlovacko pivo have an excellent taste, gaining an increasing popularity the last years.

Places to visit

The capital of Croatia is certainly a place to visit. Zagreb is the largest city of Croatia, being its cultural, economic and political center. It is also an art place, as there are many interesting museums and galleries worthy visiting like the Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, the Ethnographic Museum and the famous Mimara Museum. However, what will surprise you pleasantly is actually the atmosphere of the city itself. Cozy cafes, traditional restaurants, superb bars or clubs, unique markets like the Dolac market and the colorful main market of Zagreb infuse a unique rhythm to the city all day long. Moreover, some of the sites you should not miss include the twin neo-Gothic spires of St. Stephen's Cathedral and the baroque Archbishops' Palace, which is actually attached to the cathedral. In the upper town, you will find the 13th century Stone gate of Kamenita Vrata, the Presidential Palace or locally known as Banski Dvori, the parliament and the beautiful church of St. Mark. Finally yet importantly, you can find very nice hotels in Zagreb’s upper and lower town as Zagreb hotels are famous for their cozy style and picturesque architecture.

Dubrovnik is another formidable city worthy visiting. Especially, during the last years Dubrovnik has been elevated to one of the most prominent tourist destinations of the Adriatic, being among the most beautiful cities of southern Europe. Its historic centre is part of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, a fact that demonstrates its historic importance and authentic style. In the old town, you will find some fantastic sites and monuments. Just stroll around and you will discover the Onofrio Fountain, the Franciscan Monastery, the Orlando Column, the Rector's Palace and the famous Sponza Place. Fantastic small cafes and traditional bistros or restaurants will offer some quality moments of relaxation during your city tour. After your break, you should walk towards the square of Gunduliceva Poljana, where you can visit the local market and after that head for the little old town port and the city walls. As revealed, there is so much to see in Dubrovnik that certainly you will never suffer from boredom. Additionally, hotels in Dubrovnik lie in absolute harmony with the surroundings and are popular due to their tradition style and terrific menus. Thus, it is suggested that you try some dishes from your hotel’s cuisine as well.  

The region of Dalmatia should also be part of your trip to Croatia. The largest and most important city of the region is Split, which is also Croatia’s second largest city. Split is situated in the Mediterranean and particularly on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea. Apart from its wonderful climate and lively atmosphere though, it is a centre of culture, accommodating many significant museums such as the Maritime Museum, the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments and the Gallery of Fine Arts, Split. The landmark of the city and its most dominant site is the Diocletian Palace with its wonderful Peristyle. It is recommended that you reserve a hotel in Split during summer so as to combine your cultural pursue with the superb beaches of the area, as Split is a major transit point to Dalmatian islands and other places on the coast. Situated in the heart of Dalmatia and only about 25 Km away from Split, Trogir is another fantastic place you should visit. It is the centre of Trogir Riviera, a place with fantastic beaches, bays and wonderful islands. It offers everything you can dream of for your summer holiday, varying from high quality accommodation and superb restaurants to a wide variety of sports and sightseeing. Especially, Trogir’s memorial heritage has been recorded as UNESCO’s World Heritage Site and comprises landmark of the area. You can either visit the city for a daily excursion or book one of the hotels in Trogir and live to the full the experience of the Trogir Riviera.    

Another suggested destination is the Kvarner Riviera. It is located next to Istria and includes some very interesting places such as Opatija. Opatija is the most famous resort of the area, being both a winter and a summer destination. The scenery of the area is a puzzle of laurel trees, rocky beaches, picturesque alleys and many classic Croatian and Italian architectures. There are also some fine accommodations in the area, as the last years saw the rise of many high quality hotels in Opatija. The nearby city of Rijeka is also a part of Kvarner Riviera that you should visit. It is the main seaport of Croatia, offering great accommodation facilities to its visitors as well. In particular, due to the immense international character that the port infuses to the city, hotels in Rijeka have a long tradition of high quality of services combined with their very friendly and at the same time traditional environment.  

Once in the area of Istria now you should visit Rovinj and Pula. To start with, Rovinj is a picturesque lovely town that combines perfectly the Croatian with the Italian culture. It is actually a bilingual place, where part of the population speaks Croatian and another part Italian or Istriot, an ancient romance dialect. Rovinj is famous for its baroque cathedral of St. Euphemia, which is the largest church tower in Istria and its active fishing port. Additionally, many cafes, restaurants and galleries add a more cheerful tone to the city, making it a major tourist destination all year long. It is surely suggested to reserve one of the great hotels in Rovinj and spend a relaxed weekend to this unique part of Croatia. Finally, it is also suggested to reserve a hotel in Pula. It is the largest city of Istria, accommodating one of the most famous sites in the whole of the country, namely the well-preserved Roman Amphitheatre of Pula. Other interesting sites include the Triumphal arch of the Sergii, the Museum of Istrian History,  the Temple of Augustus and the Archaeological Museum of Istria.