by Anita Barbaric
Hvar Church photo by Scholre/Wikimedia
Upcoming Croatia is becoming a renowned holiday destination for all travelers. Children love the wide-open spaces, the young adults enjoy the beaches and bar scene, while others get into the amazing history. The main attractions are the coast, the national parks and historical cities. Most visited places are Dubrovnik, Split, Rijeka, the peninsula of Istria and Zagreb. More than ten million tourists are visiting Croatia every year with many returning time and again.
The Adriatic coast is divided into these historical regions:
Istria - this peninsula is in the northwest Croatian coast. Hrvatsko Primorje (Croatian coastal land) near Rijeka and Senj with the stunning Kvarner islands.
Brela South Dalmatia photo by Jos./Wikimedia
Dalmatia – situated on the rugged Adriatic coast beginning near Zadar, the area includes the offshore islands and the mountainous hinterland with historically significant cities like Dubrovnik (Ragusa) and Split.
Croatia possesses 1,185 islands with 47 of them inhabited. Beautiful by nature with good deals on great apartments .Hvar for example is one of the largest islands in Croatia. Boasting beautiful nature, massive chances to experience the culture and great places to stay.
Half of the land area is used for agriculture. These include primarily the fertile soils of the Sava-Drava area, which is used extensively. The main crops farmed are sugar beets, potatoes, wheat and maize. In this perfect climate conducive for farming are also some special crops grown, specifically wine and fruits.
Southern Dalmatia enjoys a high-yield crop with tobacco and citrus fruits.
One more important source of income is fishing.
Did you know? The creation of the necktie hearkens back to that of the Croats. The Croatian soldiers wore a similar piece of clothing around the neck in the 17th century. The word “Cravat” was mentioned for the first time in the French encyclopedia in the 17th Century, when Croatian soldiers tarried at the court of Louis XIV in Paris.
The French word for the Croats is Croate, which is lightly suggested as the word Cravat, or “kravata”.
Croatia reached one of the top positions as “most popular destinations in the world” in 2005 by Lonely Planet. The reason for this honor is the unique combination of culture, history, cuisine, accessibility and reasonable prices.
One year later the famous American magazine National Geographic Adventure made an opinion poll with its journalists and editors and proclaimed Croatia to the most popular holiday destination for the year 2006.
ADAC made an investigation in 2006 and named Croatia as the cleanest part of the Mediterranean Sea.
What is the best time to visit Croatia? Visiting between the months of April to October is the perfect time to vacation here. The air temperature in summer rises to 38 degrees Celsius or about 100 Fahrenheit, while the temperature of the sea achieves pleasant 26 degrees Celsius or 78 Fahrenheit. We recommend July and August for all who are looking for entertainment, festivals and a variety of outdoor activities. If you are looking for peace and quiet on your trip, it can be found here also. Guests can choose to be far away from disco clubs and want to relax and recuperate. The weather in spring is very mild, although there is a chance of an occasional downpour (but they are infrequent). Early autumn is ideal for those who prefer to spend a quiet holiday.
Outside of the high season, beaches are no longer overcrowded, plus rate of the accommodations are much lower, while the weather remains stable.
With approximately 2700 hours of sunshine per year you can visit the coast of Croatia throughout the whole year. Winters are a bit colder; the average temperature along the coast is 5 to 10 degrees Celsius or approximately 40-50 Fahrenheit. The wind can be strong and unpleasant, which makes it feel colder than it really is.
Beaches in Croatia
Croatia has a 1777 km long village dotted coast with 1,185 islands, islets and reefs, 47 of them are inhabited. The Coast and the majority of the beaches are stony, gritty or sandy with numerous coves and reefs. As for the vegetation, coniferous woods (pine, larch trees, cypress) are common, while in Istria and Kvarner oaks are abundant. Besides the clean and crystal clear waters of the ocean, the beaches differ as you travel the shoreline. The perfect beach for your taste is awaiting you; from shallow sandy and pebble beaches for families with children, to romantic hidden coves, there are famous beaches with sports and entertainment, or rich nightlife. For sports buffs you will find windy bays and channels for wind surfing, and quiet coves and rocks for divers.
Dubrovnik Harbor photo by Jolle/Wikimedia
Cultural and historical monuments
Croatia is characterized by a mixing of different cultures and historical events. This is the reason why the country offers numerous cultural und historical monuments from different eras.
The Croatian coast is characterized by the influence of Mediterranean cultures; many monuments ancient sites are from the Roman period. From the Middle Ages, you can see Romanesque sacred heritage architecture and numerous well-preserved Mediterranean cities.
The continental part of Croatia belongs to Central Europe and possesses numerous world-famous prehistoric old cities. Stroll by walls and medieval castles from the Middle Ages and cultural monuments and buildings from the Baroque era.
DUBROVNIK – is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in the Mediterranean. The city was mainly built from the 13th until the 16th Century. There are still completely preserved buildings like the original fortification walls with impressive towers, the Prince’s Palace, the imposing Cathedral, palace Sponza, Franciscan Monastery, and the tower Lovrijenac. The town belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Hvar Harbor photo by Maitresse/Wikimedia
HVAR - preserved city center surrounded by Ramparts of the 15th Century, the oldest areal theater in Europe, built in 1612.
Marija Bistrica - the most important place of pilgrimage in Croatia with the Church of Saint Marija.
PAG - well preserved city center from the 15th century.
Split photo by E.coli/Wikimedia
SPLIT – has its notable historical Center where you can visit Diocletian Palace, one of the most well preserved monuments from the late Roman times. It also is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other points of interest are the cathedral Saint Duje, the old Croatian church Saint Trojstvo among other important sights. The Saint Duje’s Cathedral is outright ancient built in 300 A.D for the Roman Emperor Diocletian. This building is considered to be the oldest cathedral in the world. Part of the charm of Split is to rent a sailboat and wander up and down the coast.
Croatia National Theater in Zagreb photo by Suradnik13/Wikimedia
ZAGREB – is the largest city in Croatia and an important historical city center, comprising the upper city (Gornji grad) and Kaptol from the Middle Ages. The Lower Town (Donji grad) was built in the second half of the 19th century and has numerous parks which are formed like a horseshoe; the Zagreb Cathedral with its neo-gothic spires that can be seen from many parts of the city started construction around 1095 A.D. Modern Zagreb is lively and draws in college students from all over Europe. Don’t miss the Archeological Museum; it has a wonderful Egyptian collection and the famous Zagreb mummy that has the oldest Etruscan inscription in the world. Zagreb is also the home of the oldest Croatian pop music festival Zagrebfest held in November.
