About Croatia
Like many countries in Western Europe, Croatia was founded on the ruins of the Roman Empire. When they arrived in the territory of present-day Croatia, the Croats were politicaly organized in principalities. In 925, Croatian King Tomislav united the principalities, establishing the first Croatian state. Later, Croatia retained its legal status and autonomy within the framework of the Hungarian empire, and the Habsburg Monarchy.
Tourism
In Croatia, where the Mediterranean, the mountains and the Pannonian plains come together in a unique harmony of natural beauty, within just a little more than a hundred kilometres, you can come across excitingly different landscapes.
The Adriatic, with one of the most indented coastlines in Europe with its 1,185 islands and islets, of which only 66 are inhabited, is undoubtedly the most popular tourist destination. Continental Croatia, however, also abounds in beauty: it is a land of forests, rivers rich in fish, swift mountain streams and deep gorges of Gorski Kotar, and the magnificent Plitvice Lakes in Lika. It is a land of golden wheat fields, oak woods and wide rivers of Slavonia and Baranja, a land of quaint little villages, romantic castles and manors, and picturesque rolling hills and vineyards of the Croatian Zagorje.
The most popular possibilities for travel and tourism, of course, is summer tourism. You can also enjoy the benefits of rural tourism in many of the villages in the continental region of Croatia, as well as of health tourism in a number of spas and thermal and mineral springs, such as Varazdinske, Tuheljske, Stubicke and Krapinske spas, Lipik, Daruvar or Topusko in the continental region, and along the coast : Losinj, Umag, Opatija, Crikvenica, Hvar, Makarska, Vela Luka and Istarske Spa in Istria.
If you are a gourmet and a connoisseur of fine food, or simply like tasty and healthy food, you will certainly more than enjoy Croatia. Another attraction certainly worth exploring are Croatia's wine cellars. Red wines are best along the coast - Teran, Cabernet and Merlot in Istria and Opolo, Plavac, Dingac and Postup in Dalmatia. In the coastal area, some quality white wines are also produced, such as Pinot, Malvazija, Kujundzusa and White Muskat, while continental Croatia produces Traminac, Burgundac, Graševina and Kraljevina.
Popular destinations.
In Croatia there are seven National parks, here are links to some of them: The mountain of Risnjak is is a national park, situated relatively close to the coast, in the region of Gorski Kotar. The Plitvice Lakes are situated in the continental region of Lika, half way between Zagreb and Sibenik. The beauty of the virgin nature and the abundance of animal and plant life, were the reasons why the area was designated a national park in 1949 and why UNESCO put Plitvice lakes on its list of world natural heritage in 1979. The Paklenica Canyon, located in the vicinity of Zadar, is also protected as a national park. Its two 400 m deep gorges rank among the most impressive erosion formations in Europe. Paklenica is also noted for its flora and fauna. The Krka River, probably the most wonderful of all the rivers in the Croatian karst, is also a national park. The river runs through a canyon, and then as it cuts its way to the sea, it forms lakes, waterfalls and rapids.
Beyond its natural beauty, Croatia has been a center of culture for thousands of years. Zagreb is the capital and a center of arts and culture with its numerous museums and galleries hosting world-renowned exhibits and festivals. The "Successful Meetings Magazine" listed Zagreb as one of the Top 10 international destinations for conventions and meetings, and Conde Nast Traveler also listed Zagreb as one of Europe's 10 "reborn cities". Besides its history and culture, Zagreb offers meeting and convention venues and accommodations in world-class hotels like the Sheraton, Opera, Esplanade, the Arcotel Allegra (set to open in June 2003) and others.
Getting to Croatia is simple, whether you travel by air, train, ship or car. All major US and European carriers connect with Croatia Airlines through European gateways. The Croatian ferry system connects the Adriatic islands to the mainland as well as to Italy. English is widely spoken. Numerous first-class and deluxe hotels as well as quaint bed and breakfast type accommodations are available. Some of the best places to stay are the new chic and exclusive "boutique" hotels opening up throughout Croatia. Various programs to Croatia include escorted tours, religious pilgrimages, eco-tourism packages, city and hotel packages, special-interest tours and adventure programs (hiking, biking, canoeing, ballooning, fishing, swimming).
Croatia bestbuy.net invite you to discover and enjoy the beauties of Croatia, its mild climate, the crystal clean, warm sea water, beautiful beaches, virgin nature, combined with rich history and cultural heritage, delicious cuisine and good wines, an above all, warm and friendly people.
The health service is of a good standard. You have to pay for seeing a doctor or being treated in a hospital. Certain countries, such as Britain, have reciprocal medical arrangements whereby, in principal, you should not have to pay for any emergency treatment. It is therefore useful to wave your passport first and mention this!
Safety
It is quite safe to travel all over Croatia and mugging and thefts are not a problem. You can safely walk in any town at night, but use your common sense, as always. In some coastal resorts, as is common all over the Mediterranean, single women may be approached or wolf-whistled at. Say no firmly and you will not be bothered. In case of any problems, approach a policeman who will assist you. Both the Croatian police and the army are well disciplined. If you have a language problem, approach a younger person (teenagers/students) as they all speak some English and will be eager to help.
Accommodation
The high season, July and August, is more expensive. In April, May, September and October, prices can sometimes be reduced by up to 50%.
There are over 200 camping grounds along the Croatian coast - see the Croatian Camping Union for a listing.
For the best value accommodation, stay in private rooms or apartments which are very popular in Croatia. You may either see people advertising "sobe" (rooms) at ports and bus/train stations in popular resorts. These private rooms or apartments may sometimes in people's houses, but in most cases they are located in a separate area or floor of the house, or in another house they the owner uses for holiday rentals. You can always ask to see the room/apartment first before agreeing to take it.
Alternatively, every single town has a tourist office (Turisticki ured) - should you ever be stuck for accommodation, head to the tourist office and they will help sort something out.
Hotels are of good value, but top class accommodation is expensive.
See our accommodation section for full details.
Food & Drink
You get the standard fare as in many other central European or Mediterranean countries (pizza, pasta, meat dishes, fish). All food is safe to eat as restaurants are regularly inspected, and there is no problem with drinking water. Seafood is a speciality along the Croatian coastline, unsurprisingly!
Croatian beers (the word beer in Croatian is "pivo") are of a high quality. Try Zagreb's Ozujsko pivo or Karlovacko pivo or Tuborg, which is brewed by Carlsberg Croatia. In Dalmatia, some red wines such as Faros or Dingac are exquisite. You should also try Croatia's favourite brandy sljivovica, made from plums, or travarica, a herbal brandy.
If you are back home and fancy cooking a Croatian meal of your own, why not take a look at our Croatian Cuisine section?
Other information
Electricity is 220V, 50Hz.
Croatia uses the standard European 2 point plugs.
The weights and measures system is metric.
Croatia is 1 hour ahead of GMT, the same time zone as the majority of Western Europe.
The Croatian language uses the Latin alphabet. There are 30 characters in the Croatian alphabet. See more about the Croatian language in our Croatian for Travellers section.
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