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Croatia has quickly become Europe's hottest destination, and for good reason. The rocky coastline continues for 1778 kilometres and includes pine-fringed coves, wide sandy beaches and cozy inlets. As if that weren't enough, there are a good 1185 islands that range from lush and wooded to stark and hilly. Yachties love the sailing opportunities, sunbathers have an incredible choice of beaches and scuba divers have a paradise of sea life to explore.

Beyond the pretty scenery, Croatia also boasts a fascinating history and cultural life.The walled city of Dubrovnik on its southern tip is a must-stop for Mediterranean cruises but the long coast is littered with remnants of Croatia's varied past.

The Romans swept through two thousand years ago, leaving an amphitheatre in Pula and Diocletian's Palace in Split. Long ruled by Venice, many ports along the coast bear the distinctive imprint of its former master. In southern Dalmatia, the towns of Hvar and Korcula resemble Little Venices without the canals. In Istria, the striking bell tower in Rovinj is modeled after that on St Mark's Square in Venice.

In contrast to the Italian-influenced coast, the Croatian interior was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire and looks it. Zagreb, Croatia's capital, has the kind of stately architecture that wouldn't be out of place in Vienna or Budapest. Plus,it has a small medieval quarter that vaguely resembles Prague.To the north of Zagreb, in the middle of green, rolling hills, lies Varazdin, Croatia's most underrated city. Lying too far from the coast to attract much tourism, Varazdin nevertheless boasts a stunningly well-preserved baroque center.

So, what to see first? Following is my personal list of highlights for a Croatian visit:



Dubrovnik


Byron called it the "Pearl of the Adriatic" for the magnificent curtain of walls surrounding a city paved in marble and strewn with Renaissance sculpture.


Hvar Town


In addition to the splendid harbor promenade and sculptured facades, it's becoming known for the best nightlife on the Adriatic.


Korcula Town


It resembles Hvar in some ways, especially the narrow cluster of streets,but iit lies on a narrow peninsula and is quieter.


Rovinj


Istria's prettiest little town, it retains the flavor of a traditional fishing port despite the heavy influx of tourists in recent years.


Plitvice Lakes National Park


It has to be seen to be believed. The 16 turquose lakes seem to glow and there are waterfalls everywhere. It's a UNESCO world heritage site.


Brela Beach


The idyllic coves, bordered with pine trees, stretch out like a long necklace of beaches. Forbes magazine recently named it one of the top twenty beaches in the world.

No matter where you go in Croatia, you'll find people eager to welcome tourists after the grueling war of the early 1990s. English is widely spoken and costs are comparatively reasonable compared to the rest of the European coast. So what are you waiting for?

Jeanne Oliver has written all three editions of Lonely Planet's Croatia guidebook. To find out more about traveling to Croatia and to book your trip, visit Jeanne's website, http://www.croatiatraveller.com.

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Croatia is situated in the middle of Europe, between Italy, Hungary, Slovenia and Bosnia. Although this country has only 4,7 million inhabitants, it has three completely different regions: costal, continental and mountain. Perhaps the most attractive one is costal, Mediterranean Croatia – the land of islands. Namely, in this part of Croatia there are 1185 islands!
The most attractive town in Croatia is Dubrovnik (50,000 inhabitants), situated at the southern part of Croatian coast. Surrounded with majestic almost 2km long City Walls, this town is a part of World Heritage. Among many attractions there are: Rector’s Palace-once a seat of Dubrovnik’s Government, Franciscan Monastery with 3rd oldest pharmacy in Europe and lovely Romanesque -Gothic cloister, baroque Cathedral, St. Blaze’s Church, 2nd oldest Synagogue in Europe, Jesuit church with small version of ‘Spanish Steps’.
Dubrovnik has the most amazing history: for almost 5 centuries it was an independent republic (1358-1808), which had its own government and the Rector- who was the head of the Republic. During that period Dubrovnik was one of the richest towns and one of the most powerful commercial centers in Europe.
2. Please tell us about the transport connections to Croatia. How does one get to Croatia?
Croatia has 3 international airports: Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik. Zagreb is well connected with most European countries year round. During the season (April – October) there are direct charter flights from UK, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Germany, France, Spain and many other European countries to Dubrovnik and Split.
Dubrovnik has direct ferry lines with Bari and Ortona in Italy, while Split and Zadar are well connected with Ancona and Pescara (Italy). Highway construction between Zagreb-Dubrovnik is in process, and at the moment we have a highway from Zagreb to Sibenik (80 km north of Split). There is a local road from Sibenik to Split and Dubrovnik (Dubrovnik is 220km southern from Split)
3. Please comment on the accommodation options in Croatia (eg. hotels, motels, apartment rentals, bed and breakfasts, camping, etc.)
Croatia offers a variety of accommodation options: camps, private rooms, private apartments, hostels and hotels. There are many good campsites on the coast. However, wild camping is not allowed, especially on the islands. Private accommodation is gaining in popularity and can be booked over the Internet. Booking private accommodation, you usually book only overnight since most of private accommodation owners do not offer breakfast and other meals. Hotels have very good standards. Those mainly offer breakfast included, although you can find some that offer all-inclusive programs.
4. What are the major tourist areas in Croatia? What type of activities are there for travellers?
The main tourist area in Croatia is its costal part, which could be divided into 2 main regions: Istria-at the northern part, with towns: Rovinj, Umag, Porec and Dalmatia at the southern part of Croatian coast, with towns: Dubrovnik, Split, Sibenik, Zadar, Makarska and islands: Brac, Hvar, Korcula, Mljet, Pag. Two largest towns along the Croatian coast are Split and Rijeka. Both have a population under 300,000. The island of Pag is a great party place, ideal for young people. Istrian and Dalmatian towns offer a range of opportunities for tourists: from cultural sightseeing to fine dining, nightlife, and day activities: sea kayaking, diving, sailing. In Dubrovnik region, apart from sea kayaking, diving and sailing, there are very interesting horseback riding, jeep safari and wine tasting tours.
3. What is the weather like in Croatia? What times of year are best to go to Croatia?
Croatia is a country of three different climates: continental-on the north, mountain – in middle of Croatia and Mediterranean in its costal part. At the costal part of Croatia summers are long, dry and hot while winters are mild and humid, with lots of rain. The best period to come to Croatia is a period from early April to mid-October. If you are coming for the sea, June, July, August and September are best. However, during July and August Croatia gets very crowded.
4. You are located in the city of Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik was also affected by the Balkan wars in the early 1990s. Please comment on this difficult time and also give us a description of this city today.
During its history, Dubrovnik never had real war on its territory, until 1991. The major weapon of the Dubrovnik Republic was its skillful diplomacy. Namely, Dubrovnik was negotiating and very often buying its freedom. The cost was sometimes really high, but it was always worth of it.
When the war in Croatia started, nobody really believed that Dubrovnik – a city enlisted in World Heritage, would be really attacked. The period between 1991 and 1992 was the hardest time of Dubrovnik’s history. The city was bombarded from the air, from land and from sea. The main street in Dubrovnik – Stradun was burning. There was no water and electricity; the shelves in the supermarkets were completely empty. One could buy only bread at that time. It seemed like there was no way out…
Reconstruction took place immediately after the war. Today one could never imagine what was going on in Dubrovnik in early nineties. The city is full of tourists and this year Lonely Planet proclaimed it as one of the most popular destinations in the world.