The country of a thousand islands and other Croatia General Tips

Favorite Thing: Croatia is a central European Mediterranean country, which borders with Slovenia in the west, Hungary in the north, Serbia & Montenegro in the east, Bosnia & Hercegovina in the south & Italy in the west (maritime border).

Croatia has a strange shape [of a croissant, let's say], like no other country in the world, which comes as a result of five centuries of expansion by the Ottoman empire towards Central Europe - although Croatia was never conquered by the Turks - we stopped them near the city of Sisak! :)

Croatia has been independent since Jun 25th 1991 (from Yugoslavia), which is also its National holiday. Croatia is not yet a member of the European Union (the EU border is Slovenia), but is an official candidate since Jun 2004.

Croatia has about 4,5 million inhabitants (2001 est.) & the capital Zagreb has around a million [although it sometimes feels like ten ;)]. Croatia is orientated towards tourism & that's mainly, and I repeat, mainly because we have a beautiful coast!

There are many other things, of course, but Croatia is characteristic for its huge diversity, considering the rather small geographical area. There are big differences between the southern & the northern; coastal & continental regions, which include culture, geography, customs & even language! When you drive from Zagreb to Rijeka (it takes about 80 minutes by car by the new highway) you start in a valley, then go up to 2000 m high mountains & enjoy the view overlooking the coastal part. If you drive a bit more (e.g. Istria) you'll pass the heart of the peninsula filled with tiny cities situated on hills (absolutely fabulous!) where you'll see all the signs in Italian (since Italian is the second official language - besides Croatian).

Croatia has eight national parks: Brijuni islands, Risnjak mountain, Paklenica canyon, Kornati islands, Plitvice lakes (Plitvicka jezera), the island of Mljet, Krka waterfalls & Northern Velebit (added recently).


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Favorite Thing: - Croatia controls most land routes from Western Europe to the Aegean Sea & Turkish Straits, so the roads are quite OK [new highways also being built...]
- although the literacy in Croatia, considering total population, is 98.5% (2003 est.), unfortunately not so many people speak English
- the conventional long name form is Republic of Croatia, the conventional short form is Croatia; the local long form is Republika Hrvatska & the local short form is Hrvatska
- the age limit is 18
- the currency is kuna (HRK)
- telephones: main lines in use: 1.825 million (2002); mobile cellular: 2.34 million (2002) [tending to grow because of the three new providers, two of them fixed & one mobile]
- Internet country code: .hr
- Internet hosts: 29,644 (2002); Internet users: 789,000 (2002)
- railways: total: 2,296 km [983 km electrified] (2002)
- highways: total: 28,123 km, paved: 23,792 km [including 410 km of expressways]
- ports & harbors: Rijeka, Dubrovnik, Dugi Rat, Omisalj, Ploce, Pula, Sibenik, Split, Vukovar (inland waterway port on Danube), Zadar aso.
- airports: 68 (2003 est.); the biggest one is Pleso, Zagreb [17 km from the city center; daily busses by Croatia Airlines]
- visas: Citizens of Australia, Canada, Ireland, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, the UK, the USA & most continental European countries can enter Croatia for stays of up to 90 days without a visa; however visitors must hold a return / onward ticket, all documents required for next destination & sufficient funds
- time zone: GMT / UTC +1 [Central European Time (Rome, Stockholm, Berlin, Paris etc.)]
- dialing code: 385
- electricity: 220-240V, 50Hz
- weights & measures: metric


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Favorite Thing: The Adriatic coast or Jadran, as we call it in Croatian, is one of the warmest, saltiest & the most rugged coast in the world. The stretches on for 5835 km (4057 km of which belongs to islands, cliffs & reefs), including 1185 islands - therefore also called the country of a thousand islands - most of them too small to be inhabited, but when combined together (like NP Kornati), they make a wonderful combination! The biggest islands are Krk, Cres, Brac, Hvar, Pag, Korcula, Dugi Otok, Mljet, Rab, Vis & Kornati.
The forest & mountain region of Gorski Kotar is the perfect destination for nature lovers. The whole northern part of Velebit mountain is UNESCO heritage & a wildlife resort. You're passing it on your way to the sea-side, so take your time & take a look.
There are many more natural locations that are protected (around 300), some of them close to urban areas (like the mountain Medvednica north of Zagreb - you can't really miss it...) & some close to transport routes definitely worth seeing!
The central part of Croatia has its main interest in sacred objects, museums & castles: Trakoscan castle, Veliki Tabor, Varazdin, Kumrovec, the Upper City in Zagreb, the cathedrals in Zagreb, Osijek, Djakovo a.s.o. The rural Zagorje is filled with charming villages where wild life seems to outnumber human beings & the hills are crowned with romantic castles surrounded by vineyards, amazing panoramic views & endless possibilities for rambling.

"The Inland region of Croatia is dotted by small wooded hills with churches, romantic castles, crystal clear streams & lush vineyards. After the Loire Valley, this region has the highest concentration of castles in Europe. The Croatian inland offers peace, unmatched scenery, tasty local specialties & great wines of the region."


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Favorite Thing: Is there still a war going on in Croatia?!

Despite the tragedy of war, Croatia's charms remain almost intact. Most of the tourist areas have been restored although the reminders of the country's painful history are still present. And no, there is no war, although there are still some ruins which can be seen [especilly in the eastern & the central parts].

I'm not gonna start talking about war because it's pointless. The biggest threat there is for you while being in Croatia are "destructive earthquakes" named in the CIA files, which I never heard of. So, don't worry & chill out! ;)


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