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Croatia Vacation Guide
As an affordable corner of Europe with ruggedly beautiful coasts, pristine mountains and a schizophrenic, pan-European sense of cultural identity, perhaps it’s not a big surprise that Croatia is at the very height of fashionable European tourism in the 21st century. The cruises and beach holidays all start in the coastal town of Dubrovnik. Monuments, museums, marble walkways and exceptional views have lead to Dubrovnik being nicknamed ‘pearl of the Adriatic’ and despite the buzzing tourist trade, it still holds onto its laidback lifestyle and Italian-esque affection for art and architecture.
Medieval Zagreb has an entirely different vibe, artistic and animated but throbbing with a pacey energy the coastal towns lack. The residents of Zagreb are a welcoming and active bunch, quick to take advantage of the greenery surrounding the capital, and chasing down their exercise with hectic nights in raucous beer halls and dainty discos by the lake.
Zagreb is the modern day capital, but past capital Varaždin is the place to see many of Croatia’s old world treasures. Crammed full of exquisite baroque buildings – including dozens of palaces – the city is also home to Špancir Fest, an annual ‘street walking’ festival which draws every breed of performer to the streets every summer. A taste of even more ancient Croatian history is up for grabs at Pula, where a mammoth Roman amphitheatre, columned temples and middle-aged chapels nestle in amongst the snaking streets of a city drenched in history.
Nature lovers head to Krka National Park, where you can drift through the lush forests and clear waters to the 15th century monastery, or Plitvice Lakes, a stunning set of cascades between surreal turquoise pools. Hvar Town has it’s own natural draws: a picturesque beach invariably coating in sunbathers, many of them relaxing and waiting for Croatia’s most popular beach party to kick off.
The ‘in the know’ have Croatia marked down as the highlight of the Mediterranean, with exceptional scenery, blistering beaches and a varied history to soak up. It’s a sparkling relative newcomer to the European travel scene, and an utterly unmissable one.
Medieval Zagreb has an entirely different vibe, artistic and animated but throbbing with a pacey energy the coastal towns lack. The residents of Zagreb are a welcoming and active bunch, quick to take advantage of the greenery surrounding the capital, and chasing down their exercise with hectic nights in raucous beer halls and dainty discos by the lake.
Zagreb is the modern day capital, but past capital Varaždin is the place to see many of Croatia’s old world treasures. Crammed full of exquisite baroque buildings – including dozens of palaces – the city is also home to Špancir Fest, an annual ‘street walking’ festival which draws every breed of performer to the streets every summer. A taste of even more ancient Croatian history is up for grabs at Pula, where a mammoth Roman amphitheatre, columned temples and middle-aged chapels nestle in amongst the snaking streets of a city drenched in history.
Nature lovers head to Krka National Park, where you can drift through the lush forests and clear waters to the 15th century monastery, or Plitvice Lakes, a stunning set of cascades between surreal turquoise pools. Hvar Town has it’s own natural draws: a picturesque beach invariably coating in sunbathers, many of them relaxing and waiting for Croatia’s most popular beach party to kick off.
The ‘in the know’ have Croatia marked down as the highlight of the Mediterranean, with exceptional scenery, blistering beaches and a varied history to soak up. It’s a sparkling relative newcomer to the European travel scene, and an utterly unmissable one.