Croatia has a unique shape; it looks like a butterfly with asymmetrical wings. The longer, slender one corresponds to the Adriatic coastal belt, with a myriad of islands and islets. The shorter, stubbier one represents the continental area, characterized by hills, forests, mountains, thermal baths, villages, and cities with character, such as the capital itself, Zagreb.
From Istria to Dalmatia: Croatia
Two profoundly different worlds, but both fascinating and, above all, rich in nature, cultures, customs, traditions, and flavors. This variety is, ultimately, the true wealth of this land-bridge between East and West Europe, known and celebrated since ancient times, when Cassiodorus described the splendid leisure of emperors and patricians on its coasts. This strategic position brings, on the tourism front, a large number of foreign visitors, including Italians. Coastal regions like Istria, Kvarner, and Dalmatia have for decades offered a valid alternative to Italian resorts, thanks to manageable distances, an efficient network of connections, good accommodation options, affordable prices, but above all, the beauty of nature, the sea, and the coasts.
The Istria, for example, the northernmost peninsula shaped like a heart, is almost a second homeland for Italians. Its seaside resorts (Umag, Poreč, Rovinj, the Brijuni Archipelago, the Pula Riviera…) offer a pleasant mix of ancient remains, Venetian heritage, shell-shaped villages, romantic harbors, dream coves, and crystal-clear waters.
The Croatian interior is a succession of gentle hills crowned by medieval villages: Motovun, Grožnjan, Oprtalj, or Hum, Colmo in Italian, considered the smallest town in the world. Equally beloved is the Kvarner, with the elegant Riviera of Opatija and islands alone worth the trip: Rab, Krk, Cres, and Lošinj. Or Dalmatia, with ancient Zadar, a city three thousand years old; Šibenik and the Kornati Islands, celebrated without reserve by George Bernard Shaw.
But the interior is also generous with nature, featuring a series of spectacular parks and reserves, from Risnjak to Velebit, from Mljet National Park to the Plitvice Lakes. Finally, beautiful Dalmatia, with gems like Split and Dubrovnik, at the southernmost tip, a fairy-tale city wrapped in almost 2 kilometers of walls, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Country Profile: Croatia
- Country: Croatia
- Area: Zagreb
- Capital: Vienna
- Population: 5 million inhabitants
- Language: Croatian
- Religion: majority Roman Catholic, minority Eastern Orthodox
- Government: parliamentary democratic republic
- Main cities: Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Zadar, Osijek, Slavonski Brod, Velika Gorica, Karlovac, Pula, Rijeka, Šibenik, Split, Dubrovnik
Useful Information About Croatia
- Currency: Kuna (1 euro = 7.5 Croatian kuna)
- International dialing code: +385
- International vehicle code: HR
- Driving side: right
- Entry documents: ID card or passport
- Required vaccinations: No
- Electric current: 220 volts AC 50 Hz
- Units of measurement: metric system
- Time zone: same as Italy
- Fixed-date holidays: January 1: New Year’s Day; January 6: Epiphany; March-April: Easter; May 1: Labor Day; May 30: Croatian Statehood Day – Liberation of Knin; June 22: Revolution Anniversary and Anti-Fascism Day; August 5: Patriots’ Day and National Thanksgiving Day; August 15: Assumption of Mary; November 1: All Saints; December 25: Christmas; December 26: St. Stephen’s Day
- Climate: continental inland with wide temperature variations, hot and dry summers, wet winters; Mediterranean along the coast, with mild winters and hot summers
- Average temperatures: In summer temperatures can reach 38°C, in winter they can drop to 2°C
- Transport: National airlines Croatia Airlines and Air Adriatic; others operating flights to Croatia include One Air, Ryanair, Volareweb, etc. Ferry departures from Ancona, Bari, Pescara, and Chioggia to all Croatian destinations
- Airports: Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik
