Croatia travel guide
Waking up to the smell of fresh air and sound of seagulls reminding you of the nearby sea and a light touch of the warm sun caressing your skin is one of the reasons why Croatia is a spot that remains vivid in the minds of its travelers. Croatia is the Mediterranean land of rocky, indented shore and more than a thousand islands boasting stretches of coastline filled with evergreen vegetation and the most dramatic sunsets Europe has to offer.
Despite the region’s ever popular spot as a tourist destination, there are still places in Croatia that reamin off the beaten track – islands with quiet coves, cliffs and rocks for exploration and quaint stone-built fishing villages that make you feel as if you have landed on one of southern Europe's few remaining untouched areas. Stepping into Croatia is like stepping in a museum of Mediterranean culture as the many coastal towns and cities are a living reminder of the region’s historical roots from Roman times. Where towns and cities dot the coastal lines, in the heart of the region is a profusion of unsullied mountains, lakes and bird-inhabited wetlands that provide the quintessential setting for nature lovers.
This country has been making huge steps ever since early 1990s: From the rule of communism to a war of national pride and survival to the securing of independence, and Croatia is now a safe, optimistic and welcoming destination with a strong sense of nationality and statehood. Croatia is a Central European country sharing the Adriatic Sea with Italy, meaning that this small nation has one of the sunniest coastlines in Europe. With about 2,600 hours of sunlight each year and wonderful weather with warm dry summers and mild winters.
Bordering Slovenia in the west, with Hungary to the north, Serbia in the east, and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the south, the country’s geographical shape has been likened to a croissant! Croatia has a population of about 4.4 million people with the majority being Roman Catholics.
Zagreb is the capital of Croatia, a dazzling place with a population of under 800,000 with other main cities such as Osijek in the northwest and the ever-popular Split on the Dalmatian Coast. The national language is Croatian which is a South Slavic language with roots traced back to the 9th century.
Croatia is also home to several important aspects of international culture such as Dalmatian dogs and the ever popular drink called Maraschino.