CAPITAL ZAGREB - POPULATION 4.7 MILLION - AREA 56,542 SQ KM -OFFICIAL LANGUAGE CROATIAN
Picture this. Salty fishing villages, sparkly seas, a riddle of lakes and waterfalls – Croatia is selling itself well. Proclaimed the rising star of tourism, big things are predicted in the next five years. Hit Dubrovnik in summer and it seems that its time is now: with the Homeland War a distant memory, its well-restored streets heave with travellers. Head inland and you'll leave behind most of the tourists. Far eastern Slavonia and Baranja are the places for off-beaters – for traditional spa soaking and the swampy bird haven of Kopacki Rit – while the griffon vulture project on the island of Cres is leading the way in Croatian conservation.
It’s Croatia’s coolest isle - HVAR
Come high summer, there's no cooler place in Croatia to get your groove on than Hvar Town on its namesake island. Fabulous suntanned bodies flock to this drop-dead-gorgeous spot for round-the-clock fun. Think après-beach parties as the sun dips below the Adriatic horizon, full-moon shindigs and designer cocktails sipped seaside to fresh DJ-spun tunes. Croatia's party island really is as hot as the marble of the old town when the noon sun beats down. But you better rush to soak up all this glamour before Hvar becomes off-limits to mere mortals.
Best of all, on this Mediterranean flyspeck you can still get away from pulsating nightlife. For island bliss unmarred by glitz and bling, get into your birthday suit on the Pakleni Islands just offshore and - bikinis back on - explore the island's coastline and dreamy interior, with its endless fields of lavender, stretching sea vistas, towering peaks, scenic canyons and abandoned hamlets. |
