Introduction
Pristine beaches, enchanting villages and history galore - Croatia's got it all. With its sublime stretch of Adriatic coast, Croatia has long been regarded as one of the most beautiful parts of Europe. The booming tourist industry that was interrupted by war in the early 1990s has swept back in force, and visitors are flocking to its string of coastal and island resorts.
Destination Facts
Capital: Zagreb
President: Stipe Mesic
Prime Minister: Ivo Sanader
Government: presidential/parliamentary democracy
Time zone: GMT +1
Area: 56542
Population: 4500000
Languages: A southern variant within the Slavonic language family, Roman Catholic (88%), Eastern Orthodox (4.4%), Islam (1.3%)
Currency: Croatian Kuna (HRK)
Country Dialing Code: 385
Getting There
Most people visit Croatia between April and September. Although the coast is too cool for swimming in April, you'll enjoy warm, clear skies south of Split and rock-bottom accommodation prices. Zagreb is likely to be comfortable and the cultural season is in full swing at this time. May and June are great months for all outdoor activities (except skiing). Watch out for battalions of school students on class field trips at the end of May and beginning of June. July and August are the most expensive months to visit Croatia as the tourist season swings into gear. The advantages of high-season travel are the extra boat lines to whisk you to the islands, and organised excursions to take you to out-of-the-way highlights. September is probably the optimum month since by then the crowds have thinned out, off-season rates apply and fruits such as figs and grapes are abundant.
Getting there and away
Flights connect Zagreb to a swag of European cities. Croatia's international airport is 17km (11mi) southeast of Zagreb. The departure tax is usually included in the price of the air ticket. Buses run between Zagreb and several cities in Hungary and Germany, as well as to Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and Brussels (Belgium). Trains connect Zagreb to Italy, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Slovenia and Serbia-Montenegro, while many ferries link Croatia to Italy. Travellers with their own vehicle can use four border crossings between Hungary and Croatia, 29 between Slovenia and Croatia, 23 between Bosnia-Hercegovina and Croatia and seven between Yugoslavia and Croatia.
Getting around
Croatia Airlines has regular flights from Zagreb to Brac, Dubrovnik, Pula, Split and Zadar. The country's excellent bus network is far-reaching and reasonably priced. Trains are cheaper and more comfortable than the bus, but also slower except for the new high-speed train between Zagreb and Split. All the usual car rental chains are represented in Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik and most Istrian towns. Driving is on the right side of the road. The spectacular Adriatic highway from Italy to Albania runs along the steep slopes of Croatia's coastal range, and is one of the most exciting drives in the world. If you can get where you're going by ferry, then do it - cruising among the islands of the Adriatic certainly beats sitting on a bus, no matter how cheap or fast it is. Jadrolinija coastal ferries ply the waters between Dubrovnik and Rijeka, stopping at Split and Kor č ula.
Visa:
Citizens of Australia, Canada, Ireland, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, the UK, the USA and most continental European countries can enter Croatia for stays of up to 90 days without a visa. Visitors from other countries may be required to produce a return/onward ticket, all documents required for their next destination and sufficient funds for their stay.
Weather
Croatia's climate varies from Mediterranean along the Adriatic coast, to continental inland. The sunny coastal areas experience hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters, while the interior regions are warm in summer and cold in winter. Wind patterns cool the coast with refreshing breezes in the summer, but high mountains shield the coast from bitter winter weather. The sea stores heat in the summer and radiates the heat onto the land in the winter, warming the surrounding air. In spring and early summer, the maestral keeps the temperature down along the coast. It generally starts blowing at around nine o'clock, increases until early afternoon and dies down in late afternoon. This strong, steady wind makes good sailing weather. Winter weather is defined by two winds. The southeasterly sirocco from the Sahara Desert brings warm, moist air to the mainland and can produce a heavy cloud cover. This wind also has the steady strength that sailors love. The northeasterly bura blows from the interior to the coast in powerful gusts, bringing dry air and blowing away clouds. Sun-lovers should note that the island of Hvar gets 2715 hours of sun a year, followed by Split with 2697 hours, Vela Luka on Kor č ula Island with 2671 hours, and Dubrovnik with 2584 hours. The lack of rainfall along the coast, especially on islands further removed from the mainland, has produced severe water shortages in Dalmatia throughout its history. Summer dry periods can last up to 100 days, nearly as long as in Sicily and Greece. Before pipelines to the Cetina and Neretva Rivers were laid, islanders often had to collect rainwater in cisterns.
Pristine beaches, enchanting villages and history galore - Croatia's got it all. With its sublime stretch of Adriatic coast, Croatia has long been regarded as one of the most beautiful parts of Europe. The booming tourist industry that was interrupted by war in the early 1990s has swept back in force, and visitors are flocking to its string of coastal and island resorts.
Destination Facts
Capital: Zagreb
President: Stipe Mesic
Prime Minister: Ivo Sanader
Government: presidential/parliamentary democracy
Time zone: GMT +1
Area: 56542
Population: 4500000
Languages: A southern variant within the Slavonic language family, Roman Catholic (88%), Eastern Orthodox (4.4%), Islam (1.3%)
Currency: Croatian Kuna (HRK)
Country Dialing Code: 385
Getting There
Most people visit Croatia between April and September. Although the coast is too cool for swimming in April, you'll enjoy warm, clear skies south of Split and rock-bottom accommodation prices. Zagreb is likely to be comfortable and the cultural season is in full swing at this time. May and June are great months for all outdoor activities (except skiing). Watch out for battalions of school students on class field trips at the end of May and beginning of June. July and August are the most expensive months to visit Croatia as the tourist season swings into gear. The advantages of high-season travel are the extra boat lines to whisk you to the islands, and organised excursions to take you to out-of-the-way highlights. September is probably the optimum month since by then the crowds have thinned out, off-season rates apply and fruits such as figs and grapes are abundant.
Getting there and away
Flights connect Zagreb to a swag of European cities. Croatia's international airport is 17km (11mi) southeast of Zagreb. The departure tax is usually included in the price of the air ticket. Buses run between Zagreb and several cities in Hungary and Germany, as well as to Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and Brussels (Belgium). Trains connect Zagreb to Italy, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Slovenia and Serbia-Montenegro, while many ferries link Croatia to Italy. Travellers with their own vehicle can use four border crossings between Hungary and Croatia, 29 between Slovenia and Croatia, 23 between Bosnia-Hercegovina and Croatia and seven between Yugoslavia and Croatia.
Getting around
Croatia Airlines has regular flights from Zagreb to Brac, Dubrovnik, Pula, Split and Zadar. The country's excellent bus network is far-reaching and reasonably priced. Trains are cheaper and more comfortable than the bus, but also slower except for the new high-speed train between Zagreb and Split. All the usual car rental chains are represented in Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik and most Istrian towns. Driving is on the right side of the road. The spectacular Adriatic highway from Italy to Albania runs along the steep slopes of Croatia's coastal range, and is one of the most exciting drives in the world. If you can get where you're going by ferry, then do it - cruising among the islands of the Adriatic certainly beats sitting on a bus, no matter how cheap or fast it is. Jadrolinija coastal ferries ply the waters between Dubrovnik and Rijeka, stopping at Split and Kor č ula.
Visa:
Citizens of Australia, Canada, Ireland, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, the UK, the USA and most continental European countries can enter Croatia for stays of up to 90 days without a visa. Visitors from other countries may be required to produce a return/onward ticket, all documents required for their next destination and sufficient funds for their stay.
Weather
Croatia's climate varies from Mediterranean along the Adriatic coast, to continental inland. The sunny coastal areas experience hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters, while the interior regions are warm in summer and cold in winter. Wind patterns cool the coast with refreshing breezes in the summer, but high mountains shield the coast from bitter winter weather. The sea stores heat in the summer and radiates the heat onto the land in the winter, warming the surrounding air. In spring and early summer, the maestral keeps the temperature down along the coast. It generally starts blowing at around nine o'clock, increases until early afternoon and dies down in late afternoon. This strong, steady wind makes good sailing weather. Winter weather is defined by two winds. The southeasterly sirocco from the Sahara Desert brings warm, moist air to the mainland and can produce a heavy cloud cover. This wind also has the steady strength that sailors love. The northeasterly bura blows from the interior to the coast in powerful gusts, bringing dry air and blowing away clouds. Sun-lovers should note that the island of Hvar gets 2715 hours of sun a year, followed by Split with 2697 hours, Vela Luka on Kor č ula Island with 2671 hours, and Dubrovnik with 2584 hours. The lack of rainfall along the coast, especially on islands further removed from the mainland, has produced severe water shortages in Dalmatia throughout its history. Summer dry periods can last up to 100 days, nearly as long as in Sicily and Greece. Before pipelines to the Cetina and Neretva Rivers were laid, islanders often had to collect rainwater in cisterns.
0 comments:
Speak up your mind
Tell us what you're thinking... !