Croatia
Croatia is home to a spectacular coastline, with nearly two thousand islands, islets and reefs and some quaint medieval villages and impressive Roman ruins. The country is beginning to redefine itself as a major tourist destination after a decade of civil unrest and now is home to some of the most tranquil holiday resorts, which can rival the Greek Islands for historical relics, great food, local colour and sophisticated beach resorts.
Croatia is now arc shaped and has been divided geographically after centuries of battling for independence, to cater to the diverse political and ethnic divisions. Its long Adriatic coastline forms the western leg; tapering to the unique ancient seaport of Dubrovnik in the south, while the land between the rivers Drava and Sava forms the northern section. The capital, Zagreb, sits in-between.
The Dalmation coastline is Croatia's more popular tourist region, with rocky cliffs, enchanting coves and bays and beautiful peninsulas. Numerous good quality hotels and marinas have been resurrected or constructed in the past few years, and the Croatian province is once again beginning to enjoy a tourist boom reminiscent of its heyday in the 1930s. There is a special atmosphere to Croatian towns and villages, many of which are built on the sites of ancient Greek settlements dating from the 4th century BC. This, coupled with a welcoming and determined population, Mediterranean climate, scenic beauty and lush vegetation, is aiding Croatia's rise from the ashes of war into one of the world's tourist hotspots.
