Southern Dalmatia

The beautiful old town of Dubrovnik is characterised by its winding narrow streets, small shops and pavement cafes. The heart of the town is the marble paved “Stradun” – the main street. Void of transport within the city walls the air is peaceful and perfect for strolling about. Dubrovnik’s history began in the 7th century. The Republic of Dubrovnik had a separate political and territorial entity, proud of its business achievements and especially of its freedom, preserved down so many turbulent centuries.

The city is at its most invigorating during its Summer Festival held annually from 10th July to 25th August. Here the magnificent ancient walls provide a backdrop to the cultural stage, with worldwide interest in the performances.

Dubrovnik also has a wider environment including islands. The villages of Župa Dubrovačka; Cavtat, which rose from the ashes of Epidaurum, Konavle with their hamlets, picturesque folk costumes and customs. The region goes all the way down to Cape Ostro, the southernmost land point of the Croatian Adriatic.

Dalmatia
Dalmatia is divided into three longitudinal natural geographical entities: the islands, the shoreline and the hinterland. The touristic attraction here is unquestionably the coastline with its stunning islands.

The transparency of the Adriatic waters is at its most obvious around the outer perimeter islands, the sea reaches a depth of 56 metres. The depth of the water on the seaward size is 200 metres & drops to 1400 metres in the southern basin.

The region offers :

- four National Parks in Dalmatia (Kornati, Paklenica, Krka, and Mljet),
- three Nature Parks (Velebit, Telašćica, and Biokovo)
- a number of special reserves.

Istria & Kvarner
Istria is the largest peninsula of the entire Riviera with an area of 3,160 km2. The influence of the Mediterranean ensures there is no snow in winter & summers are long & warm. Istria is the best-developed region for tourists in Croatia. Last year 2 million tourists visited the area. The largest Croatian port of Rijeka lies at the head of the Bay of Kvarner. Eleven modern marinas are dotted around the shoreline. The interior also has a lot to offer with medicinal spa towns, hunting grounds, and picturesque towns, including Hum, the smallest town in the world.

Kvarner consists of islands & mainland. The coastline stretches from Opatija to Karlobag. The islands are highly developed for tourists with plenty of natural beauty. Krk, the largest island in the Adriatic; Cres, an oasis of preserved nature especially birdlife; Lošinj, with its wealth of coniferous forests & its mild climate; Rab, one of the best touristically developed islands. Pag offers many sheltered coves & beaches, ornithological reserves, the famous Pag cheese produced from sheep milk, the lace of Pag & many valuable historical moments.

Eastern Croatia
This region has many thermal health resorts, manor houses, wine & wheat, where people have traditionally made their living by working the land. Popular folk festivals & customs are still respected & are linked to the natural rhythm of growth & the annual cycle of activities of the land. The Kutjevo cellars are where delicious local wines can be tasted, some being precious, vintage varieties.
In addition this area is where once rich noble families had their castles & chapels, manor houses & summer residences.

Osijek is the largest city. The site was inhabited in Roman times, but its present appearance dates from the 17th & 18th centuries. The fortress has now been completely restored. Upper & downtown areas have been merged to create a modern city.

A few kilometres east of Osijek is the National Park Kopački Rit with rare flora & fauna, not found in other parts of the world.

Northern Croatia & Zagreb
This part of Croatia spans the river valleys of the Rivers Sava, Drava & Mura, & is culturally closer to Central Europe than it is to the Mediterranean. Lowlands, gentle hills, undulating vineyards & dense forests surround medieval castles, & manors of the old aristocracy. The country’s capital of Zagreb is the core of Croatia’s business, cultural, academic, artistic & sporting world. Despite the rapid development of economy & transportation, the general air in the city is one of relaxation.

The region of Hrvatsko Zagorje, close to Zagreb towards the Slovenian border, is full of villages & small towns set amongst picturesque landscape. Feudal landowners ruled the once exclusively agricultural land in the 16th century – causing a peasant rebellion. Nowadays the region is turning its attention to the more lucrative activity of tourism.

The UNESCO protected National Park of Plitvička Jezera is home to 16 large cascading lakes & several smaller ones. Here there are over 1,146 types of flora, some endemic.
The varied types of fauna include the predators: bear, lynx & wolf.

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