Formerly a part of the Yugoslavian Republic, Croatia is a country and independent state situated in the south of Europe. It’s flanked by the Adriatic Sea to the southwest, while Hungary lies north, Slovenia to the northwest, Serbia and Montenegro to the east and Bosnia and Herzegovina to the southeast.
The appeal of the country is not difficult to see; its combination of polished beach resorts with places of historic and cultural interest is a winning one. Family holidaymakers, young independent travellers and retired couples alike, find activities and attractions to suit their needs.
Zagreb is Croatia’s capital and is a city full of visual beauty from its medieval cobbled streets to its magnificent old churches and other historic buildings. Museums are a dominant feature catering to history buffs and culture seekers and anyone with an interest in the country’s fascinating heritage. International festivals and lively social scenes make it a destination well suited to those who enjoy a spot of partying.
Roman history is a significant part of the country’s past and there are some excellent Roman remains to see in the cities of Pula, Split and Salona. If those old decaying stones hold no appeal for you then relaxing on the beaches of Copacabana, Lapad, Jelsa, Zaton and others might be more your thing.
Croatia is easily reached with an international airport in the capital and others in Split, Pula and Dubrovnik. Once in the country, there are numerous options for getting around with extensive bus and train networks providing two of the more popular. Domestic air travel is also possible, while transportation between the mainland and the country’s islands is made easy by ferry services.
The country is well geared to receiving tourists, with a solid infrastructure that includes no shortage of accommodation options. Zagreb is home to big names such as the Regent Esplande Hotel, Westin Hotel, and the Sheraton Zagreb, while Dubrovnik has the Hilton Imperial Hotel and an abundance of reputable independently owned establishments.
Tomislav, of the Trpimirovic dynasty, was the country’s first king, taking the throne in 925 and uniting the two duchies to create a single state under central rule. This was to remain the status quo for the next two centuries until the Trpimirovic dynasty came to an end and the country was forced to accept Coloman of Hungary as its king.
Feudalism was subsequently introduced into Croatia and then families such as the Šubics and Frankopans began to make their marks on many areas of the country. The Šubic princes took control of many regions within Dalmatia, Slavonia and Bosnia. The arrival of the Turks, however, shook things up considerably and despite Croatia fierce defenses in the face of the Turkish invasion, it was eventually forced into submission and obliged to accept control by the Ottomans. Midway into the second decade of the 16th century and Ottoman control had spread to the majority of areas within Slavonia, western Bosnia and Lika.
Further into the 16th century, the Austrians began to establish areas of control adjacent to those held by the Ottomans. The superior might of the Austrians eventually saw them drive the Ottomans from Croatia and establish themselves as the country’s ruler.
France challenged Austria for control of the region but the latter were to be victorious in the end, leading to the adding of Dalmatia and Istria to the empire of the Habsburg dynasty in 1815. The Revolutions of 1848 saw establishment of the Austria-Hungary kingdom, which ultimately meant a loss of autonomy for Croatia. The Hungarian-Croatian Settlement in 1868, however, was successful in restoring domestic control.
In 1918 with the end of WWI in sight, the Allied armies successfully ejected the Habsburgs and the Croatian Parliament broke free of the control held by the Austria-Hungary kingdom. The kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later known as Yugoslavia) was subsequently formed. The introduction of a new constitution in 1921 saw a shifting of internal borders that was beneficial to Serbia but not Croatia. The Peasant Party of Stjepan Radic took responsibility for making Croatia’s feelings known with conflicts with Serbia that eventually lead to the death of Radic in 1928. A year later King Aleksandar abolished the constitution, introduced a dictatorship and changed the name of the country to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
Aleksandar was assassinated in 1934 while out of the country, leading in the next five years to Croatia regaining some degree of autonomy. This was to be short-lived, however, with the crumbling of the militarist regime in Belgrade in 1941 leading to control by a Serbian-Croatian Cvetković-Maček government.
After the Germans were defeated in WWII, Yugoslavia was reorganised to include Croatia and in the following decades there was relative stability in the kingdom. In the 1970s, decentralisation led to greater autonomy for Croatia, a trend that continued on throughout the ‘80s, leading to the country’s claim to independence in 1991. The claim was met with military objection from Serbia and conflicts ensued between the two factions. A ceasefire mediated by the UN was established in the following year but by that time Serbia had already taken control of significant areas of Croatian land and consequently a year later the ceasefire was broken as Croatia set about reclaiming its rightful territories.
Into the new millennium and the country saw dramatic recovery, so much so that it applied for EU membership in 2003 (completion of its application is still pending). Croatia has successfully reinvented itself as an attractive tourist destination, taking advantage of its beautiful coastal areas to attract large numbers of beach-loving tourists.
Croatia’s climate varies according to the area with noticeable distinctions occurring between the north and the coastal regions. The former is characterised by weather of a continental nature, seeing warm summers and mild to cold winters while the latter is more Mediterranean in nature.
Destinations on the Adriatic coast enjoy very warm summers, with temperatures in July and August hitting the high 20s (°C) and seeing average temperatures of around 26°C. Come winter, temperatures drop to no lower than 4°C and daytime highs are around 8 or 9°C. Rainfall volumes are highest between November and January and lowest between June and August.
From the very first welcome to the moment we left, the kindness and hospitality of the staff especially of those at the main reception was excellent. Via this opportunity we would like to thank the Ho...
