Vinko's link to Croatia

Croatia Tourism received award by readers of UK prestigious newspaper Times Travel. Croatia is No.1 tourist destination as "Country on the Up", link to article.

Complete Croatia

"Better sailing than Turkey, islands to rival those of Greece, and a cuisine to match Italy’s: it’s the hot spot that came in from the cold," says David Wickers

"Ask anyone: Croatia is the hottest destination in the Med this summer. The Dalmatian coast, they will tell you, with its close-hauled constellation of 1,000 islands, is the “new Riviera”; while the Istrian peninsula, with its Italian looks and flavours, is “the new Tuscany”. But these slick phrases miss the point. Croatia isn’t really a “new” anything: it is still very much its old self.

In the late 1980s, half a million of us came to play here and almost universally loved it, but during the civil war, we shifted our allegiance to Spain, Greece and Turkey — even though most of Croatia was never touched by the conflict. Well, we’re finally back. About 170,000 British visitors are expected in 2004, and 24 holiday companies are featuring the country for the first time.

The smart set are already there in force. Steven Spielberg, Pierce Brosnan, Andre Agassi, Gywneth Paltrow and Sean Connery are all among the celebrity names to appear in the hotel visitor books. Some like the country so much they bought a piece: Robert De Niro, Clint Eastwood and Sharon Stone are each rumoured to be buying their own private island.

If you visited back in the 1980s, you’ll find Croatia largely unchanged. A few designer hotels have opened, welcome alternatives to the rather drab 1960s structures, but otherwise its glittering coast remains just as it was 20 years ago — and all the lovelier for that. And if you can’t afford to buy an island, don’t worry: you can certainly afford a holiday, because Croatia now offers perhaps the best value for money anywhere on the Med.

Croatia has more than 1,000 miles of mainland littoral, as well as those 1,000 islands. The swimming is sparkling — 58 resorts fly Blue Flags — although the beaches tend to be narrow and pebbly.

What Croatia does best, almost on a par with Greece, is islands. No two are alike, most having grown up in isolation from their neighbours. The way to enjoy them is to hop. It would take a whole, delightful summer to work your way down the chain, flying in to Pula or Rijeka in the north and home from Dubrovnik. On a more realistic time frame, you should fly into Split and work your way south along the Dalmatian archipelago.

KORCULA - Roughly the size of the Isle of Wight, its main draw is the 14th-century walled Venetian town, supposedly the birthplace of Marco Polo (lots of De Polos live on the island today). There’s even a St Mark’s Cathedral, housing a Tintoretto, as well as an impressive collection of art in the Bishop’s Treasury, which boasts a Tiepolo." (David Wickers, The Times, link to article)

"Ever wonder where all the western Europeans go, when they leave on extended holiday? For years, many have swarmed to Croatia's sun-drenched Adriatic coast. Outside of Europe, few people know about the charms and treasures that flourish behind grim images of the nation's recent past. The Balkan War, which ended in 1995, barely touched most of Croatia's southern islands. Now the nation is dedicating millions of dollars to rebuild its traditional tourist base, and to entice new international visitors." (CNN)

Besides its natural beauties, Croatia is also made up of its people, as well as their discoveries and inventions. In this feature, we invite you to find out more about inventions known worldwide and their inventors from Croatia. Link to article on Adriatica.net.