Crescent-shaped Croatia is poised at the edge of Europe's cultural frontier with the East. Its strategic location and rich natural beauty have attracted a potent mixture of visitors over the centuries. Today Croatia offers the opportunity to indulge in deep cultural history and enjoy the expansive beauty of this largely unchanged landscape.
Croatia Holiday Highlights
• Dubrovnik has been called the most perfectly preserved medieval city in the world, and has for centuries rivalled Venice as a major sea trading port. It has now been fully restored to its former glory and is an ultimate expression of all that is fine in medieval building.
• The huge walls, built between the 11th and 17th Centuries are still intact. Meander along the stone ramparts of the city for the best views, before venturing inside to experience many treasures.
• The churches, monasteries, palaces, wide marble-paved squares, steep cobble-stepped streets and houses have remained unchanged for centuries. But Dubrovnik is no museum. It is very much alive through the people whose homes line the narrow streets and sunlit squares enclosed by massive walls.
• The old town was completed in the 13th Century and remains virtually unchanged to the present day. Surrounded by tall ramparts there are only two entrances to the old town which lead to the Stradun, the city's promenade. One of the greatest pleasures for many visitors is to have a drink in one of the nearby cafés and watch the world go by.
• The northern region of Istria is home to a stunning coastline, undiscovered towns, rolling landscapes and fine vineyards with pretty hilltop villages waiting to be explored. Rovnij is a charming medieval coastal town, while Savudrijia is situated in the northernmost region looking across the bay towards Slovenia.
• The exclusive island of Hvar is being hailed the St Tropez of Croatia and has been voted one of the three most beautiful islands in the Mediterranean by Condé Nast Traveller magazine. Attracting a glamorous clientele to its glittering harbour front, this really is a place to be seen.