Croatia

Croatia is blessed with truly most glorious coastline which has miraculously escaped the over-development of some other Mediterranean holiday destinations.

Croatia extends from the foothills of the Julian Alps in the north-west and the Pannonian Plain in the east, over the Dinara mountain range in its central region, to the Adriatic coast in the south.

The Adriatic Coast with its 1185 islands, islets and reefs is considered to be one of the most impressive coastlines in Europe. At the northern end of the Adriatic coast, the peninsula of Istria contains many of the country's most developed resorts, with old Venetian towns like Rovinj rubbing shoulders with the raffish port of Pula. Further south is Dalmatia, a dramatic, mountain-fringed stretch of coastline studded with islands. Some of the best-known resort towns along the Dalmatian coast are Dubrovnik, Split, Porec and Trogir, all of them listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The best of the beaches you will find on Hvar, Brac, Vis and Korcula. While the medieval walled city of Dubrovnik is one of the most attractive Mediterranean cities, as well as site of an important festival in the summer.

The country that endured Roman, Venetian, Italian and Austro-Hungarian rule has a unique and slightly schizoid identity. You’ll find a strong central European flavour in the baroque architecture of Zagreb, and Italian devotion to the good life percolates up from the coast, permeating Croatian food and style.