Hit an Adriatic beach and other scenic spots in Croatia
ROGER PETTERSON
Canadian Press
Friday, March 05, 2004
Sun bathers enjoy the weather at a pebble beach near Cavtat. Cavtat is a Croatian town located on the Adriatic Coast.
(AP) - Thinking of a trip to Europe but haven't chosen a destination yet? Try Croatia, a corner of the Continent on the shore of the sunny Adriatic that hasn't yet become overrun by other American tourists.
There's a host of Web sites working to entice you into visiting, and a surprising number have versions in English. Get acquainted with the help of the Croatian National Tourist Board - croatia.hr/ - by clicking on English and then on Tourism Plus to learn about activities from scuba diving to mountain climbing and skiing. In many cases, you'll find Web links to other informative Web sites.
Click on Destinations to reach the tourist board's interactive map. Try the Dalmatia-Zadar region and check out towns such as Ugljan, where you can relax on sandy beaches, or centrally located Zadar. Along with brief descriptions of the towns you get a pronunciation guide, and many have a small photo gallery. Click on About Croatia for information on history, food and the Adriatic, then go to "Arrival" to see about airlines that fly to Croatia.
You won't need a visa, according to the Croatian information page at the U.S. Department of State - http://travel.state.gov/croatia.html - but be sure to read Safety and Security. Elsewhere in Washington, the Croatian Embassy - croatiaemb.org/ - can help you with facts and figures, and useful Web links.
Try out some of the food before you go. Balkan Web - balkanweb.com/kroacia/recipes.htm - has recipes in English. And Croatian Wine Page - hr/vino/ - has a map of the major wine-producing regions, plus other information.
Find out about festivals by going to Culturenet - culturenet.hr/v1/english/index.asp - which has info on jazz festivals (late March in Zagreb) and student theatre.
Then soak up art and history with the help of Croatian Museums on the Internet - mdc.hr/www-MDC-eng/4-1siteovi.html - which has links to institutions on local history, archaeology, art and more.
Croatia's westernmost section is Istra - istra.com/index.asp - a peninsula at the northern end of the Adriatic. Tour winemaking regions, go sailing, venture in the Baredine Cave, or just enjoy the scenery. Look under Istra Info for the link to a photo album.
Explore the islands and villages along the Dalmatian coast by going to Dalmatia Net - dalmatianet.com/ - and clicking on Destination to reach an interactive map. They'll also help you find places to stay or charter a boat.
Brac Island has the resort town of Bol - bol.hr/ - and sandy beaches. Click into Excursions to learn about the 16th century monastery, caves and other island communities.
In central or Continental Croatia, the capital city of Zagreb - zagreb-touristinfo.hr/index.php.en - offers history, culture and shopping. Learn more about Continental Croatia at Find Croatia - findcroatia.com/pla(underline)cont.htm - which has links to destinations from the forests of Gorski Kotar (look hard for the link to the English version) to more featuring Zagreb.
Get a quick course in the Croatian language at the Croatian Homepage - hr/index.en.shtml - and then explore their many Web links on other subjects, including Arts & Culture and Society, where you can delve into gastronomy and find Croatian cook books, read Croatian legends or learn about the war's effect on the nation. Look under Tourism and Travelling for more links for visitors.
© Copyright 2004 The Canadian Press
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