Croatia
- the advertising slogan sums up the diversity of Croatia; both in terms of beaches, landscapes, islands, national parks and charming towns, as well as its cultural and historical heritage. Historical sources tell of the region as far back as Roman times, and the evidence extends in great continuity right up to modern times. Today, places steeped in history are often the setting for music and film festivals, such as those in Pula and Rovinj, the theater summer in Zadar and the summer festivals in Split and Dubrovnik. One reason for this is the country's proverbial hospitality, known from the days when it was still called "Yugoslavia". Many people fondly remember the cheerful welcome they received with a "Ziveli" and a glass of slivovitz. Even today, you can still find traces of Croatian authenticity off the beaten tourist track, for example in the quaint konobas, the Croatian version of the Italian tavern. Whether Istrian-inspired starters such as pršut, cheese, pickled anchovies and calamari or hearty dishes such as grilled suckling pig or Dalmatian pasta "surlice", lamb and wild asparagus. The restaurants and hotel kitchens offer fish in all variations, refined to toque level. In recent years, the hotel industry has moved up to star level - from solid 4-star to boutique and 5-star design hotels.
"Dobro dosli" in the Tuscany region of Croatia
"As you like it" could be the motto on the Croatian peninsula of Istria. Whether you are a sportsman, connoisseur, art lover or simply a bathing freak - the sunny climate, a varied coastal landscape with medieval seaside resorts that nestle like pearls on the crystal-clear waters of the beaches and a rich cultural history are the "nuts and bolts". A journey from Istria to Dalmatia takes you through the heart of wine and olive country. Within sight are the medieval fortified towns on the hills, such as the artists' village of Groznjan, Motovun above the fertile Mirna Valley as a truffle paradise, Hum, with 30 inhabitants the smallest town in the world, and Pazin, known as the town of Jules Verne's novel.
Kvarner - a world of its own
Between Istria in the west and the Croatian coast in the east stretches a vacation paradise that attracted illustrious guests to the spa 150 years ago. They arrived on the southern railroad line from Vienna and turned the small town of "Abbazia" into a health resort for aristocrats with Art Nouveau villas in magnificent parks - which can still be admired today in Opatija, Rijeka and Crikveniza. Kvarner Bay also includes a small island kingdom with Krk, Cres, Rab, Pag and Losinj. The latter is particularly popular with families and water sports enthusiasts due to its subtropical microclimate, which makes it one of the sunniest places in Europe.
The first gem on the north Dalmatian coast is the 3,000-year-old port city of Zadar. Off the coast is the island of Pag - famous for the cheese of the same name, its top-quality handicrafts and great bathing bays. First and foremost is the party beach Zrce near Novaljat.
History at every turn
Central Dalmatia, the heart of the Adriatic, is dominated by mighty buildings steeped in history, such as Diocletian's Palace in Split, where the Roman emperor spent the rest of his life, or the cathedral in Trogir, once the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia. But what would so much history be without the unique landscape with its deep blue, crystal-clear sea, fragrant pine forests, cypress groves and snow-white pebble beaches? There are also olive groves, vineyards and lavender fields, which characterize both the mainland and the islands of Brac, Hvar and Korcula, the birthplace of Marco Polo. Every fish and wine lover is inevitably drawn to the Peljesac peninsula, because here, in the home of the Mali Plavac vine on rocky cliffs, absolute top red wines such as the famous Dingac are produced and the mussels and oysters of Mali Ston are among the best in Europe.
And while sailors retreat to secluded bathing bays or seek out anchorages sheltered from the wind - for example in the island world of the Mjet National Park or the 14 Elafiti Islands - the majority of vacation guests are drawn to Dubrovnik, which is rightly known as the "Pearl of the Adriatic". Almost completely destroyed in the last two wars, the city has been rebuilt in exemplary fashion. Here you can once again marvel at 2,000 years of cultural history in old monasteries, churches and palaces, where Romans, Byzantines, Turks, Venetians and Habsburgs all left their mark. Nowhere else can you get such a great overview of Dubrovnik as on a tour of the two-kilometre-long medieval city walls. Its fortresses and towers, as well as the island of Lokrum and Lovrijenac Fortress, are well-known to viewers of the US fantasy TV series "Game of Thrones", which even organizes guided tours of the city.
Especially during the summer festival season, there is no more atmospheric and romantic place in the Adriatic than this medieval town, which attracts celebrities from all over the world with its modern luxury hotels, restaurants and stores, as can easily be seen from the yachts moored here. As word of this has spread to the cruise ships, it can get crowded in the old town at certain times of the day, which every vacationer can easily avoid by going on excursions. It is worth enjoying the panoramic view over the town from the 412-metre-high Mount Srb or taking the ferry to the offshore island of Lokrum and visiting the botanical garden there. Cavtat, the southernmost town in Croatia, and the entire Konavle region are home to Dubrovnik's fruit and vegetable garden with picturesque water and grain mills, the center of silk embroidery, original folklore and the award-winning dessert wine Prosek.
So many sensual delights are not easy to take in at once. So take the lightness of the Croatian people to heart and enjoy the fullness of life to your heart's content. After all, Croatia is "full of life"! Can you wish for more from a vacation destination?
Lage
Kroatien
Bevölkerung
4,253 Millionen
Sprache
Kroatisch
Anreise
Zagreb, Rijeka, Split, Dubrovnik, Pula, Zadar und Osijek
Größte Stadt
Zagreb
Hauptstadt
Zagreb
Religion
Roman Catholics
Klima
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Max. Temperaturen | 4 | 7 | 11 | 16 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 21 | 16 | 10 | 4 |
| Min. Temperaturen | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 16 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 15 | 12 | 6 | 1 |
| Sonnenstunden | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Regentage | 13 | 9 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 17 | 15 |
No fewer than 26 restaurants and konobas in Istria were topped by Gault Millau in 2015. However, not only well-known gourmet temples with an upscale wine and service culture were honored, but also rural konobas (typical local inns) with regional dishes.
The reason for this extraordinary success is the fruitful liaison between the sea coast and the hinterland in the form of oysters from the Lim Fjord, sole from Novigrad, Istrian pršut, the finest olive oil, aromatic fruits, herbs and vegetables - as well as some types of black truffles and the world-famous white truffle.
The Connoisseur Circle went on a culinary expedition across the Istrian peninsula and summarizes its recommendations for you:
Food in Croatia - Culinary boredom is a thing of the past
Croatian cuisine is strongly
regionally characterized. On the coast, the food is
typically Mediterranean, light and carefully prepared
with little fat. Naturally, a lot of fish dishes
and seafood are served here.
In the interior of the country, meat dishes are
and the cuisine is generally more hearty.
more hearty. In Istria and Kvarner, the cuisine
influenced by both the coastal region and the inland
while in Dalmatia the Mediterranean cuisine
cuisine predominates in Dalmatia.
The crystal clear waters of the Croatian
Adriatic Sea is not only the cleanest in the Mediterranean,
but also harbors a large and diverse
abundance of fish. Everywhere along the coast
and on the islands you can get freshly caught fish,
which is usually served grilled.
The best fish: Nautica ATTR 2 " data-htmlarea-external="1"> with a view of the fortress and Proto with a roof terrace in the old town. Modern, trendy, relaxed and with the best view of the harbor: Restaurant 360°, 2 " data-htmlarea-external="1">, Stara Loza in the Hotel Prijeko Palace in the old town.
The best wine bars in the Old Town: D'vino in a side street of Stradun, La Bodega Dubrovnik near the Church of St. Blaise and Razonoda Wine Bar (belongs to the Hotel Pucic Palace). Pantarul in the Lapad district: Trendy tapas bar ATTR 2__" data-htmlarea-external="1">
For sundowners: the bars Buza 1 and 2, two open-air bars outside the wall directly on the cliffs overlooking the sea.
Croatia has long since ceased to be an insider tip for a cheap
party vacation. Over the last few years, party metropolises such as Porec, Pula, Crikvenica and Novalja have
have increasingly catered to young people from all over the world and the range
bars, discos and many leisure activities.
The biggest party town in Istria is undoubtedly Porec. Around Porec
are three well-known discotheques, which in the high season offer a large
international and local DJs and numerous events in the high season.
events. Two of the discotheques (Plava Club and Club International
) are located in the Plava Laguna and Zelena Laguna hotel complexes.
third club is located in the old town of Porec (in the heap, towards
Brulo).
Off to new dream destinations for discerning sailors!
Yes, this must be exactly how Abramovitch and Armani feel when they look out over the Croatian coastline from on board their yacht. I'm sitting at the very front of a sleek 14-metre-long sailing catamaran, my legs dangling overboard and the wind blowing around my nose, feeling at least as good as the gentlemen on their 100-metre-long luxury yachts. The feeling of freedom, floating over an inky blue sea and looking out over a fascinating island world with green pine forests, rugged coastlines, gently rolling hills and romantic bays is better than any vintage champagne.
We are on the Dalmatian coast between Trogir and Brac and thus in one of the most beautiful sailing areas in the world: mega yachts of over 100 meters from Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, Abramovitch or Armani and thousands of smaller sailing and motor yachts cruise every summer between Umag on the Istrian peninsula and Dubrovnik along the approximately 1,800 kilometers of coastline, off which more than a thousand islands are scattered like pearls in the sea.
Our yacht vacation began in the Marina Agana between Trogir and Split, the Croatian main base of The Moorings and Sunsail, the world's leading charter company for luxury sailing and motor yachts with and without crew. There are 82 yachts between 10 and 16 meters long, no more than six years old - sporty sailing boats, fast motor yachts and sailing catamarans. With four double cabins with a shower room, large sunbathing areas, a well-equipped kitchen, indoor and outdoor seating and dining areas for ten people, air conditioning and a dinghy with an outboard motor for spontaneous shore excursions.
A boat vacation like this is like a concert of wishes: after Ante, our skipper, has hoisted the sails, the route is discussed on board. Private charter means that the guests can decide a lot for themselves, depending on the weather conditions and the maximum speed of the motor catamaran of around 16 km/h. Where and when they moor, whether at the buoy out at sea or directly on the harbor promenade, whether they sail sportily or prefer to take a break for a swim and when, where and what they eat.
A local skipper like Ante is very helpful, but experienced sailors can also do it on their own. If you want, you can also just let the skipper instruct you if you have the relevant knowledge.
Our trip takes us from Marina Agana to Trogir, the UNESCO World Heritage City, where we moor directly on the harbor promenade thanks to the timely presentation of the berth, dive into the lively old town from the boat in the evening and watch the historic little town slowly awaken early in the morning. After visiting the fish market and shopping for lunch on board, we head to Milna on Brac, the third-largest island in the Adriatic with a lively harbor where the boats party in the evening. Quieter and more tranquil is Palmizana on Sveti Klement, an exotic-looking, car-free island paradise reminiscent of the Caribbean and only about ten minutes by boat from Hvar, the Venetian-influenced Lavender Island, one of the ten most beautiful islands in the world according to Conde Nast Traveler.
Thanks to advance booking, our catamaran also has a berth right on the beach promenade on Hvar. We enjoy the Riviera flair of the sunny island with its chic bars and boutiques well into the night and buy fresh bread, olives, wine and, of course, lavender as souvenirs. We return to Trogir via the new, ultra-modern Marina Maslinica with its gourmet restaurant on the island of Solta. A swim stop in the Caribbean blue, crystal-clear sea, then the wind picks up. Ante hoists the sails, the air is cashmere-soft and warm, it tastes of salt and as we pick up speed, I can feel it again, the feeling of freedom that makes a vacation on a boat an unforgettable experience.
www.moorings.comwww.sunsail.eu
Text: Claudia Bette-Wenngatz
Culture in Croatia - from antiquity to the Renaissance
If one were to describe the culture of Croatia, one must
many peoples have left their mark - Romans, Turks and Habsburgs.
and Habsburgs. Visitors can experience the heritage from antiquity to
classicism, from the Baroque to the Renaissance.
The
Adriatic Sea is the cradle of an ancient civilization whose
material evidence is slowly emerging from the depths of Adriatic caves and from the
the azure depths of the sea. The culture
Croatia's culture can be traced back to the Stone Age (e.g. finds
in caves on the island of Hvar, on the island of Palagruza, etc.).
Sweet souvenirs, such as candied almonds and orange peel, quince jelly, as well as olive oil, soaps and lavender, are available at Dubrovacka Kuca in the city walls near the Ploce Gate. Chic fashion is presented by the Croatian Designers Room in the old town. ATTR 1__" data-htmlarea-external="1">
Clara Stones has beautiful coral jewelry in the old town ( www.clarastones.com).
Hotels
