Croatia

Description of Croatia

Croatia is located in the southeastern part of Europe. It shares a border with Italy, Slovenia, Herzegovina, Bosnia, Hungary, Montenegro, and Serbia.

The northern part of the country has a temperate climate and the central and the upland regions offer a mountainous climate. Along the coast the temperature remains mild during the spring and the fall. The winter months are quite cold and snowy in both the central and the northern regions.

Croatia is geographically diverse. There are flat plains that border Hungary and highlands and low mountains that are by the Adriatic coast.

History

The region was settled by the Croats during the early part of the 7^th century. There were two principalities formed at this time, Pannonia and Croatia. The Trpimirovic dynasty was established around 850. This dynasty strengthened the Dalmation Croat Duchy. This along with the Pannonian principality started a kingdom in the year 925 under the rule of King Tomislav. The independent Croation kingdom lasted through 1102 when Croatia entered into a union with Hungary after a number of dynastic struggles. The Hungarian king ruled both countries. In the year 1526, Croatia severed its ties with Hungary and became an autonomous kingdom with the state of Hapsburg.

In the year 1918, there was a short lived Slovenes state formed by the Serbs and Croats. This area was later named Yugoslavia in 1929. There were many struggles in the area as well as political instability. During the 1990s and 2000s, there has been a period of economic growth in the country. In 2009 Croatia joined NATO and the country became a part of the European Union in the year 2013. The country is currently a functioning democracy with a robust welfare state and free market system.

Where to Stay

There are many great places to stay while you are in Croatia. The country was the first in Europe to create naturist resorts. Approximately 15% of the tourists that visit Croatia are nudists or naturists, with over a million people visiting the country each year. There are over 20 naturist resorts located throughout the country as well as a number of free beaches. These “free” beaches are unofficially nudist beaches and are sometimes maintained and controlled by tourist authorities of the area. Outside of the town centers you are likely to find nudists on every beach that you visit. The naturist beaches are marked with a FKK. Some of the more popular destinations for nudists are Rab, Hvar, and Pula.

Lighthouses offer one of the more wild holiday options to the country. Most of the light houses are located on the deserted coastlines and on the open sea. One of the best things about these tours is that you can cut yourself off from the rest of the world and simply take a time out to really appreciate all that is around you.

Food

The cuisine in the country is quite diverse, which makes it difficult to determine what meals are typical of the country. In the eastern areas spicy sausage is popular and definitely something that you should try. Cobanac is a mix of several meats combined with red spicy paprika. Strukli is pasta that is filled with cheese that is considered a delicacy and is popular throughout the central part of the country. On the coast you will find truffle delicacies and many great soups. Currently you will not find a fast food place in the area. There are pizza places and hamburger joints around, but none of the popular north American chains are found in the country.

Some facts about Croatia

Gallery of Croatia

Croatia video guide

More information about Croatia

Top cities of Croatia