Welcome

Croatia: A Land of Impressive Past

Welcome to Croatia, a land of rich cultural heritage. A heritage seen not only in numerous museums, galleries, churches and monuments studding zero category of the UNESCO list of cultural heritage sites. Croatia is that magical corner of the Mediterranean where each walk becomes a descent down a thousand-year long staircase of rich and famous history. Whether you are following the white and narrow streets of cheerful towns and ports in Istria, Kvarner and Dalmatia or climbing the green roads of central Croatia to fairytale forts and castles, each step is a special experience. A special hue to your experience comes from the fact that four cultural spheres touch and mingle here: the East and the West, the Central European and the Mediterranean. Croatia is a land of urban culture with its many towns significantly outnumbering those in other parts of the Mediterranean.

If you like the antiquity, start with the grand monuments of the Roman Pula, then move to the largest Forum on the Eastern shore of the Adriatic in Zadar, and finally visit the Diocletian’s palace in Split. This walk through time will take you past the Pre-romanesque St Donat dating from the 9th Century, through the beautiful Romanesque town-monument of Trogir, to the islands of Krk and Rab. After Gothic architecture in Zagreb, Pazin or Ston, you can discover Renaissance in Osor on the island of Cres, in the Šibenik Cathedral, on the islands of Hvar and Korčula, leading you to the unique town of Dubrovnik. Next comes Baroque in Varaždin, Bjelovar and Vukovar and the 19th Century heritage in Rijeka, Osijek, and of course Zagreb.

If you prefer the beauty of less known monuments and wandering through unknown and quiet places of beauty whispering their long history, walk into the world of countless Medieval churches full of frescoes and weaving reliefs. From Herman Dalmatin, a Medieval philosopher of renown who was born in Istra, Marko Polo – a traveller and an explorer born on the island of Korčula, Julius Klović – miniature painter and Croatian Michelangelo, Ruđer Bošković of Dubrovnik – a mathematician, astronomer and one of the greatest physicists of his time, to Nikola Tesla – one of the most brilliant inventors ever, born in Lika, Croatia is a land not only of great history, but of great people.

‘Ode to Joy’, the promotional video of the Croatian National Tourist Board, won a prestigious travel industry’s ‘Oscars’ award ‘Das goldene Stadttot’ at the International Tourism Film Festival held on 8 March 2012.