Hotels by Best European Cruises

There is a variety of hotels available in Croatia, ranking from one to five stars with the most in the two- and the three-star range. In August you may be charged additional fees for stays of less than four nights, so if you’re not planning to spend more than three days in Croatia I suggest you book a hotel during the rest of the year, when prices drop sharply. Hotel prices include breakfast.

Private rooms

Private rooms are the cheapest and most comfortable option in Croatia. They are clean and the service is excellent. Book through any of the indistinguishable agencies to ensure that the place you’re staying in is legally registered and has insurance. There’s a 30 % surcharge for stays of less than 4 nights and a 50 % to 100 % more for a one-night stay.

Activities

The Adriatic Sea, having been largely untouched by pollution thanks to the absence of heavy industry in Croatia, has a thriving underwater ecosystem and a flourishing dive industry along the Croatian coast. The most popular activity is cave diving, but night diving and wreck diving are also offered. You can also dive among coral reefs, but they are located in rather deep water. For boat diving, a permit is required: go to the harbor captain in any port with your passport, diving certification card, and 100 KN. A permit is valid for a year. See Diving Croatia (www.diving-hrs.hr) for contact information.

HIGHLIGHT

Dubrovnik

To many, Dubrovnik is Eastern Europe’s most beautiful city: Lord Byron called it “the pearl of the Adriatic” and Bernard Shaw knew it as “Paradise on Earth”. The luminous marble streets and nicely ornamented baroque buildings surrounded by the shiny Adriatic Sea are sure to inspire any visitor. A former war-zone, the walled Stari Grad (Old Town) has been home to a civilised, sophisticated republic for centuries. Take a sunset look into the sea from the city wall and you’ll understand why Dubrovnik is one of Croatia’s top destinations.

1- Orientation

The Jadronilija ferry and the bus station are located several kilometres northwest of Dubrovnik, which is closed to cars. The Old Town’s main street is Placa, or Stradun as it is often called. You’ll find accommodation on the Lapad peninsula, west of the bus station.

2- Where to stay

Apartmani Burum

A popular guesthouse, with clean, comfortable rooms and apartments. Kitchen available. April-May 100 kn; June-September 150-250 kn. Cash only.

Dubravnika 16, in Babin Kuk.
Tel: 020 43 54 67
www.burumaccommodation.com

Bergovic Boarding House

Spacious doubles and apartments in a cozy villa. If you call ahead, the owner will come to pick you up. Private bathrooms. Internet first 30 minutes free, 10kn per 30 minutes. Book ahead in July-August. June-September singles 150-200kn; doubles 240-300kn; triples 300-360kn. October-may 100-120kn, 200-240kn, 300-360kn. Cash.

Primorska 17
Tel: 020 43 51 91
www.begovic-boarding-house.com

3- Where to eat

Lokanda Peskarija

Lokanda Peskarija has tasty seafood at reasonable prices. Seafood at 35-60kn.

Na Ponti bb
Tel: 020 32 47 50
Open daily 8am-1am

Express

Located in the center of Old Town, this self-serving restaurant serves up excellent, affordable meals of pastas, soups, and salads. Entrées 25-50kn

Marojice Kaboge 1
Tel: 020 32 39 94
Open daily 10am-10pm

4- Sights

The 2km limestone City Walls has an entrance just inside the Pile Gate. These great walls are the finest in the world and the Old Town’s trademark. Take a look at the huge Onofrio Fountain, completed in 1438, and check the monastery museum’s collection of liturgical objects, paintings, and pharmacy equipment. The Franciscan monastery has a sumptuous cloister and the third-oldest function pharmacy, dating from 1391, in Europe.

When you’re done, walk along Dubrovnik’s main street, the Placa, and go all the way to the clock tower, at the eastern end of the street. In front of the clock, are the Orlando column, which dates from 1419, the 16th century Sponza Palace, and the St-Blaise’s church, an Italian baroque building. At the end of the Pred Dvorom Street, you’ll find the baroque Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin, built on the site of a Romanesque cathedral and 7th-century Byzantine cathedral, and, between the two churches, the gothic Rector’s Palace.

On your way to the clock tower, you might want to check the Museum of the Orthodox Church for its amazing collection on 15th- to 19th-century icons. You can also stop at the Dominican monastery for a look at a fascinating collection of paintings from Dubrovnik’s finest 15th- and 16th-century artists.

When you’ve seen everything, head to Banje Beach, outside Ploce Gate, or go to one of the hotel beaches on the Lapad Peninsula.

Split

The second largest city in Croatia, Split (or Spalato in Italian) is more a cultural center than a beach resort. This is a city where centuries of history collide with modernity, where hip bars, restaurants, and shops thrive amid medieval streets and old walls. Explore the Dicletian Palace and behold the world’s most spectacular Roman monuments. With a unique setting and an exuberant nature, Split is definitely one of the most amazing cities in Europe.

1- Orientation

The ferry terminals are on the eastern side of the ferry, a few steps away from the Old Town. The seafront pedestrian street, Obala hrvatskog narodnog preporoda (better known as Riva by the locals), is a good central reference point.

2- Where to stay

Tour de Croatia

You can book private rooms, exchange currency, and organize excursions at the small travel agency Tour de Croatia.

Obala kneza domagoja 1
Tel: 023 338 319
www.tourdecroatia.com

Turist Biro

Book private accommodation through the Turist Biro. A double room costs between 145 and 220kn.

Obala hrvatskog narodnog preporoda 12
Tel/Fax: 342 142
www.turistbiro-split.hr

Hostel Split Mediterranean House

A hospitable, family-run business set in a charming old stone building. Only ten minutes away from the Northern Gate. Two six-bed dormitories and some newer en suite three-bed dormitories.

Vukasoviceva 21
Tel: 098 987 1312
www.hotel-split.com
dorms from 100kn

Split Hostel booze & snooze

Run by friendly Australian Croats, the Split Hostel is the perfect place for revellers, with a nice terrace and 23 beds to sleep on. Free lockers and Wi-fi. Located right in the center of town.

Narodni Trg 8
Tel: 342 787
www.splithostel.com
dorms 180kn

3- Where to eat

Makrovega

Makrovega offers a meat-free menu that alternates between macrobiotic and vegetarian. The interior is spacious, and the buffet is simply delicious.

Lestina 2
Tel: 394 440
www.makrogeva.hr

Supermarket/delicatessen

This place has a wide array of meat and cheese for sandwiches.

Svaciceva 1

Konoba Varos

Konoba Varos serves delicious Croatian food. Entrées 60kn-80kn.

Ban Mladenova 7
Tel : 021 396 138

4- Sights

Facing the harbor, are the ruins of a luxurious open-air palace, where the Roman emperor Diocletian spent his summers when not persecuting Christians. Built as a strong rectangular fortress, Diocletian’s Palace is the most impressive Roman ruins in existence, with walls measuring 215m from east to west, and 181m wide at the southernmost point and reinforced by square corner towers. South of the main street, now called Kresimirova, are the palace’s main features, including Peristyle, a charming colonnaded square, the Temple of Jupiter, now a baptistery, and the Cathedral, built on the site of Diocletian’s mausoleum.

It was in this palace that the nobility and rich merchants built their homes during the Middle Ages. The Town Museum (formerly the Papalic Palace) presents a fascinating collection of artefacts, paintings, furniture and clothes from Split. When you pass through the North Palace Gate, take a look at Ivan Mestrovic’s powerful statue of Gregorius of Nin. Learn more about the history of Split, from Illyrian times to the Middle Ages, at the Archaeological Museum, north of town. The Mestrovic Gallery, the finest art museum at Split, houses a splendid, well-arranged collection of works from Ivan Mestrovic, Croatia’s most celebrated sculptor.

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picture byPeter Fenďa

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]]> http://www.best-european-cruises.com/croatia-geography/feed/ 0 http://www.best-european-cruises.com/croatia-culture/ http://www.best-european-cruises.com/croatia-culture/#comments Sun, 10 Jan 2010 06:27:41 +0000 admin http://www.best-european-cruises.com/?p=94 Culture of Croatia by Best European Cruises

Before the brutal war in Krajina, 78 % of Croatia’s population were ethnic Croats and 12 % were Serbs. The massive exodus of Serbs in 1995 means their numbers have shrunk to a mere 210 000, around 5 % of Croatia’s 4.5 million inhabitants. The third largest group is Bosnians, followed by Italians, Hungarians, and Slovenes. There are also small communities of Czech, Roma (or Gypsies), and Albanians.

The Croats speak Croatian, a South Slavic language written in latin script. It is nearly identical to the Serbian language, with only a few different expressions. Don’t use Serbian phrases in Croatia, though, as Croats consider Serbs as enemies. Many Croats speak German or Italian as a second language, and most people under 30 years old know at least some English.

Croats put a lot of emphasis on keeping up appearances. People are well dressed and do not like to see dilapidation anywhere.

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Modern Croatia was known as Illyricum during the Roman Empire era, Pula and Split being the region’s most important towns of that period. The first Slavs came here in the 7th century but political problems tempted the Venetians to invade the coast in the 11th century. Their foothold on the region remained until Venice was conquered by Napoleon in 1797. In 1815 Croatia was taken over by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but after its defeat in World War 1, it became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later known as Yugoslavia). The German invasion in 1941 prompted tens of thousands of Croats to join the partisans led by Josip Broz, also known as Marsal Tito.

After the Second World War, the Yugoslav Federation was restored and Tito became prime minister. Croatia and Slovenia were the federation’s economic powerhouses, performing far better than the southern republics (Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro). After Tito’s death in 1980, Yugoslavia became increasingly Serb-dominated, and Croatia began to fear for its political autonomy. The rise to power of Slobodan Milosevic, an ultra nationalist Serb and a “Greater Serbia” advocate prompted Croatia to declare independence on 25 June 1991, under the leadership of Franjo Tudman. But the Serb minority in the enclave of Krajina rebelled and formed an independent entity known as the Republic of Serbian Krajina.

A devastating war broke out in the Krajina and the Serb communities of east Croatia, killing 10 000 people and driving hundreds of thousands from their homes. A series of international peace deals brought the war to a temporary halt, but fighting resumed in January 1993, when the Croatian army launched an offensive in southern Krajina to retake lost territories from the Serbs. A new offensive was launched in 1 May 1995, consolidating their hold on recaptured lands and essentially setting Croatia’s new borders. The Dayton Agreement finally brought a lasting peace to Croatia and Franjo Tudman became the republic’s first president.

Croatia’s problems didn’t end with the war, as Tudman’s regime became increasingly oppressive and corrupt. Tudman died of cancer in 1999 and a centre-left coalition led by Stipe Mesic came to power a year later. Croatia has applied for EU membership and is expected to become a member by 2012.

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picture by Paco CT

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