When people list out the European countries they’d like to visit, Croatia may not make the top three. I think that this is mostly because of lack of awareness – not only is Croatia stunning, tourism there a very well developed industry. Many tourists and travellers visit year after year to experience the country’s extensive coastline & well preserved coastal Renaissance towns. Even the Guardian agrees that Croatia appeals to all ages!
The tagline for Croatia tourism is The Mediterranean As It Once Was. Read on to know why I think Croatia make the perfect holiday destination whether you’re looking for a backpacking trip, family vacation, cycling, yachting or spa hotel break. You might get a few great Holiday ideas in Croatia while you’re at it. 😉
Croatia is Safe
I know the first, yes the absolute first thing I want to know about any place I might be travelling to is the crime rate. I’m a jittery traveller – I’ve travelled to cities know to be unsafe before, & do you want to know how I ensured my safety? By booking a hotel room in the best/safest part of town & staying in most days. Kind of beats the whole point of travelling, doesn’t it? Younger folks might be adventurous, but when you are travelling with your family you will want to be sure of their safety.
You don’t have to worry too much about encountering crime while visiting Croatia – it is considered very safe with low crime rates. The overall crime rate is decreasing too. They also have excellent capabilities for dealing with emergencies and the police are responsive. Just use your common sense in matters and you should be OK.
The Food is Delicious
Another major motivation for me to visit new places is to try the local cuisine! Not only does Croatia have fantastic scenery & architecture, the food is great too! While aiming to ‘define’ the country’s cuisine, you need to keep in mind it’s past The turbulent history of different nations’ influences (ancient Greeks and Romans, Italians, Turks, French) left its mark on both local culture and food. Today, Croatian cuisine is divided into coastal and interior, the first being more Mediterranean, and the latter more continental. The common factors in both are the freshness and diversity of local ingredients (usually seasonal). A renewed respect for natural ingredients has become the buzzword of Croatian cuisine, with locally sourced ingredients and produce, wines and olive oils standing up well to globalisation (love!) Most hotels or inns provide have an included breakfast – usually fresh bread, cheese & cured meats. Lunch is the most important meal for Croatians but restaurants are well equipped to serve meals at all time. The two things I’d really like to try are Paški sir – a cheese from Pag Island made entirely from milk produced by sheep grazing freely local sparse grass, various herbs and aromatic plants and Crni rižot a seafood risotto made of cuttlefish & squid.
And of course I haven’t covered so many fantastic aspects like the regular festivals they have (for dance, cinéma, you name it). I’ve written a few of these ‘travel wishlist’ type of posts before but none has made me want to visit a new country as strongly as this one has!
