With a 5,835 km long coastline, of which 4,058 km surrounds islands, cliffs and reefs, located in the south of European continent, Croatia is evidently the closest warm sea for many Europeans. Mild climate, remains of cities founds by ancient Romans and Greeks, and developed by the taste of later times and rulers (Venetians, Austro-Hungarian monarchy and the local population, remains of ships from all historical periods on the bottom of the Adriatic, natural beauties with which Croatia has been blessed and which have been preserved by the proactive environment protection policy, thermal spas and inland hunting attracts not only visitors who come only for a beach vacation, but also those who want to learn about the culture of other peoples or take part in different sports. No wonder organised tourism started in Croatia 160 years ago, and the tourist boureau (like the one in Zagreb), started in 1911 handling accommodation for foreign visitors.
With an experience of over 150 years in tourism, Croatia ranks among Europe's prime holiday destinations, boasting one of the most dramatic stretches of coastline that the continent has to offer, with almost 6000 km of shoreline and over 1000 islands, reefs and cliffs (67 inhabited islands). Over-exploitation of the coast has been kept in check, and there are still enough sparsely populated islands, quiet coves and stone-built fishing villages to make you feel you're visiting one of the Mediterranean's most unspoilt areas - in fact the Mediterranean as it used to be!
Much of the Croatia's individuality is due to its geographical position. Here the sober central European virtues of hard work and order blend with the spontaneity, vivacity and taste for good things in life that characterized the countries of Southern Europe - a cultural blend of the Mitteleuropa and the Mediterranean which gives Croatia its particular flavour.
Within an easy reach by air, sea, rail or road for all European visitors, Croatia offers a variety of accommodation capacities and free-time activities in a very preserved environment. Classic hotels and hotel settlements interchange with top-quality camping sites, farm houses, (apartments) in lighthouses, huts on isolated islands for Robinson Crusoe type holidays and numerous - Croatian speciality - private accommodation. Those are family owned lodging facilities, all supervised and ranked by the local authorities, with up to 20 beds in each, rented to tourists as rooms units, apartments or stand-alone houses. The hosts family caters for the tourists, which brings an additional touch to the holidays as they often include some extras, even taking the tourists to fish with them.
Though Croatia, among the tourist who have been there earlier, is often remembered as a very safe beach vacation destination with an interesting cultural heritage, protected environment, excellent facilities, cuisine and wines, in recent years great effort has been done to provide all sorts of sporting activities and special interest programmes for the tourists, stressing the activities characteristic for Croatia. Thus the Adriatic coast has become a synonym for yachting tourism, cruising with the wooden oldtimer motorsailer boats, scuba diving and sightseeing of ship remains from all historical periods, wind surfers paradise, with excellent facilities for all kind of recreation and soft adventure, ATP tournaments, bicycling tours in Istria and hopping from an island to another, rafting, team building activities, hunting and angling in the continental part of the country. Wellness and spa treatments, both recreational and medical, are popular throughout the year both at the 18 mineral spas and numerous hotels on the coast and inland. Numerous festivals, events, sports encounters, church festivities, night parties/entertainment for the young in spirit, together with a vast offer of day excursions and organized tours attract tourists of all ages and interests.
Many tourists know about Dubrovnik and its Summer Festival, Istria, Adriatic islands, the Diocletian Palace in Split, diving and sailing on the Adriatic, the Plitvice Lakes National Park, the world traveller Marco Polo, tennis player Goran Ivanisevic, skier Janica Kostelic, cravat, maraschino, wines, tartuf mushrooms, and even Vegeta, additive to food, but they do not know that all these are found in Croatia or originate from it. Even though Croatia is a new state, its people have participated in much of the history of the Old Continent.
