Croatia lies draped languorously across the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. Prior to its battle for independence from Yugoslavia, millions flocked to Croatia’s dry, sun-drenched beaches. Now the country is rebounding, the travelers are returning in droves.
Some come for the music. Zagreb swings to a jazz beat during its October music fests. Dubrovnik hosts a Summer Festival where classical tunes permeate the cosmopolitan streets. Despite the ravages of war, Dubrovnik remains a marvel of medieval beauty. Enclosed within ancient stone walls, looming 25 meters high, one finds both the revelry of modern nightlife and the solemnity of ancient monasteries and palaces. 1200 islands jut from the waters off Croatia’s coast. Hvar, one of them, was settled by the Venetians and is crowned by the fortress of Hvar Town. A myriad of other islands offer secluded, sandy beaches. The interior of Croatia consists of sleepy villages and vineyards, as well as an untainted countryside where adventure tourists hike, cycle and mountaineer. Oddities like the mummies at Vodjan’s St. Blaise Church, and the Zadar, an organ which is literally “played” by the movement of the ocean’s waves, accentuate the mystery and beauty of this multifaceted nation.
