Croatia travel

RIJEKA

2008-01-30T08:37:00.000-08:00

Rijeka (Italian and Hungarian: Fiume, Croatian dialects Rika and Reka, Slovenian: Reka, German: St. Veit am Flaum) is the principal seaport of Croatia, located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea. It has 144,043 inhabitants (270,000 for greater area in 2001) and is Croatia's third largest city. The majority of its citizens are Croats with 80.39% (2001 census).
Rijeka is the center of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County in Croatia. The city's economy largely depends on sea transport, shipbuilding (shipyards "3. Maj" and "Viktor Lenac") and tourism.
Rijeka hosts the Croatian National Theatre "Ivan pl. Zajc", first built in 1765, as well as the University of Rijeka, founded in 1632. The local football clubs are NK Rijeka and NK Orijent.

Ancient and medieval times

Though traces of Neolithic settlements can be found in the region, the earliest settlements on the site were Celtic Tarsatica (modern Trsat, now part of Rijeka) on a hill and the tribe of mariners, the Liburni in the natural harbor below. The city long retained this double character.
In the time of Augustus, the Romans rebuilt Tarsatica as a municipium (MacMullen 2000) on the right bank of the small river Rječina (whose name simply means "river") as Flumen. Pliny mentioned Tarsatica (Natural History iii.140). After the 4th century the city was rededicated as Flumen Sancti Viti, the city's patron saint. From the 5th century onwards, the town came under successive Frankish, Croatian and Magyar rule before coming under the control of the Austrian Habsburgs in 1466.

OPATIJA

2008-01-16T08:24:00.000-08:00

Opatija (Italian: Abbazia, German: Sankt Jakobi) is a town in western Croatia, just southwest of Rijeka on the Adriatic coast, population 7,850 (2001), total municipality population 12,719 (2001).
Opatija is situated in the Gulf of Kvarner (Quarnero or Carnaro) in a sheltered position at the foot of Učka mountain (Monte Maggiore), with Vojak peak at 1401 m. Opatija is located 90 km from Trieste by rail and 82 km from Pula by road. The city is geographically on the Istrian peninsula, though it is not in Istria county, but Primorje-Gorski Kotar county.
It is a popular summer and winter resort, with average temperatures of 10°C in winter, and 25°C in summer. Opatija is surrounded by beautiful woods of bay laurel. The whole sea-coast to the north and south of Opatija is rocky and picturesque, and contains several smaller winter resorts.
The old 14th-century Benedictine abbey, San Giacomo della Priluca, from which the place derives its name (abbazia and opatija mean "abbey" in Italian and Croatian, resp.) is located in Park Svetog Jakova or Saint Jacobs Park. The Saint Jacob church, built in 1506 and enlarged in 1937, now stands on the same spot. The neo-Romanesque Church of the Annunciation with its pronounced green cupola, was designed in 1906 by architect Karl Seidl.
The city's most prestigious sight is the Villa Angiolina, which was built in 1844 by Iginio Scarpa, a rich merchant from Rijeka. This villa, tranformed into a hotel, gave a boost to tourism to this town. It became a fashionable destination for the Austrian imperial family and Austrian nobility. Soon more luxury hotels and villas were built, such as the Hotel Kvarner, built in 1884. A new railway line was extended to Rijeka, from where one could go by tram to Opatija. The Austrian emperor Franz Joseph I used to spend here several months during winter. Many of these late 19th-century luxury hotels and villas have survived to present times.
Opatija is known for the Maiden with the seagull, a statue by Zvonko Car (1956), which is positioned on a promontory by the Juraj Šporer art pavilion. It has turned into one of symbols of Opatija. A gilded variant of the statue Madonna, that once stood here but was demolished by a storm, now stands in front of the Saint Jacob Church.
The town park Angiolina contains many species of plants from all over the world. It has been protected since 1968. Close-by, vis-a-vis Hotel Imperial, stands the statue The Fountain - Helios and Selena, a work of the Austrian sculptor Hans Rathautsky from 1889.
The lungomare is a 12 km-long promenade along the entire riviera, from Volosko, via Opatija, to Lovran.

PULA

2008-01-16T08:15:00.000-08:00

Pula (Italian Pola (the city has an official Croatian-Italian bilingualism [1]); Istriot Pula, Slovenian Pulj) is the largest city in Istria, situated at the southern tip of the peninsula, with a population of 62,080 (2006).

Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, tame sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing, shipbuilding, and tourism. Pula has also been Istria's administrative center since ancient Roman times.

LOVRAN

2008-01-16T08:13:00.001-08:00

Lovran (Italian: Laurana) is a town in Istria, Croatia. It is situated on the western coast of the Kvarner Bay with a population of 3,241 (2001 census). Its name derives from Laurel (Laurus nobilis), as shown in the coat of arms.
Lovran is one of the oldest coastal settlements on the eastern shore of Istrian peninsula. By the early middle Ages it was an important urban and shipbuilding center of northern Adriatic. Following the sudden development of port towns in the vicinity (Triest, Pula, and Rijeka) which became the new and dominant urban centers in the region, Lovran lost its significance.
However, by the mid 19th century, the area gains prominence as it becomes a fashionable resort of Austro-Hungarian nobility. The long tradition of tourism is still strongly felt in the Lovran region, and it forms the backbone of the economy.
The region is rich with cultural-historical heritage. A parish church with medieval frescoes and Glagolitic inscriptions, and the 14th century tower of St George's Square within the old urban core, as well as rural ambiances and architectural edifices – namely turn-of-the-century villas with surrounding parks, are general points of interest.

LABIN

2008-01-16T08:10:00.001-08:00

Labin (Italian: Albona) is a town in Istria, Croatia, population 7,904 (2001) with 12,426 in the municipality (which also includes small towns of Rabac and Vinež, as well as a number of smaller villages, such as Crni).

PAZIN

2008-01-16T08:06:00.000-08:00

Pazin (Italian: Pisino, German: Mitterburg) is a town in Istria, Croatia, population 4,986 (2001), total municipality population 9,227 (2001).

Pazin was made the administrative center of the Istria county, because it is located in the geographical center of the county and in order to boost the development of the interior of the peninsula, but this explanation is disputed by some.

Pazin was first mentioned in 983, and it became a Habsburg property in 1374. The current town

was mostly built around a fort (Kaštel) rebuilt in the 15th and 16th century and disassembled in the 18th and 19th. The Kaštel has been a museum since the end of WWII.

The Pazin pit (Pazinska jama) located under the Castle was partialy explored by E.A. Martel [1896]] and is the best example of karst hydrography and morphology in Istria. Castle and a gorge inspired Jules Verne for the novel "Mathias Sandorf" (1885.)

NOVIGRAD

2008-01-16T08:03:00.001-08:00

Novigrad (Italian: Cittanova or Cittanova d'Istria) is a town and a municipality in Istria county, Croatia. It is today also called Novigrad Istarski to make a distinction from three other towns also named Novigrad in Croatia.
Novigrad is situated on small peninsula on western coast of Istria two kilometers north from mouth of river Mirna. Area of municipality extends from village Dajla on north to mouth of river Mirna on south.

UMAG

2008-01-14T10:15:00.001-08:00

Umag (Italian: Umago) is a coastal city in Istria, Croatia. The city hosts the yearly Croatia Open ATP tennis tournament on clay courts.

It is the westernmost city of Croatia and municipality includes Savudrija which is westernmost point of Croatia

Umag has a population of 7,769 (2001), total municipality population 12,901 (2001). Umag also has diverse ethnic structure like many other towns in Istria. Croats comprise 59.6%, Italians 18.3%, Serbs 3.8%, Slovenes 2.2%, Bosniaks 1.7%, Albanians 1.3% and those regionally declared (as Istrians) make up the final 1.57%. Although the majority of the population has declared themselves Croatian, most of them also speak Italian.

POREČ

2008-01-14T10:11:00.001-08:00

Poreč (Italian Parenzo, Latin Parens or Parentium, archaic German: Parenz) is a city and municipality on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula, in Istria county, Croatia.

Poreč is almost 2,000 years old, and is based on a harbour protected from the sea by the small island of Sveti Nikola (Saint Nicholas). The city's population of approximately 12,000 resides mostly on the outskirts, while the Poreč region as a whole has a population of approximately 17,000 inhabitants. The city area covers 142 km², with the 37 km long shoreline stretching from the Mirna river near Novigrad-Cittanova to Funtana-Fontana and Vrsar-Orsera in the south.

ROVINJ

2008-01-14T10:06:00.000-08:00

Rovinj

(Italian: Rovigno; Istriot: Ruvèigno) is a city in Croatia situated on the north Adriatic Sea with a population of 13,562 (2007). [1] It is located on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula and is a popular tourist resort and an active fishing port. There is a sizeable community of Italians and the town is officially bilingual (Croatian and Italian). Moreover, Istriot, an ancient romance language once widely spoken in this part of Istria, is still spoken by part of the residents (also called Rovignese by those who speak it here). There is a centre of History Research which is an institution of the Council of Europe.

ISTRIA

2007-12-31T09:30:00.000-08:00

Istria - the largest peninsula in the Adriatic - is the favourite tourist destination in Croatia. It is situated between Trieste and Rijeka and only a few hours drive from Austria, Italy and Germany. The old Croatian proverb says: " When you dip a finger into the sea, you are connected with the whole world" and this folk wisdom is still present in the minds of domestic people today. There is no place in Istria more than 35km from the sea. On the west and south coasts of Istria are situated the best known tourist centres: Umag, Novigrad, Poreč, Funtana, Vrsar, Rovinj, Pula and Medulin, while in some towns of the central part of Istria tourists can feel like in the Middle Ages ( Motovun, Buzet, Pazin, Hum). Central Istria is the ideal place for those who like spending their holidays far away from stress and crowd in the so called rural households ( Agrotourism).
Beaches: more than 1000 kilometres of coast with stone, concrete or sandy beaches awaits tourists in Istria, majority of them having the Blue Flag in their possession as a guarantee of pure sea and safety.
Climate: mild and Mediterranean. Springs are lush and green, summers are dry and warm, falls pleasant and winters mild with the cold northeast wind - bora- sometimes blowing. Daily summer temperatures can reach 30 C? and nights are pleasantly fresher. Summer sea temperatures reach 25 C?, while the bathing season starts in May.
Vacation in Istria - Istria is very popular on tourism. Vacation (holidays) in Istria is available during the whole year but the most attractive is summer vacation, summer holiday. Accommodation during summer is available in hotels, apartments, private rentals, on boats, cheap holidays in camps and other discount hotels, lighthouses on islands etc. Last minute offers are also very attractive.
In Istria you can spend your holidays on different ways: enjoy in sun and blue sea or using active offers of adventure holidays. From adventure holidays you can choose between rafting, diving, biking, paragliding, paintball, trekking, climbing, sailing, wellness and other activities which make your vacation attractive.

Zadar

2007-12-23T06:12:00.000-08:00

Zadar and the tourist region of Zadar are located in the very centre of the Croatian Adriatic, in the most indented part of the Adriatic archipelago. At a smaller or greater distance from Zadar are the national parks of Plitvice, Paklenica, Krka and Kornati, nature parks of Velebit and Telascica, as well as more than 300 islands and islets. Natural beauties, numerous coves and beaches, cultural and historical monuments restaurants and hotels offering selected national specialities make Zadar and its surroundings one of the most attractive tourist regions in Croatia Based on a three thousand year old tradition, the Zadar region has evolved to take up 14% of the total territory of the Republic of Croatia, and around 12% of the territorial sea, with as many islands as there are days in the year plus an islands" surface area of approximately 580 km square. Just offshore of the 1200 km long coast, most indented coastline in the Mediterranean there is an array of four strings of islands beginning with the largest: Pag, Dugi Otok, Ugljan, Pašman, leading to the smaller ones: Silba, Molat, Olib, Premuda, Iž, Vrgada, Sestrunj. Apart from Zadar, as the seat of the County and the most important historical destination, it is worthwhile mentioning Nin, the oldest royal Croatian town and at the same time a Bishop"s seat, where the Croatian state was born. Biograd, once a coronation town and Pag built according to plans drawn up by Juraj Dalmatinac.

Zadar region is famous on tourism. Vacation (holidays) in Zadar is available during the whole year but the most attractive is summer vacation, summer holiday. Accommodation during summer is available in hotels, apartments, private rentals, on boats, cheap holidays in camps and other discount hotels, lighthouses on islands etc. Last minute offers are also very attractive.
In Zadra region you can spend your holidays on different ways: enjoy in sun and blue sea or using active offers of adventure holidays. From adventure holidays you can choose between rafting, diving, biking, paragliding, paintball, trekking, climbing, sailing, wellness and other activities which make your vacation attractive.

DUBROVNIK

2007-12-05T10:52:00.000-08:00

When he wrote that the second most beautiful place in the world is Dubrovnik ( the first one is the one you were born in), the poet couldn"t imagine how many will agree with his words. Dubrovnik is the city of a unique political and cultural history (the Dubrovnik Republic, the Statute from 1272), of world-famous cultural heritage and beauty (inscribed on the List of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO) - is one of the most attractive and famous cities of the Mediterranean. Apart from its outstanding natural beauties and well-preserved cultural and historical heritage, Dubrovnik also offers high-quality visitor opportunities. It is also the city of hotels, of high ecological standards and tourist programs, and is equally attractive in all seasons. Nearby Dubrovnik is Arboretum Trsteno - the oldest designed park in Croatia, since 16th century. On the other side of Dubrovnik, Župa Dubrovačka is situated, an example of harmony and cohabitation of Dubrovnik Aristocracy and nature. Second example of such harmony can be found on Elafit Islands (Koločep, Šipan, Jakljan and Olip). Larger islands are Korčula, Mljet and Lastovo. On Korčula was born Marco Polo, World"s seafarer. Korčula is island of harmonized town and people architecture, filled with meditteranean spirit and vegetation. The island of Mljet is another Croatia"s National Park. It is commonly considered that Mljet is Homer"s lost island Ogygia, where mythical Ulysses met its Calypso Nymph.

Dubrovnik region is one of the famous tourist regions in Croatia. Vacation (holidays) in Dubrovnik is available during the whole year but the most attractive is summer vacation, summer holiday. Dubrovnik offers a lot of hotels, apartments, private rentals, on boats, cheap holidays in camps and other discount hotels, lighthouses on islands etc. Last minute offers are also very attractive.
Culture holidays are very popular in Dubrovnik region. Anyhow, in Dubrovnik region you can enjoy in sun and blue sea or using active offers of adventure holidays. From adventure holidays you can choose between rafting, diving, biking, paragliding, paintball, trekking, climbing, sailing, wellness and other activities which make your vacation attractive.

CROATIAN ISLAND

2007-12-05T10:09:00.001-08:00

Croatia is a country known as the country of thousand islands and the Croats are particularly proud of their sea which is one of the purest seas in the Mediterranean. That type of natural resources gave rise to the development of tourism as one of principal business activities so that

Croatia has a large number of tourist facilities ranging from accommodation to entertainment and recreational ones on its disposition today. Apart from exceptionally favourable conditions for summer holidays due to very pleasant sea temperatures - around 25 C°.

Croatia is famous on tourism. Vacation (holidays) in Croatia is available during the whole year but the most attractive is summer vacation, summer holiday. Accommodation during summer is available in hotels, apartments, private rentals, on boats, cheap holidays in camps and other discount hotels, lighthouses on islands etc. Last minute offers are also very attractive.

In Croatia you can spend your holidays on different ways: enjoy in sun and blue sea or using active offers of adventure holidays. From adventure holidays you can choose between rafting, diving, biking, paragliding, paintball, trekking, climbing, sailing, wellness and other activities which make your vacation attractive.

Croatia has to offer many new things - Pavarotti"s concerts in most unusual surroundings, kayak adventure, free-climbing, paragliding etc. , wellness and recreation on many different bike and hiking paths, plenty of historical monuments and other attractions intended for different enthusiasts and families as well.

Croatia is the country where in a small space mountain regions meet Pannonian plains, mountain creeks and lakes and rich, unusually indented coast of the Adriatic sea. It is the country of continental, Middle-European atmosphere, abundant in historical traces made through vehement past and clashes of civilizations meeting in this region and maritime-Mediterranean atmosphere attaching to it a particular lyric and emotive component.

CROATIA

2007-12-05T10:01:00.000-08:00

Croatia (Croatian: Hrvatska) is a country in Southern Europe on the east side of the Adriatic Sea, to the east of Italy. It is surrounded by Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the north, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the east, Serbia in the northeast and Montenegro in the south east.

Capital Zagreb
Government parliamentary democracy Currency kuna (HRK)
Area 56,542 sq km
Population 4,493,312 (July 2007 est.)
Language Croatian 96%, other 4% (including [[Serbian], [Italian]], Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and German)
Religion Roman Catholic 87.8%, Orthodox 4.4%, Muslim 1.3%, other Christian 0.4%, others and unknown 6.1%
Electricity 230V/50Hz (European plug)
Calling Code +385
Internet TLD .hr
Time Zone UTC +1