BASIC TRAVEL INFORMATION

Passports

tourist from West European countries can enter the Republic of Croatia either with Identity Card or Passport.


About the country

Croatia is a Central European and Mediterranean country, bordering Slovenia in the west, Hungary in the north, Serbia in the east, Bosnia and Herzegovina in the south, and has a long maritime border with Italy in the Adriatic Sea. These borders are 2,028 km long altogether. Croatia has a strange shape (similar to a croissant), like no other country in the world, which comes as a result of five centuries of expansion by the Ottoman (Turkish) empire towards Central Europe (although Croatia was never conquered by the Turks).

Croatia covers a land area of 56,691 square kilometres with a population of about 4.4 million people (2001 census). Over 90% of the population is Croat (the majority of whom are Roman Catholics), but there are also Serbian, Bosnian, Hungarian and Italian minorities. The main population centres are Zagreb, the capital (with a population of just under 800,000), Osijek in the northwest, and the ports of Rijeka, and Split in the south. The official language is Croatian, which is written in the Latin script.

Croatia has an amazing 5,835km of coastline, 4,057km of which belongs to islands, cliffs and reefs. There are 1,185 islands in the Adriatic, but only about 50 are populated. The largest island is Krk (near Rijeka) which has a land area of 462 square km.

The climate is Mediterranean along the Adriatic coast, meaning warm dry summers and mild winters, with 2,600 hours of sunlight on average yearly - it is one of the sunniest coastlines in Europe! In the interior of the country, the climate is continental with hot summers and cold, snowy winters.

Croatia, a country with a thousand year old history, first appeared on the political map of Europe in 1992. It covers an area of 56,538 sq. km, with 31,900 sq. km of territorial waters. The coastline, including the islands, is 5,789 km long. According to the 1991 census figures, 4.8 million people live there.
The capital is Zagreb, a city of Central European charm, celebrated the 900th anniversary of the foundation of the Zagreb diocese, in 1994.

Croatia lies at the meeting point of the Mediterranean, the Alps and the Pannonian plains. The characteristics of each have merged into a unique and charming harmony of opposites. Although its main attraction is the Adriatic coast and islands, Croatia is full of surprises and challenges, like the woods of Gorski Kotar, the mountainous region between Northern Croatia and the Croatian coast close to the sea which attracts nature lovers, mountaineers, hikers, winter sports fans and hunters. Then there is Lika, the region separated from the sea by the huge mountain of Velebit. The Baroque castles and thermal spas of Hrvatsko Zagorje, the region of Podravina, between the river Drava and the wooded slopes of Bilogora, and the fertile plains of Slavonija - all this is Croatia.

In addition to its variety and natural beauty, another point in Croatia's favour is its preserved environment. Croatia is undoubtedly one of the least saturated tourist centres in the northern Mediterranean. Croatian regional planning has avoided the ecological pitfalls of industrial and urban development. Today some 7.5% of Croatian territory is protected within the national park system or under some other regional protection, and the intention is to double this area, representing a remarkably valuable and environmentally preserved asset in the very heart of Europe. Of the seven national parks, three are in the mountains (Risnjak, Paklenica and Plitvica Lakes), and four are on the coast (Kornati, Mljet, Brijuni and Krka). Of the latter four, all but the park of Krka are on islands.

Croatia is also one of the few European countries which can pride itself on its clean environment and rich flora and fauna. About 4,300 plant species can be found in Croatia, while in the Adriatic Sea there are about 400 edible fish, cephalopod, shrimp and shellfish species.

Monuments which are part of world cultural and historical heritage have secured an important place for Croatia in European culture. Most notable are the monument cities of Dubrovnik and Split and the palace of Diocletian, the Euphrasius Basilica in Porec, the theatre in Hvar and the Sibenik cathedral, among others.

The country has a long tradition of tourism. It was no accident that the Austrians and Hungarians saw the benefits of the mild climate and beautiful landscape and began the development of tourism in the Croatian south. The Viennese Society of Southern Railways built the Kvarner Hotel in Opatija in 1884. Their aim was to turn it into an organised seaside health resort. The Therapia Hotel in Crikvenica was built with Hungarian capital in 1894 and three years later Austrian Lloyd opened the Imperial Hotel in Dubrovnik. And so it has continued up to the present. The names of many Croatian tourist resorts have been cited as favourite destinations by numerous tourists from Europe and further afield.

Croatia is really close to its neighbours. Munich is only 576 km from Zagreb, Vienna only 371 km, Graz 188 km, and Trieste is just 126 km from Pula.

The country political establishment is a parliamentary democracy.

Entering Croatia

Most visitors to Croatia come by car and are usually from the neighbouring countries of Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Germany and so on. From northern Europe, the easiest way to get to Croatia would be by driving to Munich and then entering Austria, down to Graz, crossing into Slovenia, and then heading for Croatia which is signposted as soon as you leave Maribor.

Money

The Croatian currency is the Kuna, which is divided into 100 lipas. (The word "Kuna" means marten, a weasel-like animal, whose for Croats used for payment many centuries ago. The lipa is a lime tree.). The current exchange rate between the kuna and various world currencies can be found at the Croatian National Bank. We've recently received quite a lot of questions with regards to the best foreign currency to take to Croatia. Our first piece of advice would be to take a bank card/cash card instead - this avoids the need to travel with large-ish amounts of cash, and ATMs are readily available in all resorts, towns and cities in Croatia, in banks, supermarkets, airports and elsewhere. As a foreign card is inserted into the machine, you will most likely be presented you with a choice of languages - no need to navigate through Croatian-language menus! The exchange rate you'll receive is good, and there may only be a small service charge (which depends on your bank back home).

UK Pounds, US Dollars and Euros are easily changeable in Croatia, although most other currencies can be changed too. Changing your money in a bank or in one of numerous Bureaux de Change dotted around towns.

Health

The health service is of a good standard. You have to pay for seeing a doctor or being treated in a hospital. Certain countries, such as Britain, have reciprocal medical arrangements whereby, in principal, you should not have to pay for any emergency treatment.

Safety

It is quite safe to travel all over Croatia and mugging and thefts are not a problem. You can safely walk in any town at night, but use your common sense, as always. In some coastal resorts, as is common all over the Mediterranean, single women may be approached or wolf-whistled at. Say no firmly and you will not be bothered. In case of any problems, approach a policeman or even a soldier, who will assist you. Both the Croatian police and the army are well disciplined. If you have a language problem, approach a younger person (teenagers/students) as they all speak some English and will be eager to help.

Food & Drink

You get the standard fare as in many other central European or Mediterranean countries (pizza, pasta, meat dishes, fish). All food is safe to eat as restaurants are regularly inspected, and there is no problem with drinking water. Seafood is a speciality along the Croatian coastline, unsurprisingly!

Other info

Electricity is 220V, 50Hz. Croatia uses the standard European 2 point plugs. The telephone code for Croatia is 385.