Croatia is a country in central and southern Europe, its shape resembles a horseshoe. It is bordered to the north by Slovenia and Hungary, on the southeast by Bosnia and Herzegovina and to the east by Serbia and Montenegro. The Adriatic Sea forms the southern border of the country, when you cross the sea there lies Italy. Its total area is 21,851 square miles and the capital and largest city is Zagreb. Croatia is divided into 20 counties and no 21 is the capital city of Zagreb, which has status equal to that of a county.
Croatia is a Parliamentary democratic republic, with the president of the Republic as the head of the state, current president Stjepan Mesić. The Croatian Government is headed by the Prime minister.
In Croatia is situated the old, completely walled fortress Dubrovnik, it is on the World Heritage list of UNESCO. This port is located under the mountain Srdj and is one of the most beautiful cities of the Adriatic coast, therefore considered as the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic Sea “. It still has many mansions with the typical red roofs and palaces, dating from the 17th century. Throughout the town are built many fountains that all get their water from mountain sources. In the city is Pula you can find a number of buildings from Roman times, like the amphitheater, in this arena gladiator fights took place earlier and people were thrown to wild animals. Today the Arena is suitable for concerts, operas and film festivals.
The cuisine of Croatia offers a wide range of popular local dishes and specialties, such as: dalmatinski and Istarski prsut a smoked ham, and paski sir a delicious sheep cheese from the island of Pag, ovcji sir or a goat cheese.
Croatia is famous for its many national parks, like Plitvice Lakes, it is surrounded by three mountains part of the Dinaric Alps. The striking colors, ranging from azure to gray, blue and green, make the lakes to something special. The quantity of minerals or organisms in the water and the angle of the sun shall ensure that the colors will change. It is one of Croatia’s biggest tourist attractions. At the river Krka there is Krka National Park, which has several places of interest. Skradinski Buk has incredibly beautiful waterfalls, various footpaths, sightseeing tours and presentations, boat trips, souvenir shops, a museum, and restaurants and is one of the most attractive parts of the park.
In the capital Zagreb is the best of Eastern and Western Europe combined, it is therefore an interesting destination. There is an assortment of museums and galleries to explore, regular concerts for the culturally minded and enough possibility for fine shopping. In the southwest of the city lies Lake Jarun, where you can swim in the lake and at night you can dance in the disco nearby
A number of ferries, commits the many islands and coastal cities of Croatia, as well as a number of Italian cities like Venice and Ancona. Most ferry services are available on a daily or weekly basis. The trains do not run very often, but there is a good network inter-city buses.
Australian, Canadian , USA and EU citizen do not require a visa, only a valid passport, for a stay less than 90 days. Visitors from other countries can request a visa at the Croatian Embassy or Consulate and they must produce evidence of return.
