Regional info

Croatia

Croatia belonged to the former Yugoslavia but declared itself as an independent state in 1991.  This prompted a Serbian invasion which lasted four years.  Croatia's economic situation has gradually improved and today many tourists choose the north west peninsula of Istria for their holidays, which was a part of Italy for a period of time during the last century. Many of the city names are bilingual but as you enter the country from Italy, only the  Italian version is displayed on the signs.  South of Istria the country comes into its own, displaying its natural beauty along the Dalmatia coastline.  Its name originates from the Roman times when the emperor's coat was made of the ermine fur: dalmatica.  There are 1185 islands along the coast of which only 66 are inhabited.  Best known are Pag and Krk, which have bridges to the mainland. Many Croatian beaches are pebbled and temperatures can be high in the summer months.  However the long coastline is ideal for all kinds of refreshing water activities.  Did you know the Dalmatian dog breed originated from this area before being introduced to the UK?.