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Croatia - Places to see and things to do.

Beautifully situated in the southern part of Europe, Croatia is set bordering Slovenia, Hungary, Bosna and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, and has a lovely outlet to the Adriatic Sea. Croatia is divided into five regions, namely Dalmatia, Istria, Kvarner, Slavonia and Central Croatia. It has five main cities, three of which will be featured in this article. The official language in the country is Croatian, which may be difficult to learn, however if travellers try to learn several simple phrases to greet and thank the locals, this would be highly appreciated. English is considered as a second language, Italian and German are also very popular and well used. The official currency is the kuna, however in most of the tourist places euros are also accepted. ATMs are available in the entire country; bank and credit cards are also accepted.

While in Croatia, the tourists should keep in mind that when buying goods for more than 500 kuna, they are entitled to get their VAT back when leaving the country. In order to receive the VAT back, the tourists should ask the sales person to fill in a VAT-P form for them and stamp it. The refunds are usually paid within six months after the visit. Another simpler way for tax-free shopping is to visit the special shops that do not apply taxes. All citizens of the European Union, along with the residents of Bosnia and Herzegovina are welcome to enter Croatia with a valid identity card. Other nationals including Australians and North Americans can enter Croatia with a passport that is valid and do not require visas.

The easiest way to travel to Croatia is by plane. The national Croatia Airlines offer connections to the major cites in the country and many destinations abroad. Besides all large carriers, Croatia is reachable with the help of the budget airlines like EasyJet, Ryanair, German Wings, Wizz Air and Sky Europe, all offering cheap tickets. In case it happens that any of the airlines and airports are not convenient, the tourists could also use the airports in the nearby countries. Another popular public transport in Croatia is the train travel, which is improving and updating its vehicles and general infrastructure.

The rail network in the country connects all main cities in Croatia, but Dubrovnik. There are direct train lines to Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Serbia, Greece, etc. The bus service in the country and especially the main cities is frequent, cheap and easy to use. The largest bus terminal is the Bus Terminal Zagreb. Much more pleasant way to travel is by car and for that the diver will need a valid license, car registration card and vehicle insurance documents. There is zero tolerance towards drivers who drive after drinking alcohol. Hitchhiking in Croatia is possible; with the easiest way to do that are at the toll stops and the tank stations. Thanks to its long and breathtakingly beautiful coastline, Croatia is accessible by boat as well. Many of the islands are reachable by ferries and actually for many of them this is the only suitable way to reach them. Ferries in Croatia are cheap and although they slow, they go regularly. The main passenger shipping lines in Croatia are Jadrolinija and the Blue Line International.

The capital of Croatia, Zagreb, is a cosmopolitan city that features a beautiful medieval town with lovely architecture and many cobbled streets pleasant to walk through. At some points Zagreb resembles the cities of Vienna, Prague and Budapest. Walking around the city is easy with the help of the efficient public transport system comprising of buses, trams and trains. When visiting the city for several days, the wisest and cheapest way to travel is to buy a Zagreb Card which gives unlimited travel plus discounts in almost all museums and reduced prices in many restaurants and shops. Zagreb is divided into an Upper (Gornji grad) and Lower (Donji grad) Towns, where are concentrated the cultural and commercial centres of the city, as well as most of the nice restaurants and bars. While in Zagreb, the tourist places to be seen include the Muzej Mimara which has an impressive art collection with works from Raffaelo and Caravaggio, Rembrandt and Rubens, Manet and Renoir, etc.; the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Travellers should know that most of the museums close at noon on Sundays and are closed on Mondays. An important tourist destination in Zagreb is the Medvedgrad, a lovely mountain that is overlooking the city below. A true gem on the Adriatic Sea is Dubrovnik, an old city which is listed in the World Heritage List of UNESCO.

Rivalling Venice in the Middle Ages, Dubrovbik was supported by the wealthy people and was the centre for the development and preservation of the Croatian language and literature. Today the city is the most desirable tourist hotspots in the country and among the most fascinating places in the Mediterranean. The city has a beautiful and very peaceful old town, which is open only to pedestrians and is easy to manage only on foot even though some of the streets could be steep. Interesting places to see in Dubrovnik are the Franciscan and Dominican Monasteries, as well as the Church of Saint Blaise and the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The other places of interest include the Bell Tower and the Rolands Column, the Rectors and the Sponza Palaces. Each year Dubrovnik hosts several festivals like the Music and Theatre Festival, the Film Festival and the Festival of chamber music.

The third city that we will present here is Split, which is set in the central part of Dalmatia region. The beautiful settlement was built around the Diocletian palace and even today could be seen remnants of Roman walls and temples. The old historical centre is very pleasant to walk at, and attracts with the Diocletian Palace itself, as well as the Archaeological museum. Among the most popular ways among the tourists to spend their free time in Split are sailing and sunbathing on the Bacvice beach and the beaches north of the city of Split.