Croatia—Europe’s Newest Riviera
By Maria Lisella
If you need assurances that Croatia belongs high on any savvy traveler’s list of truly world-class destinations, just look at any travel section in the U.S. among the nearly 130 articles that have focused on Croatia. The media has compared its Istrian peninsula to Italy’s Tuscany and France’s Provence while UNESCO will soon add a seventh site to Croatia’s ever-expanding portfolio of World Heritage sites. The excitement shows no signs of abating as Croatia graced the cover of Conde Nast Traveler’s U.S. edition last month alongside Turkey and another former Yugoslavia member, Montenegro.
Hoopla over Hvar
Lesser-known corners of Croatia are coming to light, too. At just 112 square miles, the Island of Hvar, a veritable paradise of lush fruit, vineyards, olive orchards, lavender fields and fishing villages, has recently caught the eye of several influential media outlets. Chosen as one of The 53 Places to Go in 2008 in the New York Times’ travel supplement, Hvar ranked 11th in the list of world-class itineraries. The New York Times dubbed it, “the St. Tropez of Croatia” and referred to the Dalmatian Coast as a new Riviera.
Hvar is also home to the new Adriana Hotel, Croatia’s first Leading Small Hotels of the World, which opened last year. Visit www.suncanihvar.com/Adriana
“St. Tropez, Majorca, Aspen, and other glamour destinations don't have anything on Hvar, the glitzy Croatian playground patronized by celebrities, the idle rich, and the average Joe tourist who wants to find out what the Hvar hoopla is about,” writes Frommer’s website.
Hvar is a lush and sunny island claiming more hours of sunshine than any other spot in Croatia. Of course, the nearby island of Brac reports getting almost as much sun, but who’s counting. Hvar’s principal towns include Hvar Town, Stari Grad, Vrboska, Jelsa, and Sucuraj.
According to UNESCO, “Stari Grad Plain is a cultural landscape that has remained practically intact since it was first colonized by Ionian Greeks from Paros in the 4th century BC. The landscape features ancient stone walls and trims, or small stone shelters, and bears testimony to the ancient geometrical system of land division used by the ancient Greeks, the chora, which has remained virtually intact over 24 centuries.”
Other cultural UNESCO World Heritage sites in Croatia are the Episcopal Complex of the Euphrasian Basilica in the Historic Centre of Porec (1997); the Historic City of Trogir (1997); the Historical Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian (1979); the Old City of Dubrovnik dubbed The 'Pearl of the Adriatic', (1979); The Cathedral of St James in Šibenik (2000); and the recent addition of Stari Grad Plain (2008). One of the natural sites that was designated by UNESCO 30 years ago, is the magnificent Plitvice Lakes National Park. Visit www.whc.unesco.org
Continued Growth
After more than a half dozen years of strong growth, visitor arrivals from the U.S. continue to reflect a wide array of special interest and educated travelers who have been to Europe more than once.
Tour operators are now re-assessing their product lines and adding Croatia in 2009. Packaging will only add more appeal to Croatia as visits will be more affordable at a juncture when even high-end clients are more cost and value-conscious. Among operators that have added Croatia to their 2009 product lines are Tauck Tours and GAP Adventures.
Tauck’s Croatia selections visit several UNESCO sites, spending eight days in Croatia starting with Dubrovnik and concludes in Zagreb with visits to Hvar with a stay at the Adriana, a tour of Stari Grad, and Krka National Park, Split as well as a walk through the forest to reach Skradinski Falls. Call 800-788-7885; www.tauck.com
GAP Adventures’ mission is to provide sustainable travel opportunities and was established in 1990 with travel to Latin America. GAP’s eight-day Croatia Highlights also begins with Dubrovnik and concludes in Opatija on the Istrian Peninsula. The program covers walking tours in Split and Dubrovnik, an excursion to St. James Cathedral, a boat ride and walking tour of Plitvice Lakes and an excursion to Istria. Call 800-708-7761; www.gapadventures.com
Culture Centers and Festivals
Both the compelling Dubrovnik, and energetic, cosmopolitan Zagreb could literally compete on the culture front as both offer insatiable culture vultures much to savor.
The Dubrovnik Summer Festival is celebrating its 60th anniversary and is one of the best- known annual events in Croatia. The 47-day festival takes place each year from July 10 to August 25, gathering artists from all over the world, as more than 70 open-air venues transform Dubrovnik into one big stage. Ticketing is available online. Visit www.dubrovnik-festival.hr
New to Dubrovnik’s hotel inventory is Importanne Resorts, which now counts four luxury hotels in Dubrovnik, including the Villa Elita, one of Croatia’s most luxurious. Other member properties include Importanne Suites, Hotel Ariston and Hotel Neptun. Prices in April run from about $145 for a standard double to about $410 for a superior room with a to-die-for view of the Adriatic and Dubrovnik, a 10-minute taxi ride away. E-mail info@importanneresort.com; www.importanneresort.com
About 16 miles southeast of Dubrovnik is Cavtat, once a Greek settlement, its town was established by the Illyrians and later fell under both Greek and Roman rule. While the town center harbors the Rector’s Palace, the Bogišić Library, the Baroque Church of St. Nicholas, the Franciscan monastery and the Kaboga palace, the real riches are under water. Cavtat Bay is home to the richest site of amphora from Roman shipwrecks in the 3rd and 4th centuries some of which is visible from the Museum Under the Sea in Cavtat’s archeological zone.
The most popular cultural event here is the Cavtat Summer festival while the major local event is the Day of Our Lady of the Snows (Aug. 5).
There is no way to ever be bored in Zagreb as its permanent and revolving exhibitions in its museums and galleries continue year round. Visit www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr
Located in the Upper Town, visitors will find Klovicevi Dvori Gallery. Built inside a Jesuit Monastery constructed in the 17th century; it is part of a large complex enclosed by an irregular square atrium.
The Museum of Mimara is one of the most surprising mixes of objects worth seeing. Housed in an 1895 neo-renaissance building that is worth visiting just to see it. The collection covers a wide range of periods including objects from Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, India, and Inca and Pre-Inca South American as well as an extensive European glass collection.
The Museum for Arts and Crafts, or Muzej za umjetnost i obrt, focuses on objets d’arte that once belonged to the nobility. Be prepared to see some lavish examples of how the rich and famous once lived. An exhibit of nearly 200 house clocks remains on display through June 15.
The Museum of Modern Art or the Moderna Galerija has been reconstructed and is home to a permanent exhibit called “200 Years of Croatian Art.”
The International Folkore Festival has been taking place in Zagreb for more than 30 years for six days in July. Visit www.zagreb-convention.hr
A good place to start in Zagreb is the Dolac, the open-air market that bursts with organic, home-grown food sold by locals who arrive daily from nearby villages. Croatians treat breakfast lightly so get a coffee and a freshly baked item from one of the pekaras (bakeries) stalls or sit down to a more traditional Croatian breakfast of corn-based porridge and fresh yogurt.
Theater in Folk Tales
The Croatian Ministry of Tourism recently designated Djurdjevac or the Rooster Town set in northwest Croatia, as the winner of a national contest for Europe’s tourist destinations of excellence.
According to legend, when the townspeople were out of ammunition in a battle with the Turks, they defended themselves with old roosters or a 'picok' shot from cannons. When the Turks saw this, they thought Djurdjevac citizens were too rich and powerful to be defeated so they retreated. Since then, the people of the region have been called ‘Picoki’ and have been commemorating their victory since 1968 with the three-day 'Picokijada' Festival in June re-enacting the legendary battle.
Varazdin, about 60 miles of Zagreb is one of the most important tourist destinations of Northern Croatia, but is best noted for its classical music events such as Varazdin Baroque Evenings -- one of the greatest musical events in Croatia beginning of October. Other important events are the International Festival of Wind Orchestras, and the Days of the Book in October. Visit www.vbv.hr Spancirfest is another festival held every year for a week at the end of August, featuring local folklore and costumes. Visit www.spancirfest.com
The town is also home to an odd and impressive permanent collection called “The World of Insects” at Hercer Palace. It features 4,500 pieces including 19th and 20th century equipment used to preserve these delicate and forbidding creatures.
Visit www.gmv.hr
Croatia has a lot to crow about one might say, but its tourism interests also have a wide view of what is most important: the past preserved for today and tomorrow’s residents and visitors.
Getting There
Zagreb airport is doing a major makeover and completion is planned for 2016. Expansion plans include a new and modern passenger terminal, railway links to the city center, hotels and a business center.
Croatia Airlines signed code share agreement with United Airlines, which will streamline connections to Croatia. A wide selection of carriers link up with Croatia Airlines through major European hubs.
For information, contact the Croatian National Tourist Board, 800-829-4416 or visit www.croatia.hr
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH: Nena Komarica, Director of the Croatian National Tourist Office
Croatia: A Will to Refresh and Preserve
By Maria Lisella
Jax Fax spoke with Nena Komarica, Director of the Croatian National Tourist Office based in New York. Since Croatia declared independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991, its tourism star has catapulted higher than ever anticipated. Komarica addresses the need to preserve and keep historic places relevant for future generations and the burgeoning travel industry in Croatia.
JF: What is the key to Croatia’s value for travelers in 2009?
CNTO: One of our best selling points is that we are not a mass tourism destination and Croatia remains very affordable as we have yet to adapt the euro and continue to use Croatian currency, the kuna, which remains at a good exchange rate for North American visitors. (At presstime the exchange rate was $1 to 5.8 kuna, a 10 percent increase over last year.)
Zagreb also has a city card that makes moving around for visitors cheaper and most of our museums have free admission or very minimal charges to enter.
JF: Are there any public/private initiatives that would benefit travelers in 2009?
CNTO: We are currently discussing marketing alliances with hotel companies and regions, a series possibly on the local and national levels to stress affordability especially this year since we would like Croatia to stay among the most desirable European destinations where visitors can get value for their money.
JF: Croatia focuses a lot on culture and preservation.
CNTO: We try to preserve examples of former lifestyles for instance, for future generations not really just for tourists to visit; it is part of keeping our heritage intact.
As an example, in the Croatian region of Slavonia, in the northern part of the country, there is the village of Stara Kapela, which consists of 17 houses.
For a long time Stara Kapela was nearly a ghost town as it dates back to 1275 and in modern times, the oldest inhabitants are in their mid-80s and older years old while there have been no new inhabitants born there for the past 15 years. But the younger generation is taking steps to rescue the village.
Many young people have volunteered their labor, are taking the initiative to repopulate the area, build homes true to the authentic style of old Slavonia and preserve the village. Today, Stara Kapela is a candidate for EU funding.
Just outside Zagreb visitors can take an excursion to Medvedgrad, a medieval city-fortress that dates from the 13th Century, abandoned after the earthquake in 1590. The renovation of Medvedgrad started in 1974. A visit to Medvedgrad offers a magnificent view of Zagreb.
Above Zagreb is a park called Medvednica, which includes the Miner’s Garden, a reconstructed silver mine that dates from the 17th Century.
JF: What about the preservation of nature?
CNTO: Croatia counts eight national parks and 12 nature preserves, some of which are involved in programs to repopulate or protect nearly extinct species. Of these, Plitvice Lakes has been a UNESCO site since 1979.
The newest green UNESCO site that has been added to the list is Stari Grad Plain on the island of Hvar (see feature).
JF: Are there any signs of a green movement in Croatia?
CNTO: Yes, we are working on the preservation of national parks as I mentioned, and also trying to expand green areas in the cities, especially in Zagreb, which is one of the greenest cities in Europe as the city is woven with parks throughout and is also surrounded by parkland.
Recently, new regulations have expanded the pedestrian areas to encourage the use of public transportation, commuters as well as tourists can travel free of charge into three of the city’s busiest train stops to discourage the use of cars in town.
JF: Any major new developments for special interest markets?
CNTO: Active special interests such as bicycling, canoeing on Croatian rivers, walking and hiking in our parks and on the islands are gaining popularity. Spiritual journeys are growing, and the largest wellness center in Europe opened in Sept. 2008: Novi Vinodolski, is a Thalasso Wellness Center not far from Rijeka.
Gastronomy is attracting new interest, therefore we are promoting our food and wine products. For instance, our Istrian prosciutto (Istarski prsut) has protected status and its production includes being air-dried using only sea salt in the brining process and to be authentic, it can only be produced inland on Istria, no more than eight miles from the coast.
Contact Croatian National Tourist Office at 800-829-4416 or visit www.croatia.hr