A selection of travel articles on Croatia from 2006:
One of the best places to experience this primal excitement is Mount Sljeme, a small Croatian ski area that will play host to a women’s World Cup slalom on the evening of Jan. 4. Racing under the fierce glow of powerful floodlights, about 70 of the world’s best will compete just 30 minutes from the center of Zagreb. The race is the only one on the circuit that is held so close to a national capital.
Nathaniel Vinton, New York Times, 3rd December 2006
To read the rest of the article, click here
Landing in Pula at the tip of the Istrian peninsula flies you straight into the heart of gastronomic Croatia, so prepare to gorge yourself on heady white truffles, freshly caught seafood and apple strudels, washed down with great glugs of Malvazija, the local blossomy white wine.
Antonia Windsor, The Guardian, 8th November 2006
To read the rest of the article, click here
It was the first day of a tour with SwimTrek, swimming between the little uninhabited islands around the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. The piece of clear Adriatic surrounding the tiny, sun-cooked island of Prvic (our home for the next week) was inviting, but the blue beyond was looking scarier by the second.
Lucy Grove, The Telegraph, 4th September 2006
Read the rest of the article here: Winning Strokes
The last pearl of the luminous necklace of nearly 1,200 islands sprinkled along Croatia’s Adriatic coast, Vis is intriguingly set apart from the rest. Out of sight from the mainland, it starts to emerge on the western horizon only halfway through the two-hour ferry journey from Split. For much of its modern history this secretive fortress has been out of mind too, as far as outsiders are concerned. Now, nearly 3,000 years after the ancient Greeks declared its grapes to be the finest in the region, the island is at last in a position to reap the harvest.
Frank Patridge, The Independent, 19th August 2006
To read the rest of the article, click here
Instant weekend: Zagreb
Why should I go? Because it’s a terrific little capital, with quirky sights, good food and a great outdoorsy vibe. It feels like Budapest or Cracow did after they’d been spruced up, but before they were overrun by western brands and mass tourism. The crowds will surely come soon — direct flights have made it temptingly accessible — but go this year and you’ll have it to yourself.
Richard Green, The Sunday Times, 23rd July 2006
To read the rest of the article, click here
Flying Visit – Krk Island, Croatia
Why now?
What better kind of island could there be in summer than one with its own airport, so you don’t get bogged down with ferry connections? Just turn right out of the airport and within half- an-hour you’ll be kicking back in the lovely beachside resort of Baska on the southern tip of Krk.
The Guardian, 22nd July 2006
To read the rest of the article, click here
And yet here I am spending more ink on the place, drawing more attention to it. Obviously, this no longer can be considered one of Europe’s delicious secrets. But it should be on everyone’s must-see list, throngs or no throngs. Ideally, Dubrovnik is absorbed, savored over many days. Still, even a glimpse is better than nothing. No other city on the Continent quite compares.
Robert Cross, Chicago Tribune, 23rd July 2006
To read the rest of the article, click here
Whether or not you believe any of the hype about the “new Riviera”, Croatia has certainly been attracting plenty of big names to cruise around its crystalline waters and 1,000-plus islands – from Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg to John Malkovich and José Carreras.
James Bedding, The Telegraph, 15th July 2006
Read the rest of the article here: Is this the new Riviera?
Croatia’s Coastline: Behind The Wheel On The Long And Winding Road
The route north from Dubrovnik is as beautiful as it is confusing, especially when there isn’t a decent map to hand.
Adrian Mourby, The Independent, 25th June 2006
To read the rest of the article, click here
The launch of the first no-frills flights from the UK to Zagreb this month is expected to lead to a big increase in visitors to the Croatian capital. And not before time — this is a city that combines the charm of Central Europe with the joie de vivre of Croatia’s coastal resorts. The cafés and Habsburg-era opera house are straight out of Vienna or Prague, while the lifestyle is pure Mediterranean. In summer, everyone comes out on to the streets at midnight to drink beer and eat ice-cream; in winter, when the temperature is below freezing and the city is covered in a light dusting of snow, they come out anyway, to eat roast chestnuts and drink hot chocolate and mulled wine.
Tony Kelly, The Times, 18th March 2006
To read the rest of the article, click here
Croatia is awash with minute, barely populated islands but Lopud, one of the Elafiti islands, with its handful of bars, shops and restaurants and a couple of hotels, is one of the most charming. There are no cars on the island, hand-pulled wooden carts being the preferred form of transportation. Unusually for Croatia, Lopud has sandy beaches, the largest of which is Sunj, reached by boat or forest path.
The Observer, 19th February 2006
Croatia has had a barnstorming couple of summers, with everyone from Sunday Times readers to Lonely Planet scribes voting it their number-one, absolute favourite for a Mediterranean escape. But even if you’ve visited in the past year or two, it’s unlikely that you’ve done the place justice just yet.
James Stewart, The Sunday Times, 12th February 2006
To read the rest of the article, click here
Croatia has been the Med’s biggest success story, with the number of UK visitors up by 30 per cent to more than 250,000 last year. The star attractions are still the Adriatic islands and coast — which have the cleanest waters in the Mediterranean — but there has also been a move towards city breaks and outdoor adventures. Accommodation standards are rising to match those of neighbouring Italy and prices are rising, too, but Croatia still offers good value.
Tony Kelly, The Times, 28th January 2006
To read the rest of the article, click here!