Here are some of the best articles on Croatia 2020 from newspapers and magazines across the world, as well as some of the best online content.
Croatia Welcomes Americans: Explore The Beauty Of The Adriatic Coast At Hotel Excelsior Dubrovnik
Forbes, 26th September 2020
But the car-free island of Lopud is known for its white-sand beach and now, after more than two decades of restoration, a former monastery-turned-five suite hideaway, that’s home to an idiosyncratic, museum-grade collection of art from one of Europe’s most influential collecting dynasties.
The article: The secluded island off Croatia’s coastline that you need to explore
The Daily Telegraph, 26th September 2020
The New York Times’ T Magazine includes ‘A Restored 15th-Century Croatian Monastery’ on its T List of things they covet
New York Times, 24th September 2020
“It’s Dubrovnik as it should be – and as it once was.” Before I’d been in the city for an hour, I had heard this refrain numerous times from people. The old town’s elegant main thoroughfare, Stradun – usually a sweaty sea of humanity and selfie sticks – had only a few dozen people strolling on its shiny marble slabs in the hot August sun. Apart from an out-of-season visit I made one November, I’d never seen the city so empty. No cruise ships, and no coachloads of day-trippers.
Mary Novakovich, The Daily Telegraph, 23rd September 2020
The article: Dubrovnik as it once was – an empty wonder that’s worth the quarantine
Meet the M&S wine buyer who now makes her own on a beautiful Croatian island
The Daily Telegraph, 18th September 2020
“The house is still there, you can see it from the road,” Luka Modric says, turning towards the iPad screen and his earliest memories, moments that made him. There are warm memories, he insists, yet there are painful ones too – both centred on a place to which he returns and supporters sometimes visit but where he still has not taken his children.
Sid Lowe, The Guardian, 9th September 2020
The article: Luka Modric: ‘Things that aren’t nice happen in war but I don’t have hate’
I am just back from Croatia, and a delightful week of rest and recuperation that has been very good for the soul. Up until March, I had left this country at least once a month for the last four years, mostly on assignment. The near-half-year interruption to this has been the longest period without international travel in my career. But even though, in the grand scheme of things, five months is not forever, I had forgotten the joy – and the energising effect – of a change of scenery. Croatia is a fine country. Even in the darkness of 2020, it shines as a destination.
Chris Leadbeater, The Daily Telegraph, 24th August 2020
The article: I’m in quarantine after visiting Croatia – I won’t regret a minute of it
The cheers had barely died down after Rijeka’s spectacular opening ceremony as European Capital of Culture in February, when coronavirus scuppered years of preparation in the Croatian port city. Months later, an on-the-fly rethink of the entire project has emerged from the wreckage.
Guy Delauney, BBC News, 22nd August 2020
The article: Coronavirus: Croatia’s culture capital Rijeka tries to salvage year
On Thursday, when rumours began circulating that the UK might put Croatia on its “red list”, there were some 20,000 British holidaymakers there. It was clear that adding Croatia to a list that includes Spain, France, Bulgaria, the Netherlands and Belgium, would be a blow to a country that sees 20 per cent of its income generated by tourism.
Jane Foster, The Daily Telegraph, 22nd August 2020
The article: The UK’s quarantine on Croatia means ‘catastrophe’ for Dubrovnik
Your heart has to go out to Rijeka. The start of the year saw Croatia’s third-largest city brimful of optimism and confidence. After unexpectedly pipping both Dubrovnik and Split to the post to be designated the country’s first European Capital of Culture (Galway was also a winner), the port was poised to dazzle new audiences with a show-stopping programme of events. Instead, with the spent firework cartridges from February’s exuberant opening ceremony barely swept up from the quayside, the pandemic rained suddenly and catastrophically all over Rijeka’s parade.
Linda Cookson, The Daily Telegraph, 17th August 2020
The article: Europe’s unluckiest city? A postcard from the Liverpool of the Balkans
In recent years, snap-happy tourists have been drawn to Dubrovnik’s walled Old Town – Byron’s “Pearl of the Adriatic” – like moths to a flame, their numbers bolstered by cruise day trippers and Game of Thrones fans. Numbers were swelling to the point that Unesco threatened to remove Dubrovnik’s World Heritage status unless they were reduced. And then came Covid-19 and the tourists were gone.
James Butler, i, 5th August 2020
The article: Discover Croatia and the ‘picture-perfect’ city of Dubrovnik without crowds
An article on 10 of the most beautiful national parks in the world includes the Plitvice Lakes National Park (of course!)
The Mercury News, 3rd August 2020
Back in early-June, when summer truly began, Croatia was officially virus-free. It was also blissfully peaceful. Then, as the borders opened, several new cases emerged, connected to arrivals from neighbouring Bosnia Herzegovina and Serbia (border restrictions on those countries have since been reimposed). Once tourists appeared, some were also found to be carrying the virus, including several from the UK. Croatia has always been considered a safe destination, and judging by the crowds in Split this summer, it still is. At the time of writing, according to the Croatian Tourism Association’s excellent coronavirus information website there are only 224 coronavirus cases in coastal counties. And there are some 760,000 tourists here.
Jane Foster, The Daily Telegraph, 2nd August 2020
The article: A postcard from Croatia, where the holiday season is in full swing
For the first time this summer, guests will be able to sleep within the ramparts of a 15th-century monastic complex, once home to Franciscan monks. Located less than 10 miles from the city of Dubrovnik, LOPUD-1483 opens on the northernmost tip of the car-free Croatian island of Lopud (in the Elaphiti islands).
Matt Turner, Luxury Travel Advisor, 31st July 2020
The article: 15th Century Monastery In Croatia Restored And Opens As Hotel
“Rocks. So many rocks,” says one of my hiking companions, a lawyer from Canada, well versed in understatement. Indeed, Croatia’s third largest island, Brac, does boast a plentitude of chalky limestone. As we ascend a steep hill, we pass by a dusty quarry where stout men extract stone from the earth. Unusual, this stone has a milky color that looks familiar.
Becca Hensley, My New Orleans, 28th July 2020
The article: Calamari, Climbs, and Cliffs: A Croatian Peregrination [Link no longer works]
Croatia tourism is booming, with the tiny Republic in Southeast Europe among the few EU destinations allowing American’s to visit.
Jim Dobson, Forbes, 29th July 2020
The article: A Dramatic New Island Resort Opens In Croatia—And Americans Are Allowed To Visit
From the first day I set foot on Lošinj, a sense of wellbeing washed over me. When I close my eyes, I can still imagine breathing in the island’s fresh sea air laced with the aroma of pine, strolling on snaking coastal promenades, listening to waves break over the rocks. I recall the sensation of swimming in the crystal-clear Adriatic Sea and basking on the beach under the strong Mediterranean sun, a film of salt coating my skin.
Kristin Vukovic, BBC Travel, 29th July 2020
The article: Croatia’s pristine island of wellness
A Good Morning America/ABC News video report: American tourists visit Croatia amid pandemic
ABC News, 28th July 2020
Escape: Isle be there — Exploring Croatia’s islands
Laura, Millar, Metro, 26th July 2020
Quaint little cobblestone houses with red-tiled roofs nestled comfortably in the sun and colourful fishing boats gently rocked in the small harbour. Local people slowly went about their business, and it was almost as if I could feel time slowing down to the crawl of this island pace as soon as I stepped off the ferry. And I fell instantly in love.
Mia Russell, The South Africa, 25th July 2020
The article: Test the waters: The beauty of swimming your way around Croatia
A nice collection of images in Picture This: Some of the travel industry’s favourite photos of Croatia
Daily Mail, 23rd July 2020
Early on in the pandemic, Croatia imposed a tough lockdown and closed its borders. The country reopened to visitors in May, but even now numbers are barely a third of what they would normally be at this time of year. All the things that usually bring people in their millions – cruise ships, coaches full of day-trippers, massive outdoor music festivals – won’t be happening this summer, so 2020 could be the ideal year for a relaxing visit.
Mary Novakovich, The Guardian, 13th July 2020
The article: Croatia this summer: three areas to visit without the crowds
Forbes looks into how travellers from all over the world can visit Croatia this summer: Croatia Opens Borders To US, Flouts EU Ban–How To Travel
Tamara Thiessen, Forbes, 10th July 2020
The New York Times offers up some travel advice for the summer, including how to visit Croatia: I’m a U.S. Citizen. Where in the World Can I Go?
Karen Schwartz, The New York Times, 7th July 2020
It’s not hard to spot Solta. People sitting in the cafés along Split’s Riva waterfront, nine nautical miles away, can see this compact Croatian island plain as day. But, conversely, it’s easy to miss – particularly when it’s next door to two of Croatia’s busiest islands, Hvar and Brac.
Mary Novakovich, The Daily Telegraph, 7th July 2020
The article: The forgotten Croatian island that offers a perfect post-lockdown escape
Today, the pedestrian-only Old Town – packed with aristocratic palazzi and elegant Baroque churches, contained within sturdy medieval fortifications – draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, including glamorous names such as Beyoncé, Roman Abramovich, Sir Roger Moore and Naomi Campbell. Beyond the walls, attractions include wine bars, classy seafood restaurants and five-star hotels.
Jane Foster, The Daily Telegraph, 3rd July 2020
The article: 48 hours in…Dubrovnik, an insider guide to the magnificent walled city on the Adriatic
Travel + Leisure list their Top 20 Islands in Europe, which includes ‘Hvar and the Dalmatian Islands’ at number 5; the islands are also number 13 on the Top 25 Islands in the World list
Travel + Leisure, July 2020
Explore the abandoned Kupari resort near Dubrovnik in these photos: Croatia’s hotel graveyard: Haunting before-and-after pictures show the once-exclusive holiday resort that now lies in war-torn ruins just six miles from enchanting Dubrovnik
Daily Mail, 30th June 2020
Vogue Paris offers up A virtual tour of Croatia’s most beautiful beaches
Jade Simon, Vogue Paris, 24th June 2020
Strolling across the Croatian island of Lopud one summer morning in 2008, en route from its harbour to one of the finest sandy beaches in Dalmatia, we happened unexpectedly on an “art pavilion”.
Claire Wrathall, Financial Times, 24th June 2020
The article: Five centuries old and just five rooms: Croatia’s most remarkable new hotel
Once travel opens up to Croatia, visitors looking to escape the crowds of Dubrovnik should consider venturing an hour up the coast through the rugged Pelješac Peninsula filled with family-owned vineyards, charming old villages, and rocky beaches. The area is known for its mussels, oysters, and fish sourced directly from the waters, and is a stunning discovery that many tourists have not yet explored.
Jim Dobson, Forbes, 22nd June 2020
The article: The Underwater Wine Cellars Of Croatia Beneath The Adriatic Sea
Croatia clamped down on coronavirus early in the pandemic, and has been able to reopen its borders – even to visitors from the UK. At the moment, all you need to do is to show proof of accommodation and fill out this form before arriving, explaining your reason for visiting. Luckily for holidaymakers, “tourism” is as valid a reason as any.
Mary Novakovich, Daily Telegraph, 12th June 2020
The article: Dubrovnik without the crowds? 10 reasons why Croatia should be your next holiday
A list of 15 European destinations that are among the least affected by the coronavirus includes Croatia
Sophie-Claire Hoeller, Insider, 11th June 2020
The FT’s guide to Remote retreats you won’t have to share includes staying in lighthouses in Croatia
Tom Robbins, Financial Times, 5th June 2020
Disembarking on sunny Hvar, it all feels like a blurry dream. Glistening deep blue sea, towering palms and a huddle of gorgeous limestone facades bathed in golden sunshine. Surprisingly, the catamaran from Split, where I live, was half-full – almost entirely locals, only the elderly wearing masks. It was my first out-of-town trip since mid-March.
Jane Foster, Daily Telegraph, 5th June 2020
The article: A postcard from Hvar – the sleepy Croatian island that’s refound its charm
A guide to Doppelgänger destinations: 11 lesser-known alternatives to popular places puts the Arena in Pula in place of Rome’s Colosseum
Tanya Parker, Skyscanner, 4th June 2020
European Best Destinations included Cavtat, Zagreb and Rijeka in its list of the Safest Destinations to Visit this summer
European Best Destinations, June 2020
A few intrepid European tourists have returned to Croatia’s picturesque Adriatic coast, where the owners of yachts and campsites are hoping their relative isolation will bring the numbers up over the next six weeks.
Reuters, 27th May 2020
The article: Croatia welcomes tourists braving coronavirus crisis
An interesting piece, This pandemic, I’m drinking through the souvenir wine I’ve collected since I was 14, includes sampling some red wine purchased on the island of Hvar
Natalie B. Compton, Washington Post, 26th May 2020
Over the weekend 133 hotels and 65 campsites reopened in Croatia, igniting hopes that this summer season will not be completely lost to coronavirus. The country has enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity in the last two decades, and now relies heavily on overseas visitors – tourism represents around a quarter of its GDP – so it is no surprise that the tourist board is pushing for travellers to return.
Emma Beaumont, Daily Telegraph, 26th May 2020
The article: Hotels reopen in Croatia as it tries to lure back foreign tourists
On a sunny summer day in Croatia several years ago, an archaeologist and two dog handlers watched as two dogs, one after another, slowly worked their way across the rocky top of a wind-scoured ridge overlooking the Adriatic Sea.
Cat Warren, The Independent, 23rd May 2020
The article: Indiana Bones: The archaeologist dogs discovering ancient remains
The New York Times talks to eleven people that live in ‘overtouristed destinations’ how their experiences of summer 2020: ‘It Feels Like We Got the City Back for Ourselves.’
The New York Times, 19th May 2020
A guide to 10 of the world’s greatest adventures – for after this is over includes the majestic Jadranska magistrala coastal road for ‘Europe’s best road trip’
James Stewart, Daily Telegraph, 18th May 2020
Far from the madding crowds, Croatia offers deserted coves, classic charm – and wine to cheer
Daily Telegraph, 14th May 2020
The article: Five dream trips to forgotten corners of Croatia
BBC News considers Coronavirus: Greece and Croatia acted fast, now need to save summer
Guy Delauney & Kostas Kallergis, BBC News, 4th May 2020
In Lazaretto in Dubrovnik, Bakija-Konsuo writes that Dubrovnik’s administration arrived at the idea of quarantine as a result of its experience isolating leprosy victims to prevent spread of the disease. Throughout its history, Dubrovnik was ravaged by numerous diseases, with leprosy and plague posing the largest threats to public health.
Kristin Vukovic, BBC Travel, 22nd April 2020
The article: Dubrovnik: The medieval city designed around quarantine
A guide to Three of the world’s greatest hiking holidays includes the 60-mile Velebit Hiking Trail in Croatia
Daily Telegraph, 17th April 2020
A day after setting off – one day! – I would have awoken in Rijeka, one of the two European Capitals of Culture for 2020. As the OBB Nightjet service pulled in at 9.30am, the sun would have streamed into the window of my couchette, nature’s alarm clock providing a much gentler start to the day than my usual irritating phone jingle.
Helen Coffey, The Independent, 14th April 2020
The article: 20 Pledges for 2020: Lockdown isn’t stopping me from indulging my flight-free travel fantasies
It’s no surprise to see the Plitvice Lakes on this list of 12 amazing lakes around the world with shipwrecks, monsters and epic scenery and included in 10 ridiculously beautiful waterfalls around the world that belong in storybooks
Julie Delahaye, Daily Mirror, 6th April & 19th March 2020
Is Croatia the capital of weird and wonderful museums?
Danai Christopoulou, Skyscanner, 10th March 2020
The Guardian’s piece on Our Europe: 27 things we love about the continent includes the island of Losinj as its entry for Croatia
The Guardian, 7th March 2020
A collection of 10 great hotels near railway stations in Europe includes the stunning and historic Esplanade near the main train station in Zagreb
The Guardian, 6th March 2020
Think of Croatia and swaggeringly beautiful Dubrovnik springs to mind, a movie-set jumble of baroque palaces and belltowers, neatly encircled by massive ramparts. There’s a lot more to Croatia than its star attraction, though. When Yugoslavia broke apart in 1992, Croatia got by far the longest stretch of coast – 1777 kilometres, but a massive 5835 kilometres if you count the 1246 pine-clad, sun-bleached limestone islands scattered along the entire coastline.
Sue Bryant, Blue Mountains Gazette, 5th March 2020
The article: Croatia: travel the Dalmatian Coast, finishing in Dubrovnik
Where is hot in June? 8 holiday destinations for some June sun includes Dubrovnik
Jade Skinner, Cosmopolitan, 2nd March 2020
2020 is a very special year for Croatia. The eastern Europe gem has become the travel destination du jour of the last five years, praised for its interesting beaches (think dramatic coastlines and crystal waters) and ancient architecture. Now, though, it’s upped its game from natural beauty to vibrant, cultural hub after spending three years working towards the title of European City of Culture for 2020.
Megan Murray, Stylist, March 2020
The article: Rijeka in Croatia is 2020’s European Capital of Culture: 4 things to do on your visit
Clanking cowbells filled the air as about two dozen zvončari paraded through the village of Rukavac, just west of Rijeka. To me, they looked like pagans from a Grimm’s fairytale: shaggy woolly gilets, those bells hanging round their waists, and heads adorned with towering flower-covered hats. Exaggerating their gait to make the bells jangle, they shimmied and bumped their hips against each other as they waved carved wooden figures with a somewhat menacing air. Over the course of a 25km procession, they were here to banish evil spirts and herald the coming of spring. Carnival had come to town.
Mary Novakovich, The Guardian, 20th February 2020
The article: Rijeka in Croatia: the culture capital that knows how to party
Is this the most other-worldly architecture on earth? Incredible pictures capture monolithic structures that look truly alien includes the ‘spomeniks’ in Croatia
Paul Hirons & Jennifer Newton, Daily Mail, 17th February 2020
10 Best Music Festivals Around The World Worth Travelling For In 2020 includes Croatia’s Outlook Festival
Pearl Yan, Tatler Asia, 17th February 2020
These Are (Hands Down) the Most Beautiful Croatian Islands
Lindsay Cohn, Fodors, 17th February 2020
Ever since the world discovered Dubrovnik, things have not been the same for this beach destination on the Dalmatian coast, fondly known as the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’. Or for Croatia, for that matter. And then came Game of Thrones. Things only got more frenzied, with fans of the immensely popular television series thronging its narrow cobblestoned lanes in search of their favourite filming locations, and specialised guided tours mushrooming almost overnight across town.
Charukesi Ramadurai, Forbes India, 15th February 2020
The article: Travel: In Dubrovnik, Croatia, where the walls tell tales
For us, though, Dubrovnik was merely a beautiful starting point rather than a destination. It was from here that we set off to spend a week exploring the south Dalmatian islands, a part of the Adriatic which still feels undiscovered, even in high season.
Robert Hardman, Daily Mail, 8th February 2020
The article: Full sail ahead: Two yachts, three families, five children – and one epic voyage around Croatia’s craggy coast
The concept of quarantine was not invented by what is now the most photographed hotspot on the map of Croatia – you can find reference to it deep in the annals of the Old Testament. But it was the Adriatic port that gave the term to the world amid the unsanitary gloom and despair of the 14th century.
Chris Leadbeater, Daily Telegraph, 7th February 2020
The article: The darkly beautiful origins of quarantine
Three thousand years in the making, Zadar is a mixture of heritage meets the here-and-now. There are ancient Roman streets and harbours used since antiquity; isolated coves, near-empty national parks and insanely-gorgeous vineyards, too. Venetian-era cathedrals and chess board castles, without the gut-punch of Split or Dubrovnik’s Game of Thrones crowds.
Mike Maceacheran, The Independent, 5th February 2020
The article: Zadar City Guide: Where to Eat, Drink, Shop and Stay in Croatia’s Coastal Gem
This piece on Valentine’s Day 2020: 6 Romantic Escapes For Your Couple’s Retreat, From Malaysia To Italy also includes the option of a romantic stay in Dubrovnik
Tanya Jayatilaka, Tatler Malaysia, 30th January 2020
Forgoing Sibenik for Dubrovnik is one of The 11 big travel trends of 2020
Metro, 28th January 2020
A list of 10 of the best budget spa holidays in eastern Europe includes Istarske Toplice
The Guardian, 18th January 2020
The 36 Best Ever Places to Travel in 2020 includes the island of Hvar
Carina Hsieh, Cosmopolitan, 17th January 2020
The 20 Must-Visit Destinations Of 2020 For Luxury Travelers
Laura Schreffler, Haute Living, 9th January 2020
This list of The 50 best family holidays for 2020 includes “Croatia’s secret coastline” – the Kvarner region
Catherine Cooper, Daily Telegraph, 6th January 2020
Framed by silhouettes of mature juniper, pine and cypress trees, the infinity pool appears to melt into the intense blue of Kvarner Bay. While most travellers to Croatia head for the tourist hotspots of Dubrovnik or Split, the historic, less-frequented island of Rab offers a wonderfully peaceful alternative.
Zoe Forsey, Daily Star, 4th January 2020