Croatia can be found by looking across the Adriatic Sea from the upper backside of the boot of Italy. Croatia’s Adriatic seaboard is filled with beautiful landscapes and over 1000 islands just waiting to be explored. The native name of Croatia is Hrvatska and Zagreb is the capital. Many visitors are pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of Croatia’s streets and public areas. Everywhere you go the streets seem to have just been recently swept and the parks and gardens are neatly manicured.

At Plitvice Lakes National Park, you will be shocked to learn this beautiful natural landscape was once the site of the Croatian War of Independence and Freedom which started on “The Bloody Easter” of 1991. The numerous colours and shades of the green foliage and blue and gray rocks are all dependant upon the suns rays and the amount of minerals flowing through the water as it descends into the pools of water below. Every picture will emit different colours, appearing almost magical. You will want to come back to visit this beautiful place over and over again.

There are many Museums to visit in Zagreb such as the Museum of the City of Zagreb, Museum of Technology, Croatian Natural History Museum, Archeological Museum, Mimara Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art, to name a few. The enormous Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall has 1841 seats and hosts many concerts and events. Take in some live theatre at The Croatian National Theatre which was established in 1840.

You will find the little quaint towns have so much character. The main square in Hvar is where you will find many local artisans display their fine work of arts and crafts. Wake up to the calm waters and the fishing boats drifting in the harbour at the break of dawn or walk down the narrow, curved streets of Korcula. As you look over the old town of Korcula you’ll see the orange clay rooftops that protect the buildings from the elements. In the pretty picturesque town of Tribunj, the beautiful sea is just walking distance from the city.

Some popular activities in Croatia are hiking and cycling. Hundreds of trails can be found everywhere throughout Croatia. Water sports are also very common here such as fishing, sailing and windsurfing.

Be sure to visit the historic city of Trogir. The city gates date back to the 17th century and the walls are still standing since they were erected way back in the 15th century. In its city centre there are about 10 churches and several ancient buildings which date back to the 13th century. While you are in Trogir, take the time to visit Kamerlengo Castle. This historic castle and fortress was built in the 15th century. This interesting city, rich with history can be found between the Croatian mainland and the island of Čiovo on a little island.

Typical cuisine in the mainland is more of a traditional Slavic style mixed with Viennese, Turkish and Hungarian influences whereas the style of cuisine in Croatia’s coastal areas has a more Mediterranean style which includes a mixture of cultural influences such as Italian, Greek and French.

Croatia has many small hotels which are fully equipped and offer many of the same amenities that larger hotel chains have. There are also many bed and breakfast inns to choose from in the cities which are becoming very popular. The Croatian currency is the Kuna, which is divided into 100 lipas. Interesting to note that the word Kuna is a type of weasel and centuries ago, its fur was used as a form of payment or trade in exchange for goods.

It is advisable to bring a major credit card or bank card, as some forms of foreign currency are not accepted in certain areas. ATMs are available most everywhere. Croatia has warm, dry summers and mild winters along the Adriatic Coast. In the inner most areas the summers can be very hot and winters can be very cold. Croatia’s major airports are in Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik.

Zagreb Airport (ZAG), known as 'Pleso Airport' is the main Croatian international airport which is 20 km southeast of Zagreb in the suburb of Pleso.

Split Airport (SPU) is located in Resnik, 25 km west of Split and 6 km East from Trogir.

Dubrovnik Airport (DBV) is located 24km south of Dubrovnik. Croatia runs on 230 volts, 50Hz. The official language is Croatian or South Slavic. A typical flight between Toronto or Montreal and Croatia would have a flying time of about 8 ¾ hours. Flying from Calgary would take approximately 10 ¼ hours and from Vancouver about 11 hours. Canadian Embassy
Address: Prilaz Gjure Dezelica #4
Zagreb 10 000
Croatia
Tel: (+385) (1) 488 1200
Fax: (+385) (1) 488 1230
Email: zagrb@international.gc.ca
Web Site: www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/canadaeuropa/croatia/
Contact: Stefanie Beck Galvani, Ambassador GMT +1 (GMT +2 from last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October).