TAKE A BATH OF ARCHITECTURE
Take a bath of architecture. The country is populated by small architectural gems whose names are Pula, Zadar, Šibenik, Trogir ... Split, within the walls of the palace of the Roman emperor Diocletian, is an accumulation of historical riches, colonnades and porticoes registered with the heritage. Unesco World; Dubrovnik remains the "pearl of the Adriatic". On the islands, the Franciscan monasteries soar above the common man; inland, Zagreb, little Prague, is a capital on a human scale that can be discovered on foot, through the maze of cobbled streets and the old houses of the upper town, the pedestrian street Tkal? i? eva, with its pretty pastel houses and bars, the very mitteleuropa atmosphere of the lower town and its incredible “museum of broken hearts”.
TAKE REFUGE IN ISTRIA
Take refuge in Istria. Between its green countryside, its well-soaked terroir and its unspoiled coast, this peninsula north of the Adriatic Sea has become the refuge of the sweetness of life… Vrsar and its patrician residences; Pula, where Gothic churches, Renaissance facades and Venetian fortresses are superimposed; the Brioni Islands, meeting place for the jet set or Lovran and its Belle Epoque villas. Here is a different Croatia, away from the beaten track, refuge of small bucolic inns.
WALK IN THE PARKS
Walk in the parks. Eight national parks and eleven natural parks protect the Croatian environment which abounds in a fauna which one believed reserved for the distant lands: bears in the mountainous forests, mouflons, wolves and lynxes in profusion… We observe them in Risnjak National Park from the marked trails under beech and fir trees, or in Plitvice, one of the most beautiful nature reserves in Europe, bathed in lakes and waterfalls. The Kornat archipelago, crisscrossed with yachts, where a few families still own 147 islands, is another facet of this breathtaking nature. A good pair of shoes for walking and on the go!
GLIDE IN A WARM AND TRANSPARENT SEA
Glide in a warm and transparent sea. Count nearly 1,185 islands and islets, multiply by as many beaches and coves and… dive in! Along the jagged coasts and sheer cliffs of the Adriatic Sea, in the hollow of the sandy coves of the Pakleni Islands, the bougainvilleas explode, the terraces look out over an aquamarine horizon. The country is a diver's paradise. Spots and diving centers abound. With a bottle or simply mask and snorkel, just swim near the rocks to immerse yourself in marine life, seashells and starfish. To be enjoyed from April to October, but it is during the Indian summer that it is most beautiful.