Discover Croatia - Lika - Karlovac

Karlovac



Karlovac - Rastoke

Welcome to the landscape of dreams. Before you, beautiful green expanses are laid out, only around 10 km above the sea, in the hinterlands known for their exceptional ecological value and high concentration of protected nature parks, representing true oases of peace and tranquility; a Croatian tourist region attracting an ever increasing number of visitors.



Plitvice



Plitvice

 If you visit the Lika-Karlovac tourist region, the continental part of Croatia which is the link between Dalmatian littoral and the central section of the country, you shall be all that closer to the answer. For, that clarity and power are perhaps best conveyed by the wondrousness of the Plitvice Lakes National Park, the phenomenon which attracts with its uniqueness, but also with the effect it bears on both our mental and physical wellbeing. The National Park of Northern Velebit is an area of distinctive diversity of karstic forms, the wealth of all kinds of a living world and of breathtaking natural beauty in a relatively small area.

Plitvice

Asides from being proud of being the birthplace of one of the world’s greatest minds, Nikola Tesla, whose museum is found in his birth village of Smiljan, Lika also has a beautiful Marian seminary in Krasno. Somewhat south, and only a step away from the sea, there is the Senj fortress of Nehaj built in the 16th century. There is also a unique museum dedicated to pirates the so-called Senj “Uskoks”. The county of Karlovac is an area full of many self-abnegating cultural monuments from charming old towns and castles such as Dubovac, Ozalj, and Bosiljevo to Franciscan, Pauline and Dominican monasteries. Growing up on the banks of four rivers and developed from medieval fortresses once intended for the defence against Ottoman hordes in central Europe, the renaissance centre of the town of Karlovac is particularly interesting and takes the form of a star.

Vivodina by Karlovac

Senj

Velebit Nature park

Ozalj

Portugal - Porto - North

Porto is an enchanting city, established on the hills at the mouth of the Douro river. Designated an UNESCO World Heritage site for its historic buildings and outstanding monuments, highlights of Portugal’s second largest city include the formidable Porto cathedral, the Torre dos Clérigos and the conspicuous Port wine lodges that dominate the hillside of Vila Nova de Gaia. Although largely industrialised, Porto offers a compelling synthesis of ancient and contemporary attractions.

The province is a thriving commercial and industrial hub, filled with charming villages and prosperous towns. Take a drive along the roastline, stopping to explore the cosmopolitan resort of Espinho, sample freshly-caught seafood in the port of Matosinhos or take a gamble at the dazzling Casino da Póvoa. Head inland to the beautiful city of Amarante to try delicious pastries called papos de anjo and enjoy a stroll along the Tâmega river, which is lined with 17th century mansions.

Caves do Vinho do Porto (Port wine cellars) (Vila Nova de Gaia)
Opposite the centre of Porto, on the southern bank of the Douro river, numerous Port wine lodges are a prominent tourist attraction. This sweet, fortified wine is produced from grapes grown in the Douro region and transferred to the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia where it is blended and aged. Visitors can spend days touring the cavernous cellars along the waterfront (there are over 50 to choose from), while sampling dozens of world-class port varieties. 
Sé Catedral

Porto’s imposing cathedral was completed in the 13th century, although many aspects of the design have changed over the centuries. Featuring ornate carvings, paintings, sculptures and sacred religious treasures, as well as a marble chapel, a Romanesque rose window and intricate baroque azulejos throughout the cloister and terrace, the cathedral’s mesmerising grandeur is truly breathtaking.

Torre dos Clérigos (Tower of the Clergy)

This baroque bell tower was completed in 1763 and looms high above the city. The tallest in Portugal, visitors can climb the 225 steps to enjoy the spectacular panorama. The adjoining oval-shaped Igreja dos Clérigos is an outstanding example of the synthesis of baroque and rococo architectural styles, featuring an intricate façade, elaborate engravings and a remarkable pipe organ dating back to 1774.

Casa da Música 

Conceived to mark Porto’s status as European Cultural Capital in 2001, Casa da Música is a dynamic modern concert hall dedicated to the creation and celebration of music. This cultural centre also offers guided tours and workshops and contains a restaurant and bars where visitors can relax. The myriad events range from jazz to classical performances, international DJs to world music.

Palácio da Bolsa (Former stock exchange)
Featuring an impressive neoclassical façade, this striking former stock exchange was built in the 19th century. The building resembles a royal palace, particularly the ornate Arabian Hall (a replica of the Alhambra Palace in Grenada), which is used as a reception room for visiting heads of state. The palace has been majestically embellished with sculptures, paintings and frescos by numerous Portuguese masters and visitors can also attend cultural events and exhibitions, or enjoy a meal at the restaurant.

Museu de Serralves (Museum of Contemporary Art)
Surrounded by the extensive Serralves gardens, which is also used as an outdoor exhibition area, the Museu de Serralves was designed by renowned Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza Vieira. Featuring an outstanding collection of national and regional contemporary art dating from the 1960s, the museum also hosts a selection of cultural events, including concerts and educational workshops for children.

Antiga Cadeia da Relação (Old Relação Prison)
This austere former prison is one of the landmark buildings in the history of Porto. Built in 1765, the triangular-shaped structure also housed the Court of Appeal. Numerous Portuguese personalities passed through the cells of this prison, including writer Camilo Castelo Branco, who wrote his famous romance Amor de Perdição while incarcerated. Since 2001, the building has been home to the Portuguese Centre for Photography, and still retains many original features.

Edifício do Instituto do Vinho do Porto (Institute for Port and Douro wines)
The Institute for Port and Douro wines is situated in the heart of Porto’s historic centre and is responsible for ensuring the quality and authenticity of Douro wines. Marble memorial stones in the entrance hall commemorate important dates and events in the history of local wine production and visitors can also learn about the complex process of making port.

Jardim de São Lázaro (São Lázaro Garden)  

The São Lázaro Garden is the oldest municipal garden in Porto, dating back to 1834. The extensive grounds are filled with ancient lime, magnolia and acacia trees, as well as historic monuments including a gazebo and marble fountain, which once belonged to the São Domingos convent.

Jardim do Passeio Alegre (Passeio Alegre Garden)
Situated along the banks of the Douro river, the oldest trees in these immaculately landscaped gardens were planted in 1870. The monumental fountain by Nicolau Nasoni is a national monument and the Chalé Suíço kiosk was a meeting place for intellectuals in the late 19th century. Featuring romantic avenues lined with palm trees, ancient araucarias and a wealth of diverse plant life, the splendour and poetic beauty of these gardens are beloved to local inhabitants.

Discover Croatia - City of Zagreb

Zagreb is the capital of the Republic of Croatia, its almost a million strong political and diplomatic, cultural, economic, mercantile, transport & communication and sports centre. It is a town of contrasts – young and old at the same time, dedicated to business in the morning, relaxed and fun loving in the evening, a typical European metropolis in many ways but at the same time it is city its guests remember for the charm of its centre and hospitality of its citizens.

Zagreb, Croatia’s capital and the largest city in the country, is a typical Central European town. It grew out of two medieval settlements that flourished for centuries on neighbouring hills. Zagreb’s written history dates to the year 1094, when a diocese was established there. The classicist and secessionist facades of its historical nucleus exude the lofty spirit of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but here and there one can also discern the contours of the panoramas of Prague. Almost all of the main sites of the city and cultural venues are located in the very centre, which teems with charming coffee houses, fine restaurants, garden restaurants, and lovingly tended parks like, for instance, Ribnjak, which lies beneath the walls of Kaptol. The pivotal point of the city is the magnificent Gothic cathedral with its filigree spires. Zrinjevac, a park located only a few steps away from the main square, also forms part of the Lenuci green horseshoe that encompasses some of the most beautiful buildings in town. Zagreb, indeed, is a city tailored to the human scale.

Built on the foundations of two medieval burgs that blossomed on the nearby hills of Gradec and the Kaptol bishopric, with a documented history from 1094, Zagreb has always been Croatia's true cultural metropolis. With places of interest such as the Croatian National Theatre, the Art Pavilion, the Academy of Science and Arts, the university library, numerous museums and galleries, as well as wonderful parks and gardens, Zagreb has always been a truly central European cultural centre whose significance is best witnessed by the 20 theatres, equal number of museums, 30 galleries and numerous art exhibitions.

Discover Croatia - Central

Central Croatia is the area lying in the valleys of the rivers Sava, Drava and Mura. Visiting it means getting to know the continental character of the country, see the lowlands that are so ideally complemented with mellow hills and mounts the slopes of which are mostly covered with vineyards, walk the forests of oak, beech and other deciduous trees, visit medieval burgs, castles and manor houses.

Central Croatia is a region of romantic medieval fortresses, pilgrims’ monasteries and castles where the most famous is Trakošćan – which today has been turned into a museum. Asides from being the most baroque town in Croatia, Varaždin with its carefully arranged parks and important monuments of garden architecture, there is also the Varaždin graveyard whose white cedar trees are shaped as partitions and arcades, and were influenced by Versailles in Paris. Ludbreg is also in this region, which has the famous Eucharist “proštenište Predragocjene krvi Isusove” [Sanctuary of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus], and a little further away there is the Croatian Marian sanctuary of Maria Bistrica. The town of Lepoglava is a place that is equally famous for its lace and Pauline order who built a monastery and church with wonderful frescos.

Discover Croatia - Slavonia

Osijek

Đakovo

Donji Miholjac

Come the harvest time this song reverberates through the air, precious folks costumes are taken out of old wooden chests and age-old customs brought to life – all in order to preserve the Slavonia as it used to be for the future of Slavonia. Take a walk through the Old Town of Osijek, visit the traditional villages of Baranja and the Kopački rit Nature Park, go mountaineering, enjoy the many rich thermal spring. And wherever you find yourself, you are going to be met with a warm welcome and friendship so typical of Slavonia and its people.

Shaped by the force of the mighty rivers Drava, Danube, Sava and Ilova, Slavonia is a mythical region that for centuries has guarded its treasures. It is characterised by the wide, endless expanse of the golden Pannonia plains, and by rivers that gave birth to the flood areas, which, in turn, provide an ideal habitat for the now centuries-old forestsof common oak (Quercus robur) as well as for more than 2000 biological species. The soil of Slavonia has been tilled by human hand for over 8000 years.

Ever since this part of the continent rose from the Pannonian Sea some 370 million years ago - the geological history of which is best told through the eruptive rocks of the bulky Papuk mountain that sits like a crown upon this noble land - the fertile Slavonian plains have been a promised land.