European Destinations of Excellence - Croatia

EDEN is the acronym for European Destination of Excellence, a project promoting sustainable tourism development model across the European Union. The project is based on national competitions of a tourist „destination of excellence" for each participating country, which effectively achieves the objective of drawing attention to the values, diversity and common features of European tourist destinations and promotes networking between awarded destinations. The project's target is to enhance and promote the visibility of emerging European destinations under the slogan „Discover the Hidden Treasures of Europe".

The European comission choses a different theme every year, and as Croatia has been participating since the very begining, it has been awarded five destinations of excellence under five different themes. 

Croatian Adriatic - the second cleanest sea in Europe

Croatia took the 2nd place behind Cyprus in the annual report on the quality of bathing water published by the European Commission. From more than 900 locations in Croatia, 97% have been evaluated as excellent, fulfilling the high European criteria.

PORT WINE - Portugal

A glass of tawny port.

Aging in wooden barrels.

Rabelos, a type of boat traditionally used to transport barrels of port down the River Douro for storage and aging in caves at Vila Nova de Gaia near Porto.

The vineyards that produce port wine are common along the hillsides that flank the valley of the River Douro in northern Portugal.

Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine, and comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties. Fortified wines in the style of port are also produced outside Portugal, most notably in Australia, South Africa, Canada, India, Argentina, and the United States. Under European Union Protected Designation of Origin guidelines, only the product from Portugal may be labelled as port or Porto.  In the United States, wines labelled "port" may come from anywhere in the world, while the names "Dão", "Oporto", "Porto", and "Vinho do Porto" have been recognized as foreign, non-generic names for wines originating in Portugal.

Port is produced from grapes grown and processed in the demarcated Douro region. The wine produced is then fortified by the addition of a neutral grape spirit known as aguardente in order to stop the fermentation, leaving residual sugar in the wine, and to boost the alcohol content. The fortification spirit is sometimes referred to as brandy but it bears little resemblance to commercial brandies. The wine is then stored and aged, often in barrels stored in a cave (pronounced kah-vee and meaning "cellar" in Portuguese) as is the case in Vila Nova de Gaia, before being bottled. 

The wine received its name, "port", in the latter half of the 17th century from the seaport city of Porto at the mouth of the Douro River, where much of the product was brought to market or for export to other countries in Europe. The Douro valley where port wine is produced was defined and established as a protected region, or appellation in 1756, making it the oldest defined and protected wine region in the world. Chianti (1716) and Tokaj (1730) have older demarcation but no regulation associated and thus, in terms of regulated demarcated regions, Porto is the oldest.

Useful information

Geographic position

Croatia occupies the largest part of the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea which, as a part of the Mediterranean Sea, penetrates deepest into European soil. 

Croatia’s shoreline and numerous islands enjoy the majority of the Adriatic coastline. The narrow Dinara Mountain Range separates the country’s Mediterranean region from its central European continental part, which spans from the easterly edges of the Alps in the North-West to the shores of the Danube in the East, encompassing the southern part of the fertile Pannonian lowlands.

Surface area

The mainland covers an area of 56 594 km2 and coastal waters cover a surface area of 31 479 km2.

Population

Croatia has 4 290 612 inhabitants.

Demographics
The majority of the population are Croats, with the largest minorities being Serbs, Bosnians, Slovenes, Hungarians, Czechs, Italians and Albanians.

System of government
Croatia is a multi-party parliamentary republic.

Capital
With 792 875 inhabitants, Zagreb is the economic, transport, cultural and academic centre of the country.

Length of the coastline
6 278 km, of which 4 398 km is made up of island coastlines, solitary rocks and reefs.

Number of islands, islets, solitary rocks and reefs 1 244. The largest islands are Krk and Cres. There are 50 inhabited islands.

Highest peak
Dinara, 1 831 m above sea level.

Climate
There are three climate zones in Croatia: in the country’s continental interior the prevailing climate zone is moderately continental , while the mountain climate prevails at 1200m above the sea level. The areas along the Adriatic coast have a pleasantly mild Mediterranean climate with a large number of sunny days, summers are hot and dry and winters are mild and wet.

The average temperatures in the continental interior are: January -2 oC to 0 oC, with somewhat lower temperatures in the mountains; July temperatures reach 20 oC-22˚C, and around 13˚C in the highlands. The average temperatures in the Littoral (Adriatic Coast) are: January 5˚C - 9 oC and July 23°C - 26°C. Winter sea temperature is about 12 oC and it reaches approximately 25 oC in the summer.

Currency
The official currency in Croatia is the kuna (1 kuna = 100 lipa). Foreign currency can be exchanged in banks, exchange offices, post offices and in the majority of tourist information offices, hotels and campsites.

Credit cards (Eurocard / Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Diners) are accepted in almost all hotels, marinas, restaurants, shops and cash machines.

Power supply

220 V, frequency: 50 Hz

Tap water is safe to drink in all of Croatia.

Natural stress relief - Croatia

You like an active holiday? You love sailing and diving, and you prefer cycling to site-seeing tours? You love climbing mountains and reaching their peaks and you are no stranger to casting off from those peaks on the wings of a paraglider? In that case, Croatia is the place for you.

The incredible coastal landscape, lovely indented coastline, coves, beaches sheltered by pine woods, and small and perfect coastal towns and villages scattered along the mainland coast and on hundreds of islands and isles, captivate with their singular character. Whether you are sailing along those shores, or diving in the blue waters lapping against them, the world before you will include a wealth of flora and fauna, traces of centuries gone by - from ancient amphorae to sunken galleys, and ships that met their end in the whirlwind of two World Wars. You will discover that the Croatian coast is a paradise for yachtsmen and divers. And the preserved natural environment is just as ideal a destination for those who love walking, hiking, mountaineering and camping. In short, it is the place for those who seek a holiday where they can truly become one with nature. And then, there is cycling, riding, numerous trails and tours which will take you in different directions in the rhythm that suits you. Finally, if you are an adrenalin addict, if the activities you are looking for include rafting, parachuting, or paragliding, then the rapids and rivers from Central Croatia to Dalmatia, and the mountains from the heights of Biokovo mountain on the mainland to Vidova Gora in the island of Brač will provide you with unparalleled excitement and challenges.

Cultural Heritage - Lindjo Croatia

Lisboa Unforgettable

Wonderful Portugal 1

There's so much to see - varied landscapes, historic towns and cities, nature reserves and parks, mountains and beaches... all so close at hand! If you think we're exaggerating, find out for yourself.

Croatia - the land of magical arts

10 reasons to visit Portugal

Portugal - The Beauty of Simplicity

See the film of Portugal and discover the beauty of simplicity.

Portugal national shrine of our Lady of Fátima

Our Lady of Fátima is a famous title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary as she appeared in apparitions reported by three shepherd children at Fátima in Portugal. These occurred on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917, starting on May 13. The three children were Lúcia dos Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto.

Culture of Croatia II

Some important personalities from Croatia

Domagoj of Croatia - Prince

Prince Branimir of Croatia - First independent ruler,

King Tomislav - Founder of the first Croatian kingdom

Peter Krešimir IV of Croatia, "the Great" - King

Dmitar Zvonimir of Croatia - King

Ante Starčević - "Father of the Nation"

Nikola Šubić Zrinski - Statesman and soldier

Marko Marulić - Poet

Marin Držić - Playwright and prose writer

Faust Vrančić - Inventor of parachutes

Ruđer Bošković - Physicist and diplomat

Ivan Gundulić - Poet

Josip ban Jelačić - Army general

Ivan Meštrović – Sculptor

Franjo Tuđman – First President of Croatia, founder of modern Croatia

Giovanni Luppis - Inventor of torpedoes

Mate Parlov - Boxing champion

Lavoslav Ružička - Chemist

Eduard Slavoljub Penkala  - Inventor of ink pens, bluing detergent (Windex), the rail-car brake, the hot water bottle, and the anode battery

Stjepan Radić - Parliamentarian

Miroslav Krleža – Writer

Blanka Vlašić – High jumper

Vladimir Nazor – Writer

Stjepan Radić – Croatian national leader in 1st half of 20th century

Vlaho Bukovac – Painter

Ivan Generalić – Painter naive art

Branko Cikatić – First K-1 Grand Prix Winner

Goran Ivanišević – Wimbledon Champion, 2 Olympic bronze medals 1992

Mia Čorak Slavenska – Prima ballerina

Branko Lustig – Film producer (winner of two Oscar awards)

Nikola Tesla – Inventor

Josip Broz – Tito – Guerilla leader in World War II, Yugoslav leader (ethnic Croat)

Stipe Mesić – President of the Republic of Croatia

Davor Šuker – football player (best scorer of the 1998 WC most goals winner of golden shoe in 98 WC with six goals)

Alojzije Stepinac – Archbishop, beatified

Ivica Kostelić – Alpine Skiing Slalom World Cup Champion (3 Olympic Silvers)

Janica Kostelić – A.S. World Cup Champion in 2001, 2003 & 2006 (4 Olympic Golds, 2 Silvers)

Toni Kukoč – NBA playe

Iva Majoli – Roland Garros Champion

Željko Mavrović – Fmr. European Boxing Champion

Dražen Petrović – NBA Hall of Famer

Croatia national water polo team

Croatia national handball team

Croatian national basketball team

Culture of Croatia

A land whose rich cultural heritage is not discovered only from within the walls of numerous museums, galleries and churches, many of which today, as zero category monuments, are included in a part of the UNESCO World Heritage List, but much more in that magical place on the Mediterranean, where even the shortest stroll becomes a journey down a staircase thousands of years old which takes one through a history that is at the same time turbulent, exciting and glorious. Whether walking the intricate grid of narrow white stone streets and alleys, or revelling in the teeming life of the port towns of Istria, Kvarner or Dalmatia, or climbing the green serpentines of Central Croatia to the fairy-like fortresses and castles, each step is an ever fresh experience, made special by the fact that on her territory as many as four cultural circles meet, intertwine and complement one another - west, east, Central European and the southern spirit of the Mediterranean. Croatia is a land of urban culture which numbers more cities than any other part of the Mediterranean.

If you are interested in the days of antiquity, you should start from the Roman amphitheatre in Pula, through Zadar and its forum - the largest excavated forum on the eastern shores of the Adriatic - and then to the magnificent palace of Emperor Diocletian in Split. Walk through time, from the pre-Romanesque Church of St. Domnius in Zadar dating from the 9th century, to the world of the Romanesque that is the magical monument city of Trogir, or the islands of Krk and Rab. Follow the Gothic period in Zagreb, Pazin, or, for instance, the town of Ston on the Pelješac peninsula. Discover the Renaissance in Osor on the island of Cres, Šibenik cathedral, the islands of Hvar and Korčula, and finally, the one and only Dubrovnik. The towns of Varaždin, Bjelovar and Vukovar glow with the splendour of the Baroque, while the heritage of the 19th century is at its best in Rijeka, Osijek and, of course, in downtown Zagreb.

Culture of Portugal II

Some important personalities from Portugal

António de Oliveira Salazar – Statesman, dictator between 1932 and 1968

Álvaro Cunhal – Politician

Aristides de Sousa Mendes – Diplomat

Afonso I – King

Luís Vaz de Camões – Poet

John II – King

Henry the Navigator – Prince

Fernando Pessoa – Poet

Marquês de Pombal – Politician

Vasco da Gama – Explorer

Salgueiro Maia  - Military chief

Mário Soares- Former President of the Republic

Saint Anthony of Lisbon - Saint

Amália Rodrigues - Fado singer

Eusébio - Football player

Francisco Sá Carneiro - Politician

Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa - President of Futebol Clube do Porto

Nuno Álvares Pereira - Strategist and general

José Mourinho - Football team manager

Agostinho da Silva - Philosopher

Egas Moniz - Doctor, first Portuguese to win a Nobel Prize

Cavaco Silva - President of the Portuguese Republic, former Prime Minister

Humberto Delgado - Military officer and politician

Luís Figo - Football player

Father António Vieira - Writer and preacher

Ferdinand Magellan - Navigator

John I of Portugal - 10th king of Portugal

António Damásio - Scientist

Manuel I of Portugal - 14th king of Portugal

José Saramago - Nobel-laureate writer

Elizabeth of Aragon - The Saint Queen, queen consort of Portugal

Pedro Álvares Cabral - Navigator who discovered Brazil

Álvaro Siza Vieira - Architect

Mariza - Fado singer

Rosa Mota - Athlete

Cristiano Ronaldo - Football player

Bocage - Poet

Pedro Hispano - Pope John XXI

Damião de Góis - Humanist writer and humanist

Paula Rego - Painter

Culture of Portugal

The culture of Portugal is the result of a complex flow of different civilizations during the past Millennia. From prehistoric cultures, to its Pre-Roman civilizations (such as the Lusitanians, the Gallaeci, the Celtici, and the Cynetes, amongst others), passing through its contacts with the Phoenician-Carthaginian world, the Roman period (see Hispania, Lusitania and Gallaecia), the Germanic invasions and consequent settlement of the Suevi and Buri (see Suebic Kingdom of Galicia) and the Visigoth (see Visigothic Kingdom), and, finally, the Moorish Umayyad invasion of Hispania and the subsequent Reconquista, all have made an imprint on the country's culture and history.

The name of Portugal itself reveals much of the country's early history, stemming from the Roman name Portus Cale, a Latin name meaning "Port of Cale" (some argue that Cale is a word of Celtic origin, which also means port or harbour), later transformed into Portucale, and finally into Portugal, who emerged as a county of the Kingdom of León (see First County of Portugal and Second County of Portugal) and became an independent kingdom in 1139. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal was a major economic, political, and cultural power, its global empire stretching from Brazil to the Indies.

Portugal, as a country with a long history, is home to several ancient architectural structures, as well as typical art, furniture and literary collections mirroring and chronicling the events that shaped the country and its peoples. It has a large number of cultural landmarks ranging from museums to ancient church buildings to medieval castles, which testify its rich national cultural heritage.

The Portuguese participate in many cultural activities, indulging their appreciation of art, music, drama, and dance. Portugal has a rich traditional folklore (Ranchos Folclóricos), with great regional variety. Many cities and towns have a museum and a collection of ancient monuments and buildings. Many towns have at least a cinema, some venues to listen to music and locations to see arts and crafts. In the larger cities visits to the theatre, concerts or galleries of modern exhibitions are popular, and Portugal can boast not only international-scale venues in Lisbon, Porto, Braga, Guimarães and Coimbra but also many acclaimed artists from various disciplines. The importance of the arts is illustrated by the fact that on the death of Amália Rodrigues, the "Queen of Fado" (fado is Portugal's national music) in October 1999, three days of national mourning was declared. In 1998, José Saramago, one of Portugal's well-known writers, was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. In 2001, Porto was European Capital of Culture, contributing to a current renaissance in artistic creation, and in 2004 Portugal hosted the European football finals in specially constructed stadiums.

In smaller towns and villages, cultural activity may revolve around local folklore, with musical groups performing traditional dance and song. Local festivities are very popular during the summer season in all kinds of localities ranging from villages to cities, as well as beach holidays from July to September. Portuguese people in almost all major towns and the cities like to go shopping in malls which are generally well equipped with modern facilities and offer a wide variety of attractions ranging from shops and stores of the most renowned brands to cinemas, restaurants and hypermarkets. Café culture is also regarded as an important cultural feature of the Portuguese. As the most popular sport, football events involving major Portuguese teams are always widely followed with great enthusiasm. There are a number of bullrings in Portugal, although the passion for bullfighting varies from region to region.

Croatian national shrine of Marija Bistrica

Marija Bistrica is a town and municipality in the Krapina-Zagorje County in central Croatia, located on the slopes of the Medvednica mountain in the Hrvatsko Zagorje region north of the capital Zagreb. The municipality has 6,612 inhabitants, with 1,107 residents in the settlement itself (2001 census).

Marija Bistrica has an old Marian shrine of the Black Madonna which is a place of pilgrimage and visited by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims every year. On 3 October 1998, Pope John Paul II visited Marija Bistrica and beatified Croatian Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac in front of a crowd of 500,000 Croatians.

UNESCO Heritage Portugal

Historic Centre of  Angra do Heroísmo

The Centro Histórico de Angra do Heroísmo is an historic centre located in the city of Angra do Heroísmo, the island of Terceira in the Azores Islands. It is a port with large importance between the 15th and the 19th centuries. The fortifications of São Sebastião and São João Baptista of the 16th century are the only examples of military architecture. It was destroyed by an earthquake that took place on the January 1, 1980, the city was later rebuilt. It was listed in 1984.

Jerónimos Monastery

The Hieronymites Monastery is located near the shore of the parish of Belém, in the municipality of Lisbon, Portugal. The monastery is one of the most prominent monuments of the Manueline-style architecture (Portuguese late-Gothic) in Lisbon, classified in 1983 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the nearby Tower of Belém.

Belém Tower

Belém Tower or the Tower of St Vincent is a fortified tower located in the civil parish of Santa Maria de Belém in the municipality of Lisbon, Portugal. It is an UNESCO World Heritage Site (along with the nearby Jerónimos Monastery) because of the significant role it played in the Portuguese maritime discoveries of the era of the Age of Discoveries. The tower was commissioned by King John II to be part of a defense system at the mouth of the Tagus River and a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon.

The tower was built in the early 16th century and is a prominent example of the Portuguese Manueline style, but it also incorporates hints of other architectural styles. The structure was built from lioz limestone and is composed of a bastion and the 30 meter (100 foot), four story tower. It has incorrectly been stated that the tower was built in the middle of the Tagus and now sits near the shore because the river was redirected after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. In fact, the tower was built on a small island in the Tagus River near the Lisbon shore.

Batalha Monastery

Mosteiro Santa Maria da Vitória, more commonly known as the Batalha Monastery, is a Dominican convent in Batalha, in the District of Leiria, Portugal. It is one of the best and original examples of Late Gothic architecture in Portugal, intermingled with the Manueline style.

Convent of Christ (Tomar)

The Convent of the Order of Christ is a religious building and Roman Catholic building in Tomar, Portugal, originally a Templar stronghold built in the 12th century. After the Order of the Knights Templar was dissolved in the 14th century, the Portuguese branch of the order was turned into the Knights of the Order of Christ, which supported Portugal's maritime discoveries of the 15th century.

Historic Centre of Évora

Alcobaça Monastery

The Alcobaça Monastery  is a Mediaeval Roman Catholic Monastery located in the town of Alcobaça, in central Portugal. It was founded by the first Portuguese King, Afonso Henriques, in 1153, and maintained a close association with the Kings of Portugal throughout its history. The church and monastery were the first Gothic buildings in Portugal, and, together with the Monastery of Santa Cruz in Coimbra, it was one of the most important of the mediaeval monasteries in Portugal. Due to its artistic and historical importance, it was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1989.

Cultural Landscape of Sintra

Historic Centre of Oporto

The historic center of Porto is the oldest area of Porto, Portugal, classified as World Cultural Heritage since 1996. Corresponds to the urban fabric marked by the medieval origins of the city and includes territories in the parishes of the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, Victory and Miragaia. Despite all the trends and changes over time that occurred in the historic center of Porto, still observing the urban ensemble which is based in the old medieval part provides an image of consistency and homogeneity. Suggests immutability and permanence in time, thus providing a unique example of an urban landscape endowed with identity, strong character and aesthetic quality.

Prehistoric Rock-Art Site of the Côa Valley

The Prehistoric Rock-Art Sites of the Côa Valley are open-air Paleolithic archaeological sites located in a region of northeastern Portugal, along the Portuguese-Spanish border. In the late 1980s, the engravings were discovered in Vila Nova de Foz Côa. The site in situated in the valley of the Côa River, and comprises thousands of engraved drawings of horses, bovines and other animal, human and abstract figures, dated from 22,000 to 10,000 years BCE. Since 1995 a team of archaeologists have been studying and cataloging this pre-historical complex and a park was created to receive visitors.

Laurisilva

Laurisilva or laurissilva is a subtropical forest, found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable and mild temperatures. They are characterised by evergreen, glossy-leaved tree species that look alike with leaves of lauroid type. The members of the Laurel family (Lauraceae) could be prominent, or in association. In Spanish, the word "laurisilva" is used for every laurel forest: Laurisilva misionera, laurisilva valdiviana, Macaronesian Laurisilva etc, even in African an Asian countries of Iberian background.

Many botanical species have similar foliage to the Lauraceae due to convergent evolution. Plants of the laurel forests must adapt to high rainfall and humidity. The trees adapted by developing leaves that repel water. Laurophyll or lauroide leaves are characterized by a generous layer of wax, making them glossy in appearance, and narrow, pointed oval in shape with an apical mucro, or 'drip tip', which permit the leaves to shed water despite the humidity, allowing perspiration and respiration from plant.

Historic Centre of Guimarães

The historic city of Guimarães is associated with the emergence of the Portuguese national identity in the twelfth century. It is an exceptionally well preserved example of the evolution of a medieval town to a modern city with a rich typology edificativa to show the development of Portuguese architecture from the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries with continued use of techniques and traditional building materials.

 Alto Douro wine region

The wine region of Alto Douro and Alto Douro Wine Region is an area of northeastern Portugal with more than 26,000 hectares, classified by UNESCO on December 14, 2001, as World Heritage in the category of cultural landscape and surrounded by mountains give individuals and climatic characteristics mesological. This region, which is bathed by the Douro River and forms part of a Douro wine region, producing wine for over 2000 years, including the world famous Port wine.

Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture

The Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture is a Unesco World Heritage Site. The vineyard is divided into plots (currais) protected by walls (paredes, murinhos). The walls are built with basalt blocks that have been weathered and broken up and stacked without mortar. Viticulture dates back to the 15th century.

UNESCO Heritage Croatia

Diocletian Palace and Medieval Split

The Emperor’s Palace is one of the most significant works of late-ancient architecture, not just for the preservation of original parts and the whole, but also for a series of original architectural forms announcing the new early-Christian, Byzantine and early-medieval art. The cathedral was built in the Middle Ages by using materials from an ancient mausoleum. Roman churches from the 12th and 13th centuries, medieval forts and gothic, renaissance and baroque palaces are contained within the Roman walls, thus creating a harmonious whole.

Dubrovnik Old Town

The Pearl of the Adriatic became a major Mediterranean power after the 13th century. This late-medieval planned city in the south part of the east Adriatic Croatian coast with its historical core situated at the foot of Mount Srđ has preserved the character of a unique urban whole throughout the centuries, defined by the city walls. It has a significant place in the history of city planning. Although severely devastated by the 1667 earthquake, Dubrovnik has managed to preserve its gothic, renaissance and baroque churches, monasteries and fountains.

Early-Christian Euphrasius Basilica Complex in Poreč

The cathedral complex in Poreč was named Euphrasius Basilica after Bishop Euphrasius who thoroughly renovated the cathedral in mid-6th century and decorated it with famous mosaics. Before Euphrasius’ renovation, there were at least two phases of early-Christian buildings in the same place. In Poreč, Christianity was established as early as the 4th century – the basilica, the atrium, the baptistery and the Episcopal palace are remarkable examples of religious architecture, while the basilica itself combines elements of classicism and Byzantine Empire in an exceptional way. The apse is luxuriously decorated with figurative mosaics that are among the most significant examples of its kind in Europe.

Historical Core of Trogir

Trogir is an excellent example of urban continuity. The orthogonal street plan of this island settlement originates from the Hellenic era – consecutive rulers continued to decorate it with exceptional public and residential buildings and forts. Its beautiful roman churches are supplemented with exceptional renaissance and baroque buildings. The most significant building is the Trogir Cathedral with its west portal, a masterpiece of Radovan and the most significant example of roman and gothic art in Croatia.

National Park Plitvice Lakes

The beauty of Plitvice and its unsurpassable attractiveness are a result of gypsum and gypsum-depositing plants. Creation of gypsum and rearrangement of the river bed created a string of 16 Plitvice Lakes representing a magnificent natural architectural phenomenon, surrounded by thick forests inhabited by bears, wolves and many other rare animal and plant species.

St. Jacob’s Cathedral in Šibenik

Built between 1431 and 1535, St. Jacob’s Cathedral witnessed important exchanges in the area of monumental art between North Italy, Dalmatia and Tuscany in the 15th and 16th centuries. Three architects - Francesco di Giacomo, George of Dalmatia and Nicholas of Florence – developed a structure fully made of stone, by using a unique technique for the cathedral’s dome. The result is a harmonious stone whole, arrangement methods and absolute harmony within the cathedral.

Starigrad Plain

In July of 2008, Starigrad Plain was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The explanation provided by the World Organization states that the vineyards and olive groves in the Plain have remained practically intact since it was first colonized by the ancient Greeks and that they are a unique example of the geometric land division used in the ancient times. Today, Starigrad Plain represents the best preserved ancient Greek landscape in the Mediterranean.

Croatian cuisine

Croatian cuisine is heterogeneous and is known as a cuisine of the regions since every region has its own distinct culinary traditions. Its roots date back to ancient times and the differences in the selection of foodstuffs and forms of cooking are most notable between those on the mainland and those in coastal regions. Mainland cuisine is more characterized by the earlier Slavic and the more recent contacts with neighboring cultures - Hungarian, Austrian and Turkish, using lard for cooking, and spices such as black pepper, paprika, and garlic. The coastal region bears the influences of the Greek, Roman and Illyrian, as well as of the later Mediterranean cuisine - Italian (especially Venetian) and French, using olive oil, and herbs and spices such as rosemary, sage, bayleaf, origano, marjoram, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, lemon and orange rind. Peasant cooking traditions are based on imaginative variations of several basic ingredients (cereals, dairy products, meat, fish, vegetables) and cooking procedures (stewing, grilling, roasting, baking), while bourgeois cuisine involves more complicated procedures and use of selected herbs and spices. Charcuterie is part of Croatian tradition in all regions. Food and recipes from former Yugoslav countries are also popular in Croatia.

Croatian cuisine can be divided into a few regional cuisines (Istria, Dalmatia, Dubrovnik, Lika, Gorski Kotar, Zagorje, Međimurje, Podravina, Slavonija) which all have their specific cooking traditions, characteristic for the area and not necessarily well known in other parts of Croatia. Most dishes, however, can be found all across the country, with local variants. This is also why the varied cuisine of Croatia is called "cuisine of the regions".

Purica sa mlincima - Turkey with mlinci (flat, sour dumplings) 

Vinski gulaš - Wine goulash

Bijeli tartufi – White tartufi

Krpice sa zeljem - Pasta with stewed cabbage

Sarma - Sauerkraut rolls filed with minced pork meat and rice 

Punjena paprika - peppers filled with minced meat 

Međimurska gibanica - cake with apple, poppyseed, walnut and cottage cheese fillings  

Orahnjača - sweet bread with walnuts and Makovnjača - sweet bread with poppy seeds 

Gastronomy - Central Croatia

Start with cow’s cheese and cream, then have some traditional Podravina cheese called Prge together with a slice of Samobor salami and spicy Samobor mustard. Then for your main dish eat a plate of turkey and pasta tatters. In Zagorje, try “hajdina kaša” [buckwheat mash], “kukurznu zlevku” [corn cake], “vrbovečka pera” [cheese pastry] and “Varaždinske klipići” [Varaždin rolls]. The most famous sweet of this region is without a doubt the Samobor kremšnita [custard cake] that goes very well with the Samobor bermet liqueur whilst the Graševina and white Pinot wines are very good.

Gastronomy- City Of Zagreb

With its roots in the Austro Hungarian tradition, Zagreb’s gastronomic offer consists of so-called “purgerski” cooking with dishes such as “Grenadir marša”, pasta with onion and cheese or the “Kajzeršmarn” desert that is very much like a pancake. All the same, in Zagreb for “gablec”, or elevenses, you should not miss out on the fresh cream and cheese, turkey with pasta tatters, cheese puff pastries, cabbage and pasta and for something sweet try the doughnuts and honey and pepper biscuits which can all be washed down with a glass of any famous Croatian wine.

Gastronomy - Dalmatia - Dubrovnik

Try the Ston oysters and mussels here, which are considered to be some of the tastiest and finest shell fish in the Adriatic. Asides from lamb and veal cooked in embers under an iron bell, this region’s gastronomic chapter consists of eel and frog stew from the Neretva valley. Maybe more than anywhere else on the coast, the Dubrovnik region offers special sweet pastries where the most famous are Rožata and Kotonjata as well as the Mantalata and Arancina cakes. All this should be accompanied with top quality wines such as Dingač and Postup from Pelješac, Pošip and Grk from Korčula, as well as Dubrovnik’s malvasia from Konavle.

Gastronomy - Istria

In Istrian inns the order of things is as follows: first an aperitif of mistletoe, rue or honey schnapps, followed by cheese and prosciutto accompanied with Istrian soup, and during the spring scrambled egg made from asparagus. In terms of the main dish, you can choose from either continental or seafood dishes. If you are tempted for a taste of the Mediterranean then you can eat fish, crabs and shellfish cooked in a thousand different ways. If you prefer continental food then start with a spoon of minestrone with broad beans, then eat some pasta with truffles, sauce of game or even ordinary goulash all the way to pork loin and sausages. For desert, try the kroštule, krafi or fritule pastries.

Gastronomy - Lika - Karlovac

The most famous gastro item of this region is the Lika potato, which has a Protected Geographical Indication (PDI). If you want to try a proper Lika menu start with an aperitif of plum or pear schnapps or perhaps a berry liqueur, then have some škripavac cheese and slices of dried game and then go for the main dish – traditional Lika baked potatoes with lamb cooked under the embers in an iron bell. There is also the highly valued Velebit honey, and for pudding you should simply eat some of the tasty fruits of the forest of blueberries and raspberries.

Gastronomy - Slavonia

The Slavonian dining table groans most of all with tasty ham, Kulen sausage and Kulen's sis sausage whilst in the typical Slavonian pot there is “grah čobanac [shepherd’s bean stew] and “fiš paprikas” [fish stew with hot red pepper] that is washed down with the not to be missed glass of plum schnapps. There are many good quality wines on offer here such as Ilok’s Traminac, Kutjevo’s Riesling as well as Graševina. In terms of sweets, there are “saljenaci” made in a traditional way from pork fat, different types of pastries filled with apples or walnuts or one cake with a very unique name “Poderane gaće“ [ripped underpants], whose funny name is in total contrast with its fine taste.