Croatia - a land of thousand islands.

The Republic of Croatia is young democratic Europen country - the Croatian parliament declaread independance in 1991. Inspite of that croatian people have left trace on long European history (Marco Polo, Ruđer Bošković, Nikola Tesla...).

Croatia is situated in south-east side of Europe and covers an area of 56.542 km2 with 31.067 km2 of territorial waters. The coast including islands, cliffs and reefs is 5.835 km long. There are 1.185 island, islets and reefs in the Adriatic sea, so it is not strange that Croatia is known as a land of thousand islands. Each of the islands has its own particular story and place in history. Inspite a great number only 66 of them are inhabited.

Because of it's position that stretches from the foot of the Alps in the north-west and the Plannonian Plain in the east, over the mountain range Dinara in the central region, to the Adriatic Coast in south, Croatia covers an area of great diversity. All these has made our land a place of rare beauty. What makes Croatian people proud is the untachable nature protected in numerous nature reservs and 8 national parks (Islands, Brijuni, Kornati and Mljet, River Krka, Plitvice Lakes, Paklenica canyon, Risnjak wooded mountain massive and north part of the mountain massive Velebit).

What made Croatia important in the history and nowdays is Adriatic sea. Lots of battles were waged for our Island and for the power on the Adriatic Sea. All those who have already visit Croatia or have heard about it, certainly know that Croatian sea is not just one of the most beautiful but the cleanest as well. If you ask in Croatia what sea means for croatian people the majority will answer that 'sea is a life here'. Croatian maritime tradition is more than a thousand years old. Croatian seafarers and shipbuilders spread theit skills and knowledge throughout all the seas and ports of the world. Life on our island is slow and more traditional but prepared to take what modern civilization has to offer to make life easier. Fishery is the most important activity and even today the old fisherman knows no retirement.

The first trip to the Adriatic and its islands as a journey into the unknown. Every other trip will be a journey to the already known country, always different but equaliy breathtaking.

We invite you to experience Croatia and spend an unforgetable holiday in one of the most beautiful and cleanest seas in Europe.

OPATIJA is a well known tourist resort in Croatia. It is situated on the eastern coast of Istria in Rijeka Bay on the foot of mountain Učka (1.400 m). It was named after a Benedectine abbey (Opatija in Croatian) of St Jacobs. Climatic conditions in Opatija are favourable, with relativly mild winters. In early 19th century Opatija was the winter and health resort of the worldly Centeral Europe. The hotel "Kvarner" bult in 1884 is the first hotel in Croatia and one of the first in Europe. The average temperature (in winter 4,7 in summer 23,3) allows succesful growth of camelias, magnolias, palms, bamboos and other subtropic plants in its parks.

RABAC a town, port and tourist centre on the south-eastern coast of Istria. The bay of the same name is the lower, submerged part of the depression through which a stream from the flysh Podlabin runs.
Monuments: the chapel of St. Andrew, a building of sample rectangular ground-plan, with the Gothical portal and windows.

KRK is the largest island of the Adriatic sea situated in Kvarner Bay. Forest account for 30,9% of the total island area and limestone plains are predominatly rocky. Main occupations are farming, wine production, fishery, hunting and tourism.
A town, port and summer resort KRK is the only town founded at the very coast. The coastline of town is rocky, shallow in the west and deeper in the east, and climate is extremely pleasant.
BAŠKA a town and a port on the southern coast of the island of Krk. Next to the old, compact part of the town, a new part with tourist facilities has been built, making Baska a well-known tourist destination.
Main occupations are tourism, fishing and farming.

CRES, an island in the external range of the Kvarner group of islands Among poorly indented coasts, the most prominent place on the eastern coast of the bay is Koromačna, and on the western coast Creska Luka, Valun, Martinšćica and Ustrine port. In its central part is the large Vransko Lake (5,75 sq km) with its bottom 68 m below sea level. Lake is the main source of water for the islands of cres and mali Lošinj. Most of the settlements are located in the western part of the island. Steep and inaccessible parts of the eastern coast are the natural habitat of white-headed vulture (ornithological nature park since 1986). The major place on the island is the town of Cres. Main occcupations include farming (olive, vine, vegetables), sheep-breeding, seafaring and fishing.
MARTINŠĆICA - a village on the western part of the island Cres, situated in the cove of the same name. Martinšćica is, together with the town of Cres, the only important coastal place on the island. Main occupation is fishery. The name originates from the medieval church of St. Martin.
VALUN a village on the western coast of the central part of island of Cres. Economy is based on farming and fishing. On the cemetery (in the cloister of the St. mark's church) the Valun Tablet has been found, probably the oldest Glagolitic epigraphic monument in Croatia (11th century).

LOŠINJ an island in the western part of the Kvarner Archipelago. In the port of Mali Lošinj, the Privlaka Canal has been dug through, so that the island of Lošinj is divided into two parts. There are several islets off the south-eastern coast, susch as Vele i Male Orjule, Kozjak, etc. the island has a mild climate and evergreen vegetation (myrtle, holm oak, laurel, etc.). Lošinj, once important due to its naval and shipbuilding trades, saw an intensive developemnt of tourism at the end of the 19th century. In 1892 Mali and Veli Lošinj became important climatic resort. traditional shipbuilding (small motor and race boats) and fishery, along tourism, are the main occupations.
A town Veli Lošinj was first mentioned in 1398 under the name Velo Selo (Big Village). The entire town especially its central part, has typical elements of the Baroque urban scheme, while residential architecture has late Baroque and classical features.

RAB an island in the northern Adriatic. Rab has mild winters and hot summers. With 2,499 hours of sunshine a year, Rab ranks among the sunniest part of Europe. Rab is rich in historical and cultural monuments dating from ancient times. Fishing used to be very important but tourism is the main occupation of the present. Apart from the town Rab, there are seven other villages: Lopar, Mundanija, Supetarska Draga, Kampor, Banjol, Palit i Barbat. RAB is a town and port on the western coast of the island. The city is a typically medieval urban centre surrounded by walls that are in large part still standing. The old city is dominated by four bell towers mainly in the Romanesque style. Town is rich of historical monumentsranging from ancient times.
SUPETARSKA DRAGA a town and a cove. The cove is the submerged part of the field of the same name, formed of flysh deposits.
LOPAR a little town in the Lopar Bay with beautiful 1,500 m long sand beach with groves of pine. Main occupations include tourism, fishing and farming.
KAMPOR as village on the coast of the wide cove. The inhabitants of Kampor have been depending on agriculture ever since ancient times, which is recently supported by the developement of tourism.

UNIJE - area 18 sq km. It consists of limestone, and south-west part is covered with send. The island is hilly and covered with mediterranean underbush. Western cost of island is poorly indented an mostly steep, while eastern coast comprises a number of smaller coves. The only settlement is the village of Unije situated in the back of a spacious bay, open toward the open sea, on the edge of fertile fields. Architecture is characterized by houses with gables overlooking the sea
Monuments: remains of a Roman mansion, the church of St. Andrew erected in the 15th century.

SUSAK - an island in the Kvarner bay west of Lošinj, with its surface of 6,3 sq km. the island is higher on the north side, and the major part is planted with wine grapes. The only settlement is the village with the same name. Village consists of an old part, on the edge of a sand terrace, and the newer, harbour part along the coast. Inhabitants live in isolation (endogamy), and distinguish from other inslanders by speach, customs, and folk costume.
The main acitivities are wine-growing, and fishery.
Monuments: church of St. Nicholas (1770), remains os a Benedictine monastery from 11th century.

ILOVIK - area 5,9 sq km. Ilovik is hilly, the highest peak Did riches 92 m. The whole island is covered with dense evergrren underbush. the only habitation, Ilovik, is situated on the north-east part of the coast. Village is protected by a rather long but small island of Sveti Petar. Main occupations include farming, fishing, sheep- breeding and tourism.
Minuments: the archeological site Sicadrija ciontaining ruins of the early medieval church of St. Andrew, 1-km long Ropman archeological zone on the island of Sveti Peta, walls of Benedictine monastery(11th century), ruins of quadrangular tower built by Venice in 1597.

SILBA - an island in the Zadar archipelago; area 15 sq km. Silba ranks among the sunniest island of the Adriatic - 2,750 hours of sunshine a year. Macchia dominates the island's vegetation cover, while the forest of holm oak expands mostly over the north-western part of the island. The only village on the island is Silba developed on the narrowest central part of the island, between the west and east ports. Main occupations are farming, wine-growing, livestock breeding, fishing and tourism. The island has been inhabited ever since the Roman times. In the 17th and the 18th centuries the village of Silba was known as a centre of seafarers and owners of sailing ships.

PREMUDA - an island in the Zadar archipelago with the same name village; area 9,2 sq km. Numerous coves are subemerged parts of short, dry, transverse valleys, among which Premuda nad Zaporat ar the largest. South-east of the cove of Zaporat, the coast descends abrutly to the sea on some places. Village of Premuda is situated in the interior of the northern part of the island. Main occupations are farming, growing of wine, olives, fruits and tourism.

SKARDA - an island in the Zadar Archipelago; area 42 sq km (length 3.5 km, width up to 1.5 km, the highest peak is Cimbel (102 m). The island is mostly covered with macchia. The coast is well-developed, and the largest cove Griparica, is protected from the bora and used as an anchoring ground. The only hamlet is Skarda situated on the northern coast of the island. Main occupations are farming, wine production, olive growing, fishing and tourism.

IST is an islan in the Zadar archipelago, with a surface of 9,65 sq km. Along the island are two ranges of hills separated from each other by a narow valley. The highest peak on the island is Straža 174 metar high. The cost is mainly steep and covered with thick underbrush, except in the southern part. On the south-western coast is the Siroko Cove with the village of Ist. The village is partly under vineyards and olive-groves. The area of ist is the starting point for sports fishing.

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