Travels in Croatia

I have had the tremendous good fortune to spend many summer weeks over the years on the sunny Adriatic Sea along the coast of Croatia. I have written about my connection to this land of 3.9 million people before and have visited the country a number of times since the mid-1980s, including when it was part of the the former Yugoslavia. I update this post for something to do between visits to the beach, to reflect on our trips here and for the certain enjoyment of four or five readers. An important disclaimer is that while I am married to a Croatian and I know all the swear words, I am not Croatian; I do not live here and I cannot really know the country or the people. My views are merely those of a tourist from another continent. 

The region known as the Balkans is an important nexus between the east and the west and has been a complex crossroads of clashing cultures for centuries. I apologize in advance for misunderstandings and oversimplifications I have of the history of Croatia, yet some background is important to better understanding the place today. To be fair, it would take a hundred pages to write even a cursory history of Croatia. If you’re interested, perhaps have a read of my summary to get a little background or cure your insomnia. 

Despite thousands of years of imperialistic rulers, conflicts, shifting alliances and a violent civil war that ended as recently as 2001, the transition to independence and NATO and full European Union (E.U.) membership in less than 20 years has been remarkable. I find most Croatian people to be self-aware, resilient, capable, well educated and quite frequently, humorous story tellers. The country is beautiful and the combination of Roman and Venetian architecture, eight UNESCO World Heritage sites, diverse landscapes, warm sunshine and the pristine Adriatic Sea have made Croatia a “must see” travel location for people around Europe and increasingly, from other continents. The only downside is that the secret is out, and many of the top locations are as crowded in the peak summer months as other European hot spots. The upside is that there are a thousand islands along the undulating Croatian coast and many are so narrow that when you stand in the middle of the island you can see the Adriatic on both sides. For every beach or town packed with sunbathers and tourists there are twenty uncrowded beaches and villages waiting to be discovered, all with warm waters, medieval architecture, ancient squares and narrow, meandering streets and stairways.

In Croatia, the airport, bus and ferry services are good and improving and we recommend travelling by rental car, and adding some boat excursions along the Adriatic coast, as both would give you access and freedom to explore more places, including many that are less predictable destinations. The Adriatic Sea is a very popular destination for sailors and yachts people - if you can arrange it on your own or with friends, and book a charter, this would be the ideal way to see many incredible places along the coast and you can usually sleep on the boat. You can also stay in hotels ranging from one to five stars, bed and breakfasts, rent an apartment or a house, search on Airbnb and other sites and camping is also popular and readily accessible. Below are areas we have visited and would recommend, but please know that there are many we have yet to get to, and our list is incomplete. I have used the Croatian spelling whenever possible – please note that the accent over the letter c, s or z makes the word pronounced ‘ch’, 'sh' or 'zh'. 

Dubrovnik – once known by its Latin, Dalmatian and Italian name Ragusa, Dubrovnik is located on the southern end of the Croatian Adriatic coastline. The old town (stari grad) is a UNESCO world heritage site and the 'Pearl of the Adriatic' became an important Mediterranean power from the 13th century onwards. Despite the many battles in the Balkans over the centuries, Dubrovnik largely managed to preserve self-government as a free-state and grow into a powerful and modern trading territory, at times rivalling Venice. The walled city fortress protected its beautiful Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces and fountains. The 90-minute walk around the medieval upper wall, with incredible views of the old town and nearby coastline, is spectacular and something I love. Be cautioned though - as parts of the popular TV series Game of Thrones (i.e. King's Landing) was filmed on location here, tourism has increased even more - and it is very crowded in the peak summer months and includes the unfortunate 'hustle' you see in other places, including higher prices and every tour guide and restaurant trying to lure you in. However, you will find refreshing, cold and free drinking water from a couple of ornate public fountains - and all seasoned travellers know to pack a good, insulated water bottle, along with a camera, decent sunglasses, SPF 30 cream and a hat, and you'll need all of these in the summer in Croatia! 

As in many old towns ('stari grad') along the coast, you can't help but imagine life hundreds of years ago as you walk along familiar streets and piazzas on worn slabs of limestone, polished with centuries of use. Below is the main road or Stradun that cuts through the heart of the old town in Dubrovnik (and is normally packed full of tourists). Often with a fresh gelato in hand, I love strolling this and nearby streets full of shops, restaurants and cafes, pondering whether I would have been a nobleman or a commoner. At least here I would not have been a slave. For centuries, imperialistic empires regularly enslaved local people and human trafficking still exists in our world today, so it is interesting to note that Dubrovnik did not participate in slavery and, in 1416, abolished participation in the slave trade by law. Korčula (up next) abolished slavery as early as 1214 (the Magna Carta was signed in 1215). Dubrovnik had a large fleet of ships and was very much involved in global trade, but they refused to traffic in slaves. The city-state of Dubrovnik had a long history of standing for justice, equality and freedom so the law was created to send a clear message to the world that the people of this city-state valued human life. 

Korčula – (Korchula) the island of Korčula is a great place to visit and features excellent beaches and the main attraction is the old town – a medieval walled city positioned on an oval-shaped swelling of land pointing deep into the Pelješac channel. There is some heated debate with Venetians, but the locals claim it is also the birthplace of Marco Polo. The old town features charming, narrow streets that branch off the spine of the main street like the fish bone. This design was used to reduce effects of wind and sun and provide citizens with sheltered and comfortable accommodation. It is interesting to wander the small town and look in the shops and the stone streets come alive at night with busy restaurants and musical performers. The island and nearby peninsula of Pelješac are well known for vineyards and great wines (as are other areas of Croatia) - perhaps book a wine tour and enjoy a glass or two. Cheers or Živjeli!

Hvar – the island of Hvar is massively popular and the old town of Hvar was an important trading and naval port and agricultural centre on the coast coveted by Greeks, Romans, Venetians, Ottomans and Austro-Hungarians. The 'stari grad plain' is an ancient farming area that has been preserved since the Greeks established and subdivided the area with stone walls in the 4th century B.C. and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Today, the island and ancient town are very popular for tourists, from backpackers to billionaires and when we were there in the summer of 2016, a 77m private luxury yacht with a helicopter on board was moored in the inner harbour. (Strangely, the two young guys casually guarding the gangway didn't believe that I went to school with the Kuwaiti billionaire owner and I did not get a tour). While the fragrant flowering plant and products are popular all over the coast, Hvar is often called the "lavender island". It is also one of several Croatian locations known for "party tourism", with frequent musical festivals and bars open until 5 or 6 in the morning - alas, while my dance moves are still spectacular, this is now well past my bedtime!

Split – the second largest city in Croatia after Zagreb and significant port on the Adriatic, this ancient city is believed to have been created by the Greeks in the 4th century B.C. Split (aka Spalato) became a popular retirement city for Roman emperors after Diocletian had a palace built in 305 B.C. and was buried there - this is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Split is home to lots of shopping, both local and major brands (you'll even find McDonald's, but don't even think of it, not even for breakfast; the local cafes and restaurants are too good!); as well as ancient cathedrals and ruins and a beautiful walk along the sea with mature palm trees and luxury yachts. Split is also a great location to take day-long boat excursions to sea caves, blue lagoon waters, beautiful beaches and nearby Trogir, Hvar and the island of Brač (with the popular Zlatni Rat (Golden Horn) beach - photo below) among other spots.

Zadar – yet another historic old town of Roman ruins, medieval churches, cosmopolitan cafes and museums set on a small peninsula, Zadar is an interesting city. It is also not too crowded and listening to the waves break into and 'play' the sea organ and seeing the giant sundial at sunset are worth the visit (Alfred Hitchcock apparently enjoyed many sunsets in Zadar, but we saw no evidence of unusual bird activity). From Zadar, you can also take a boat trip to the 150 or so small islands just off the coast, called Kornati National Park (2nd photo below). Also nearby is the beautiful Dugi Otok (Long Island), that also has some amazing beaches (3rd photo below).

Trogir – yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site, Trogir is a remarkable example of thousands of years of civilization. The street pattern of this island settlement dates back to the Greek Hellenistic period (300 BC), and has been embellished by successive rulers with many fine public and domestic buildings and fortifications. Romanesque churches are complemented by outstanding Renaissance and Baroque buildings from the Venetians. By the way, if you're an architectural troglodyte, and like me, you thought Rococo was an ice cream flavour, no worries, just imagine there a lot of very interesting old buildings and churches to marvel at.

Cres and Lošinj and Krk – these three larger islands are part of the northern Adriatic coast. The area enjoys very mild Mediterranean climate, plenty of sunshine, and both popular and secluded beaches. It is important to note that some beaches in Croatia are designated with signs that declare FKK or nude beaches, and some topless sunbathers can be found on all beaches. The nudist lifestyle is quite popular, and includes designated beaches, some camping areas, sailing and usually involves entire families. I always appreciate the diverse cultural differences you discover while travelling, but I can't imagine playing board games on the beach with my naked parents and I am certain my own kids have zero interest in seeing this act! 

The island of Krk can be accessed by a very cool looking bridge, the other islands by a short ride of one of the many Jadrolinija ferry boats - these ferries are typically on time and will often add extra runs during busy times. Cres and Lošinj are separated by a narrow, 6-meter wide channel (and a one-lane bridge) that was dug in Roman times to help sailing ships. The towns of Mali Lošinj, Cres and Krk are worth a visit and, like areas all over Croatia, there are countless smaller villages and beaches accessed by incredibly winding, one lane roads that are fascinating to see (e.g. Malinska, Baška, Lubenice, Valun, Beli, Osor, etc.). As on all the islands, you will find many beaches, including some rare sand beaches, kilometres of hiking trails, small local fishing boats, luxury sail boats, yachts and even some newer 5-star luxury hotels (e.g near Čikat), if that is your style. As I have written about previously, we have a small home on Cres and prefer to spend long periods relaxing on various nearby beaches and fitting in the more hectic pace of travelling and sightseeing as we can.

A sunset view from our home on the Island Cres (Otok Cres). 

Pula – the largest city on the northern part of the Croatian coast known as Istria, Pula has been the hub of this area since Roman times. More great architecture, beaches and an incredible and accessible Roman arena or colosseum that is worth the visit (where modern outdoor events and concerts are still held).

Pula Arena - 2000 years old & still hosting concerts

Rovinj – while very popular with tourists today, this key location in Istria is still a very busy fishing port on the northern Adriatic and you can watch active fishermen working on their boats or mending nets on the outer seawall. The old town is crammed onto an egg-shaped peninsula on a small hill. Nearby is the popular Punta Corrente Forest Park and several large hotels. The old town is full of steep, winding, picturesque stone streets, restaurants, apartments for rent and features many artists and studios selling original paintings and creations - a very cool place to walk and explore! The wood steps up the centre of the tower in the church at the top of the hill provides a great view of the town and surrounding sea. Rovinj is also officially bilingual, with both Croatian and Italian common, but in all tourist areas you will find lots of people who speak other languages, including plenty of English, to help all travellers. 

Rovinj at sunset

Plitvice and Krka National Parks – it has been several years since we have visited, but these two national parks are inland from the coast, and have become massively popular with tourists (Plitvice is a UNESCO World Heritage site). They feature many kilometers of trails, crystal clear lakes and cascading waterfalls. Being from the west coast of Canada, the home of some of the most incredible forests, hikes and waterfalls in the world, these destinations resonate less with me; however, online reviews and blogs are exceedingly positive, but if you’re going to go, pack a lunch and arrive early in the morning to beat the crowds.

Zagreb – the 1,000 year old capital city of Croatia, the city is now home to large, modern shopping malls and stores and restaurant chains recognized all over Europe; however, there is still a lot to see in this growing city (the greater Zagreb area is home to 1.3 million). If you have limited time, consider booking a walking tour. The Gornji Grad (upper town) contains interesting architecture, cobblestone streets and many churches. There are excellent parks, museums, a vibrant arts culture and countless cafes and restaurants. Be sure to see the outdoor Dolac market, Kamenita Vrata, St. Mark’s church with the beautiful mosaic roof, the two tall spires on the Zagreb Cathedral on Kaptol, the Museum of Naive Art, and my favourite area, the shops, bars and cafes along Tkalčićeva Street. If you’re a sports fan, Croatians have many world class athletes and Zagreb is home to excellent soccer, basketball, team handball, water polo, tennis, volleyball and rowing clubs and an ice hockey team - maybe catch a game!

Other Thoughts – Croatia is not a very big country and the main highways, while tolled, are excellent yet smaller routes near the sea can be serpentine, narrow and steep (a GPS device is a good idea). You can also travel to many other interesting European locations and places like Bled, Budapest, Vienna and Venice are nearby. In Croatia, the speed limit on the major highways is 130 km/h (stay out of the left lane unless you are passing as the 'fast drivers' in Europe are really fast!) and you can drive from Zagreb to Dubrovnik (600kms) in the same day (or take a one hour flight) and spend time working your way up the coast, via car, ferry and small boat excursions. For the active, fit and adventurous, travelling the coast by bicycle or motorcycle/scooter are also popular and outdoor adventures like hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, scuba diving, snorkeling, sea kayaking and even big game fishing are all available. There are countless other places to see and visit and with a few hours on Google, you can find great advice and see stunning photographs of Croatia. As with most travel, the earlier you book, the more money you will save, especially with flights and car rentals. In the summer, the weather is typically sunny and hot (30-35 degrees) and this can seem oppressive if you're not by the sea. The Adriatic Sea really is incredible - clean, clear, warm and spectacular to swim, cliff jump, snorkel, scuba, windsurf, paddle board, kayak or explore by sail or power boat. However, it is not the sand and surf of Hawaii, and the beaches are typically pebbly or rocky, so some kind of 'water shoes' are necessary. 

Nice hike; great view!

The food in Croatia is outstanding and prices reasonable by western standards (although no longer inexpensive, especially in popular tourist locations such as Dubrovnik). I recommend you try the wine, both whites and reds, and the cold beer (pivo) is great after a hot day of hiking or at the beach and you're certain to be offered a shot of 'rakija' or 'šljivovica' that are a form of brandy made from grasses, plums or other fruits - an acquired taste, but the best stuff is good and usually homemade. Croatians love to talk and have a coffee (unfortunately, still too often with a cigarette) and the variety of kava, from espresso to cappuccino to 'bijela kava' or latte, are all very good (find out where the locals go - the prices will be much more reasonable). While bottled water is for sale, I've always found the water out of the tap to be safe, clean and tasty (fill up a bottle and put it in the fridge). The food available in the local shops and wide variety of restaurants - especially the local extra virgin olive oils, cheeses, pršut or prosciutto, figs, plums and other fruits, fish and seafood, fresh fire-roasted lamb or pig, ćevapi and mixed meats and amazing thin-crust pizza, are all excellent. For dessert, you must try the pastries, the palačinke (crepes) and the fresh, homemade gelato - not all gelato is made the same - the best stuff is fresh and full of flavour. As odd as this may seem to mention, Croatians also have incredible ice-cream (sladoled) on a stick - try the variety of King by a Croatian company called Ledo - simply outstanding on a hot day! 

Enjoy your travels and dobar tek! 

Croatia - A Short History

The region known as the Balkans is an important nexus between the east and the west and has been a complex crossroads of clashing cultures for centuries. I apologize in advance for misunderstandings and oversimplifications I have of the history of Croatia, yet some background is important to better understanding the place today.  This is a short history of Croatia and has been researched from many sites online, both detailed and general, with thanks various scholarly articles as well as tourist snapshots provided by Rick Steves’ Europe and Lonely Planet.  Any and all errors are mine.  It is limited and compressed by design, and only intended to paint a very broad picture of the long history of the area.  It is also a stark reminder of how short the written history of Canada is by comparison.

Not including existing evidence of prehistoric man in the Neolithic era (6000-2000 BC), Croatia can trace its history back to the Illyrians (Indo-Europeans), who began migrating into the region around 1000 BC.  Later, the Greeks and then the Romans pushed their way into the land now known as Croatia, and by 11 BC, Rome conquered much of the interior and ruled for five centuries. The area was organized into Dalmatia on the Adriatic coast and Upper and Lower Pannonia, which covered much of the interior of modern Croatia.  Croatia eventually became two general historical regions - the Adriatic coast or Dalmatia and Croatia proper or Slavonia (although other distinct regions exist).

The history of the Balkans and Croatia includes thousands of years of conquerers, kingdoms, fragile coalitions, the powerful influences of Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Muslim churches, monasteries and mosques and war. This included Greeks, Romans, Venetians (who ruled much of Dalmatia on the Adriatic coast with an iron-fist for 700 years), Turks or Ottomans, Austro-Hungarian Habsburgs, Napoleon and the French and again the Austrians and Hungarians and, after their arrival in the 7^th century, ever changing alliances of clans and tribes of Southern Slavs.  The influences of this history can be seen in the incredible street and city designs and architecture found in Croatia today, including Roman amphitheaters, castles, walled fortresses and remarkable Neolithic, medieval, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque examples.

During the 8^th century the Dalmatian and Pannonian Croats organized themselves around powerful clans, one of which was called Hrvat (Croat), a name that the clan gave to its territory in central Dalmatia, Bijela Hrvatska (White Croatia). Throughout the history of the region, alliances changed and wars erupted, towns were burned, churches and monasteries plundered and tens of thousands of citizens were killed or forced into slavery.  There were also small pockets of independence, examples including areas around Zagreb and Ragusa (Dubrovnik), due to their fortified walled town centers that were difficult to penetrate.

One of the Ever Changing Balkan Maps - Dalmatia part of Venetian Rule; Slavonia part of Austria

By the 19th century, one of the effects of dominating foreign rule was to create the first stirrings of a national identity among the southern Slavic people. Traditionally, upper-class Dalmatians spoke Italian, and northern Croats spoke German or Hungarian. The sense of a shared identity first found expression in the 1830s and centered on the revival of the Croatian language that prompted calls for the teaching of the Slavic language in schools and even for the unification of Dalmatia with Slavonia. At the same time as dreams of a united Croatia were emerging, the Eastern Orthodox Church was encouraging the Serbs to form a national identity based upon their religion. A spirit of unity grew, and by 1906 Croat-Serb coalitions had taken over local government in Dalmatia and Slavonia, forming a threat to the Hungarian power structure.

World War I erupted after a radical Bosnian Serb nationalist — with the aim of uniting the South Slavs — killed the Austrian archduke and heir to the Habsburg throne during a visit to Sarajevo. This triggered a chain of events and caused Europe and the world to descend into The Great War. During the war, the Serbs fought alongside England and France with the Allies, while the Slovenes and Croats, as citizens of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, were compelled to take up arms against them.

When the Austro-Hungarian Empire fell at the end of World War I, the map of Europe was redrawn. After centuries of being governed by foreign powers, many Slav leaders pushed for the creation of an independent South Slav state, rather than be absorbed by a non-Slavic power. The South Slavs joined together to form the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (1918). This was later known as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1929) or Land of the South Slavs (yugo means south). Yugoslavia was born, but this new union was fragile.  The Croats, Serbs and Slovenes remained cautious of one another’s intentions but they were more suspicious of the Italians, who laid claim to many of the important coastal cities of Dalmatia.  They chose to align with one another over Italy.

The flag of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (similar to flag of Serbia today).

The tenuous coalition was immediately fraught with problems as nationalistic leaders among both Croats and Serbs led to distrust, tension and a few assassinations. From the very beginning, the various ethnicities struggled for power within Yugoslavia. The largest group was the Serbs (45%), followed by the Croats (25%). Croats often felt they were treated as lesser partners under the Serbs.  Croatian extremists formed the notorious Ustaše Liberation Movement and nationalistic Serbs created a group known as the Četniks (Chetnicks), a fierce Serbian paramilitary force who embraced the skull and crossbones symbol and the slogan “liberty or death”.  Both sides used brutal violence to kill one another. The Ustaše worked with the Nazis in WWII and set up concentration camps to wipe out Serbs, Jews and others while the Četnik formations soon led massacres of Croats in eastern Croatia and Bosnia. 

Another fighting resistance group that emerged during WWII were the Partizans, led by Josip Broz, better known by his nickname, Tito. The Partizans wanted to liberate Yugoslavia from the Nazis and create a new communist state. After years of intense guerrilla fighting and with the eventual support of Churchill and the Allies, the Partizans emerged victorious. Indeed, as the rest of Eastern Europe was being “liberated” by the Soviets near the end of WWII, the Yugoslavs won independence on their own. Soviet troops passed through the Balkans in pursuit of the fleeing Nazis, but were not welcomed. After a precarious Yugoslav union was first created between the World Wars, Tito proved to be the one man who could actually unite the South Slavs.  As a war hero and Communist party leader, Tito emerged as a political force after World War II. Born in Croatia with a Croatian father, Slovenian mother, Serbian wife, and a home in Belgrade, Tito represented a true Yugoslav. Tito had a compelling vision that this splintered alliance of the South Slavs could function.

The flag of Yugoslavia with the Communist Red Star or 'Crvena Zvezda'

Tito’s vision of Yugoslavia lasted over 40 years and was made up of six republics each with its own parliament and president, and two autonomous regions. Serbia (mostly Orthodox Serbs) was home to the national capital in Belgrade, Croatia (mostly Catholic Croats), Slovenia (mostly Catholic Slovenes), Bosnia-Herzegovina (mostly Muslim Bosnians, but with large Croat and Serb populations), Montenegro (mostly Orthodox) and Macedonia (with about 25% Muslim Albanians and 75% Orthodox Macedonians). Within the Republic of Serbia, Tito also established Kosovo in the south (mostly Albanians) and Vojvodina in the north (mostly Hungarians).  "Brotherhood and unity" was Tito's motto, and any form of regionalized nationalism was strongly discouraged and Tito’s sometimes oppressive control kept the country from unraveling.  The celebrated “Partizans” and later the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNL) were portrayed as heroes to future generations (taught daily in schools), but they eventually became quietly distrusted by many.  They were ruthless in rooting out and imprisoning, expelling or killing anyone deemed to be a ‘nationalist’ or an ‘enemy’ of their vision of Yugoslavia. This included suppressing the Catholic Church that was so important to most Croatians. While many considered him an effective and ‘benevolent dictator’, Tito was a controversial figure and prominent dissidents, including many who had left the country, are believed to have been killed by Tito’s “murder squads”.

Tito was a very skilled political leader.  Yugoslavia was communist, but it wasn’t Soviet communism; there are no statues of Lenin or Stalin. Despite constant pressure from Moscow, Tito broke away from Stalin and refused to ally himself with the Soviets. As this was the peak of the Cold War, he also received good will and over $2 billion in aid from the United States. Tito cleverly played the West and the East against each other and received support from both.  The fledgling nation prospered and Yugoslavs had the unique ability to travel freely both in the west and the east, rare in the period of the Cold War.

With Tito’s death in 1980, the fragile union he held together started to unravel.  The concentration of power in Belgrade had long been a contentious issue as it became apparent that money from the more prosperous republics of Slovenia and Croatia was being disproportionately distributed to the other republics. The problem was magnified in Croatia, which saw money from its prosperous tourist business on the Adriatic coast flow into Belgrade. At the same time, all over the country Serbs were over-represented in the government, armed forces, police and state-run businesses and this became a source of great tension to non-Serbs.  By the late 1960s, Croatian writers wanted more freedom and in 1971 Croatian protestors rallied for more autonomy in what was known as the “Croatian Spring”.  This was squashed by the Yugoslav army and leaders were arrested.  Many had grown tired of four decades of communist rule, as with all communist states of this time, those in power lived more like kings than socialists, including Tito.  The late 1980s was also a time when the Communist bloc was crumbling across Eastern Europe.

The breakup of Yugoslavia began in the late 1980s in the province of Kosovo between the Serb minority and the Albanian majority. The Serbs consider Kosovo the cradle of their civilization — the medieval homeland of their most important monasteries and sites. But by the 1980s, 90% of Kosovans were Albanian, and the few Serbs living there claimed they were oppressed.  When nationalistic Serb leaders annexed Kosovo, other republics, especially Slovenia and Croatia, moved toward legislated secession and the country began to fall apart. In the summer of 1991, Croatian independence was quickly supported by Pope John Paul II and he pressured Germany and other influential nations to recognize Croatia. Today, Croatia is considered by many to be the “most Catholic country in Europe” with estimates of over 90% of citizens identifying themselves as Catholic.

What started as a peaceful process disintegrated rapidly and much blood was shed, especially in parts of Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.  Like almost all civil wars, there were no clear-cut good vs. bad or right vs. wrong. The west-supported Croatians believed they were fighting for independence from a centralist, communist regime that was increasingly controlled by Serbians, who were largely Orthodox.  The Serbs believed that they had been victims since their grandparents were executed in Ustaše concentration camps and moved out of traditional Serb territories or were simply protecting Serb minorities in other republics. Over the ten-year civil war (1991-2001), both sides resorted to genocide, both sides had victims, and both sides had brutal military leaders and, at times, the tactics were fierce and inhumane.

Croatia became a member of NATO in 2009 and today, Slovenia and Croatia are full members of the European Union and are as stable as most of Western Europe. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as well as Montenegro and Serbia are candidate-countries applying to enter the E.U. and Bosnia-Herzegovina applied in 2016. The E.U. requires member nations to have stable governments, economies, justice systems, rules of law, public administration and political institutions to be considered. The seventh country to emerge from Yugoslavia, Kosovo, is a fledgling democracy.  However, some observers consider the Balkans a place where historic hatred and ethnic passions will unavoidably flare up, and the potential for future conflict smolders. While increasingly less common, some still obsess about vengeance for wrongdoings that happened decades or centuries in the past. Many regions are struggling economically and wrestling with the transition from bogged down, socialist bureaucracies and ways of thinking.   Croatia and Slovenia continue to have border disputes, Bosnia-Herzegovina struggles under inefficient governance, and Serbia occasionally hints they will reclaim Kosovo. When the people of this region encounter others in their travels, they will quietly evaluate each other’s accent to determine, are they one of us?

The Croatian flag with the chessboard coat of arms and five crests symbolizing (from left to right) old Croatia, Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Istria and Slavonia.

Despite all of this, the transition to independence and NATO and E.U. membership in less than 15 years has been remarkable and, despite challenges, the country is developing and growing rapidly. Croatian people are self-aware, resilient, capable and well educated.  The country is beautiful and the combination of diverse architecture, stunning landscapes, warm sunshine and the pristine Adriatic Sea have made Croatia a “must see” travel location for people around the world.