In the beginning of the
7th century, Croatians settled in the present-day Republic of
Croatia. In the early Middle Ages, leading numerous
defensive wars, Croatia was on the boundary of civilizations. In
the 9th century its territory passed through the boundary between
the Frank and Byzantine Empire, in the 11th century between the
Catholic and Orthodox Church, and from the 15th to 19th centuries
between Christianity and Ottoman Islamism. From the 9th to 12th
centuries, Croatia was an independent and self-sufficient princedom
and later a kingdom, which are witnessed by many written
testimonials. Endless, armed conflicts with Venice, Byzantines and
Turks, forced the Croats into closer ties with the Austrian and
Hungarian dynasties which resulted in new, bigger or smaller,
battles for territorial sovereignty and the restoration of
independence. Croatia gained full national independence in
1990.
Numerous powerful
empires and countries which governed in these parts left their
visible marks on some distinct cultural heritage
monuments. Cities on the coast are mostly from the Ancient Times
and Middle Ages. The City of Pula with its
extremely well-preserved roman amphitheatre, Arch of the Sergians
and Temple of Augustus, as well as the Roman Emperor Diocletian's
Palace from the 4th century in Split (later
adapted into a medieval city, and today under UNESCO protection)
are the biggest monuments of ancient culture on the Croatian
coast.
The Basilica of
Euphresias in Poreč is the most beautiful, preserved early
byzantine art on the Mediterranean built in the 6th century. This
mosaics of the Bishop Euphresias Basilica are comparable to those
of San Vitale church in Ravenna; together these are the most
significant examples of mozaic art in all of Europe.
The complex of this triple nave
basilica is even regarded throughout the world as an important
historical monument which UNESCO declared a World Cultural Heritage
in 1997.
The Romanesque Period
characterizes Krk, Rab and Trogir. Trogir is the best
preserved Romanesque-Gothic city in Central Europe. It's Medieval
nucleus, surrounded by walls contains well preserved castles and
towers along with numerous buildings and palaces from the Roman,
Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods.
The most important building is
Trogir's Cathedral with its portal from 1240, a masterpiece by the
mastermason Radovan. It is the most significant example of
Romanesque-Gothic art in Croatia.
The Renaissance
characterizes Osor, Pag, Šibenik, Hvar, Korčula and
Dubrovnik. The planned city of Dubrovnik built in the 13th
century, is recognized by the best preserved renaissance walls and
towers, famous public buildings, churches, palaces and renaissance
summer homes of the nobility.
All of these buildings were built
during the existence of the independent Republic of Dubrovnik which
paid high taxes to the Turkish Empire in order to keep its
independence and undisturbed, developed thanks to trading, fishing
and plans for the acquired wealth for the adorning the city. Today,
the whole city is under UNESCO protection.
It is important to mention,
among the remainder of cultural monuments, the large number
of old Croatian chapels from the time of national rulers.
Especially interesting are the stone relief which are characterized
by braided ornamentation. The wooden doors of the Cathedral in
Split, showing scenes from the life of Christ and made by artist
Buvina in the beginning of the 13th century, are in exceptionally
fine condition.
Today's contemporary
art is interwoven within the historical, cultural and
architectural heritage. Palaces, atriums and squares become stages
in traditional festivals and international plays: Dubrovnik's
Summer Festival, Pula's Film Festival, Summer in Split and Musical
Evenings in Zadar and Osor, Days of Croatian Theatre...Sometimes
along with live classical and techno urban music, you can come
across traditional music and along with world-class trained
vocalists, the local young men of the "Klapa" (a Dalmatian vocal
tradition) which every town, including the smallest of seaside
places, offers.
The population of the
coastal region of Croatia and the islands since time immemorial
have been involved in seamanship, ship-building, fishing,
wine-making and olive-cultivating. From the clean seas the
people still collect salt through a drying process and in ancient
times it was the object of exchange for other goods. The oldest
salt works are in Ston (dating from the 13th century) and today
Croatia's sea salt is supplied from the island of Pag. For
centuries, olives have not only been a considered as food in
Croatia, but as a sign of life as well as medicine. The beautiful
and long-lasting olive trees are still planted and irrigated with
love so that our descendants can enjoy its fruits, whether eating
them fresh or pickled, marinated in oil, and enjoy the delicacies
which, without olive oil, would not be what they are.
The wild aromatic herbs of
rosemary, basil and fennel are as integral to the distinctive taste
of the native dishes of Istria, and of Dalmatian cooking as are the
wines offered with them. Through their colour and taste, these
wines are a witness to the power of the sun which, also thanks to
the hard work of man and tradition, is enveloped in every drop.
There are also many vineyards and grapevine and vineyards on the
islands appear, from the sea, to be sliding into the
water.
The Croatian wine-growing
tradition has carried its influence around the world
thanks to the significant emigrations of people from the islands to
new seas and new islands. Today the most famous wine-grower from
New Zealand is Grgich (Grgič) from Brač and there are also many
Croats in the Californian wine business.
Fragrant scents of the
Mediterranean are suspended over Hvar's wonderful fields of
lavender, whose sheaths, essential oils, aromatic creams and soaps
may be purchased everywhere on the coast to take home either as a
gift or simply to enjoy for oneself. In the sea, other than fish,
mussels, squid and urchins, it is possible to find - thanks to the
warm and clean Croatian waters - sponge and coral.
Sponge-growing has for generations been a local profession
of the islanders from Krapanj (although much less frequent
today) and the people of Zlarina extract and process the
deep-red Adriatic coral.
Seamanship and
ship-building are in the blood of the local people and the
example most frequently referred to is the world famous seafarer
from Korcula, Marco Polo. Dubrovnik was also home to renowned
ship-builders and today there exist a number of small shipyards,
one of them on Rab. Fish are found in some places and, due to the
rocky ground and the lack of rain, and have been the main food and
sustainers of families. Fishing is carried out in all weather
conditions, although nets have not often been full. The descendants
of the ancient fishermen from Salije and Komiža now fish in the
ocean next to the American or Chilean coasts and the remaining
locals supply the fish industry in Rovinj as well as a number of
restaurants...
Today, fish are caught by
long-line, fish-trap and lamplight, but it is mostly for tourism
and more out of pleasure than necessity. Yet a mouthful of fish
that has been freshly caught by ourselves, say the local
connoisseurs (and one must believe them), whether grilled or in a
fish-stew, is simply exquisite... All these rich activities
exist, and still develop themselves, thanks to the tourism
on the Croatian coast whose 130th anniversary has long been
celebrated. Aside from the hotel business, there are other
developments that have evolved with the times. While the 20th
century predominantly saw classical, medicinal and 'congress'
tourism, in this century there is more demand for nautical, rustic
and so-called 'Robinson' tourism.
Here in Croatia you can find all
this and a lot more. The natural beauty provides well-preserved and
diverse surroundings which offer the possibility of alpine sports,
hiking, rafting, diving, sailing, paragliding and more. If you are
not familiar with any of these and would like to learn, there are
many schools available, such as for diving or sailing. Lovers of
antiques and art, or archaeology-enthusiasts can set off to
discover of old coastal towns that speak their own story, such as
Split, a city 1700 years old.
The people of the
islands are distinguished by many virtues and are, apart
from hard workers, people who know how to enjoy beauty and life. In
the towns by the sea, as everywhere on the Mediterranean, life is
lived on the streets - whether for merriment or argument. Here
people discuss, gossip and sing. Our songs, especially the Klapa,
can be heard all the time. It is sung at work or in leisure, in
happiness or in sadness, for oneself or in company. For this reason
it is hardly surprising that the most famous Croatian singers are
predominantly from the coast and the islands. In their spare time,
men, although mainly those of more mature years, still play bowling
as in older days. In bowling, as well as in the sports generally,
Croatian men have been very successful. Women from the coast also
have their own fame and achievements. The fact that they are
claimed by many to be exceptionally beautiful is confirmed by
results of local and international beauty contests. We can also
assume that they are equally good mothers, judging by the fact that
most of our local songs, aside from speaking of the sea and love,
are odes to them! Women have long been involved in a profession
that has now generally been forgotten: silk and lace-making. In the
Dubrovnik area, Konavle is famous for its preserved silk works
which are the pride of every household. The women of Konavle breed
their own silk worms, feeding them, cooking the cocoons, spinning
out the silk thread and colouring it in yellow, red and black. Lace
is the speciality of the island of Pag, where the women's
involvement in threading lace is such an old tradition that it
virtually takes on mythical undertones. Today this lace is equally
precious, although not as precious as in previous times.
Coast
Croatia enjoys 5.835,5
kilometres of coast or, in terms of percentage of the entire sea,
as much as 74% of the Adriatic (the others are the following: Italy
16 %, Albania 5 %, Montenegro 3.3 %, Slovenia 0.5 %, and Bosnia and
Herzegovina 0.3 %). This coastline is also among the most indented
in the world. The Istrian peninsula covers a surface of 3.476
square kilometres and borders on three countries: Croatia, Slovenia
and small part of Italy.
From Croatia, the proximity of
Italy offers the possibility of discovering the Italian side of the
Adriatic. The city built on a marsh is the inevitable first choice.
Venice, once the true ruler of the seas, is now a
renowned Italian town located on four islands. Throughout the whole
town, in which cars are forbidden, is a labyrinth of canals
predominantly travelled by gondolas and vaporettos. The principal
tourist attractions are: a gondola trip, feeding the pigeons on St
Mark's Square, the Bridge of Sighs and the innumerable
churches...
Venice is the city with the most
epithets. One of them is La Serenissima - 'the most serene' as it
has for centuries been the synonym of the city of lovers and
artists. Equally, it has been a place of writers, musicians and
painters, of the magical glass from the island of Murano and the
home of a renowned artistic film festival. In the days of the
carnival, one can experience - as much as in Rio - a climax of
partying and enjoyment before the beginning of the Easter
celebrations. This week gives a full display of various types of
enjoyment and endless partying.
Croatia shares the Adriatic Sea
with the Republic of Slovenia, whose coast is also blessed with
beautiful nature and cities of fascinating history. More precisely,
the Slovenian coastline, with Koper bay and part of the Piran bay,
spreads up to the mouth of the river Dragonija.
Piran is the coastal town with well preserved
late-medieval walls surrounding the town. The walls consist of two
parallel ramparts from the 15th century (around 1475) and 16th
century. Some prominent sights are Tartijev Square and, on the
hillock outside the town, the complex of the county church of Sveti
Jurja known as the 'Venetian house', built in the middle of the
15th century as a residence in the Venetian gothic style. From the
Baroque age are derived the draw-well on the square and the
'Baroque house' from the end of the 18th century.
Exploring the Adriatic also
requires examining the south and visiting the Montenegrin
coast.
One of the most extraordinary
Adriatic gulfs, Bokokotorski (also known as the Gulf of Croatian
Saints) is today the territory of Montenegro. Igalo and Herceg Novi
are the most attractive tourist locations on the Montenegrin
Adriatic coast. One can easily reach Igalo from all directions and
by any mode of transport. Thanks to the proximity of two
international airports (the Dubrovnik Čilipi airport is 26 km away
and Tivat 22 km), the Adriatic road called the 'Magistral'
(connecting in all directions including Dubrovnik with Mostar,
Trebinje and Sarajevo), as well as with the Montenegrin capital
Podgorica, Igalo is connected with Croatia, Bosnia and other parts
of Europe. There is a ferry that establishes a marine connection
between Italy and the ports of Dubrovnik and Bar (in Montenegro).
Such a connection also exists with other Croatian
islands.
Igalo and its neighbour
Herceg-Novi are located in a picturesque small gulf in the
south-western coast of the Bokokotorski gulf at the foot of the
mountains of Orjen (1982 m). The ancient Greeks, Romans and
Illyrians had their settlements in the gulf as well as in the
neighbouring hills. Since that time, the big powers of Byzantium,
Venice, the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires conquered and
ruled this area. By walking through the streets and squares of
Herceg Novi you can stroll through the history of the
Mediterranean. You must see the Roman mosaics in Risan, the church
of Our Lady of The Rocks, the exhibits of the church's museum and
the wonderful church of Orovac built on a sheer rock face from
which there is a splendid view of Kotor bay. After this, you can
visit Dobrota and the old town of Kotor, 'Budva', which in summer
is thriving with life, as are the towns of Bečići, Milo, Sveti
Stefan and Petrovac. When visiting Bar, the town will proudly
present its 2000 year old olive tree whose trunk has a girth
greater of over 10 metres.
Your exploration of the Adriatic
must conclude either in the north or south, depending on your place
of departure. Since, when you think that you have seen everything
there always remain many places, many monuments as well as people
who deserve to be seen... Although the Adriatic Sea and its coast
are shared by many countries, the small pockets of different
cultures, habits and traditions that history has superimposed in
this region creates a mosaic whose fate is one of everlasting
beauty.
Croatian
gastronomy, especially from the coastal region,
developed in a tradition of natural, healthy food
based on meals of vegetables in olive oil, seafood and fish,
accompanied with wine and sheep and goats cheeses. The specificity
of the local cooking is in its preparation of meals. Vegetables are
cooked in a small amount of water with a seasoning of olive oil and
aromatic herbs and fish is prepared by stewing, boiling or
grilling. Meat, usually lamb, is roasted on a spit to get a unique
taste.
The northern and
southern areas of the Adriatic are characterised by differences in
taste and preparation of food, meaning one can distinguish
between the cuisine of Istria, Kvarner and Dalmatia.
The distinguishing
feature of Istrian cooking is in its abundant use of the natural
gifts of the given season, so that the Istrian gastronomic
experience is different at every time of the year.
If you visit the northern
Adriatic you must try Istrian 'Pršut', a ham dried
in the 'Bura' wind and an original Croatian product by geographical
descent. Another local dish is pork sausages
grilled or cooked in wine, although the most famous Istrian dish is
certainly 'Maneštra', a thick soup of vegetables
and dried meat. This region also offers a wealth of fish
and seafood specialities. Salty whitebait, a mollusc
salad, fresh fish - grilled or cooked - and Kvarner scampi are some
of the dishes enjoyed by the neighbouring Italians who often visit
on weekends. Various risottos and pastas served in
olive oil and with local truffles - these first-rate mushrooms
which emit a wonderful aroma - and divine asparagus are only a
fraction of the gastronomic wealth which must be explored
here.
Traditional Istrian
deserts are straightforward and modest, yet are perfect as
the finishing touch of an outstanding Istrian meal.
'Fritule' (deep-fried doughnuts) are a favourite
in winter and 'pinca' (sweet bread) is prepared
for Easter celebrations, consisting of pastry and
apples. Cooked or grilled sweet ravioli
are also enjoyed in every season.
Dalmatian cooking is
less aromatic and lighter than in Istria. The abundance of
fresh or lightly cooked vegetables has made them the garnishing for
the following diverse dishes: grilled fish, fish soup,
octopus, oysters from Ston, scampi and mussels 'na buzaru'
(stewed), 'pašticada' with gnocchi (also known as
Dalmatian goulash), barbecued meat marinated in rosemary or the
famous Pag cheese. These are some of the
specialities which everyone will love. Olives are
also inevitable - fresh or salted - and olive oil
is one of the foundations of Dalmatian gastronomy.
A typical Dalmatian
desert is a delight due to its simplicity. The most usual
ingredients include Mediterranean fruit, dried
figs, raisins, almonds; honey and a well-known sweet is the
Dubrovnik 'rožata' (caramel pudding made from
eggs) or gingerbread from the island of
Hvar.
To accompany every good
meal, but equally preceding or following it, you can enjoy a glass
of truly excellent wine. The wine cultivated in the
Croatian coastal region, as well as on the whole Mediterranean, is
a product which demands hard-work, knowledge and respect. The first
vineyards in the area were first established by the ancient Greeks.
The wine from their colony of Issa (on the island of Vis) was
considered the best wine of the ancient world. The expansion of
wine-making was carried about by the Roman army when they brought
seeds for grapevine and planted vineyards. The fertile earth and
the abundance of sun enveloping every grape resulted in exceptional
wines which were exported to every corner of the Roman
Empire.
The great adventurer and seducer
Giaccommo Casanova has written in his famous memoirs that he drank
'a fantastic refošk wine' in Istria. Neither the nobility,
travellers nor adventurers of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy have
resisted Istrian and Dalmatian wines which they have tried with
delight while on their journeys in the area.
Grapevine and wine are
an inextricable part of the history and the present of this rich
wine-growing region of diverse landscapes, climate and
earth, which gives such variety to today's wines and offers to
those who try them the discovery of so many new tastes. The white
Istrian Malmsey wine wonderfully complements a wide range of
seafood-cuisine. 'Teran' is a dark wine of ruby colour which has
been noted as having medicinal characteristics and which goes
exceptionally well with meat dishes, goulashes or game. The
'Zlačani Muškat' from Istria, with an intense smell of wild
carnations, is to be drunk with sweets and refined dishes as is
Dalmatian 'Prošek' which, with its expressive aroma, offers to
every connoisseur an intense pleasure. The renowned 'Plavac' from
the island of Hvar is an inevitable choice to accompany cooking and
goats cheese. Its pleasant dryness and distinctive bouquet
stimulate every palate. Primošten's native wine 'Babić' is known
worldwide and the wine-producing peninsula of Pelješac will offer a
real wealth of wines, under the names 'Postup', 'Dingač', 'Kneževo'
and 'Carsko'.
The wine trails of the
Adriatic will lead you to the discovery of wine cellars and their
mild wines, preserved in the traditional manner and with
centuries-long traditional methods of preparation and which you
can, after having tried them, bring back to your friends as a part
of your truly unforgettable holiday.