Vacations.com

As I mentioned in a previous post about Italy, the fact that the Euro has dropped almost 20% against the dollar since January is making Europe vacations look a lot more feasible for a wider range of American travelers. While there are now better bargains to be found in Europe, there are also some great deals to be found in the countries bordering the European Union that do not use the Euro. Croatia is one of those countries.

Located southwest of Slovenia, Croatia enjoys a large slice of Adriatic coastline relative to its size. It also shares borders with Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, and both Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina to the southeast. While the beaches, seaside towns, and 1100 islands of the Adriatic are the biggest draw for many vacationers, Croatia also boasts medieval fortresses and castles, Roman ruins, and vineyards and olive groves reminiscent of Italy. The infrastructure for travelers is well developed, offering excellent Croatia hotels, wonderful dining, and a wide range of transportation options.

I recently spent some time in Istria, a peninsula in the northern-most region of Croatia. Located just about an hour’s drive from Italy via Slovenia, Croatian Istria offers a fascinating cultural mélange created from its history of Roman, Venetian, Austro-Hungarian, Italian, and Yugoslav occupation. While spots along the coast like Rovinj, a town that still retains its 13th century Venetian roots, draw the most travelers, there are treasures to be found in inland Istria as well.

Croatia has been billed as an inexpensive version of Italy and nowhere is this more keenly felt than in Istria. Heading inland from the coast, travelers will admire rolling hills striped with vineyards and olive groves and dotted with Italianate, terracotta-roofed farmhouses.  These vineyards supply the grapes for the country’s fruity wines, while the olives are used to create wonderfully fragrant and peppery oils. Another treasure found in the hills of Istria from September through December is truffles, which are used liberally in Istrian cuisine.

If travelers have time to visit just one inland town in Istria, they should head straight to Groznjan, an ancient city perched on a hilltop. Under Venetian rule for over 400 years starting in the 13th century, Groznjan features winding cobblestone streets, medieval-era walls, a Baroque church, and views to the sea. Almost abandoned in the 1960s when many of its residents moved to Trieste, Italy to seek greater economic opportunities, Groznjan was discovered by artists and has since become a thriving artist and music community and home of a popular summer jazz festival.
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