Thursday, January 31, 2008

Rafting in Croatia

Croatia is a dream destination to experience the wildness of nature and rafting the rivers of Croatia is a wonderful way to experience the unspoiled Croatian interior. Following are some of Croatia's best rafting rivers:

Dobra River Converging on Karlovac, this is a great rafting destinations all year round.

Kupa River
Flowing between the forested slopes and valleys of National park Risnjak, the river Kupa has enough waterflow only in spring and after heavy rainfalls.


Zrmanja River
This river near historical town of Zadar is best rafted in the spring and kayaked in the summer.



Korana River
This is another great river to raft in early spring and after heavy rains. It has incredible variety:
Source - from Plitvice Lakes National Park, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sixteen beautiful lakes on different levels and hundreds of waterfalls between them are being fed by waters of White and Black Rivers.

Una River

Forming the border between Croatia and Bosnia, this river is an exciting rafting experience downstream of the Strbacki buk waterfall, especially when water levels are high. The section of Una from 20-meter Strbacki Buk waterfall is great for rafting, grade III-IV at low and grade V at high water level. The left bank is Croatian, right bank Bosnian, but they are equally beautiful.

Krka River
Rafting this river takes you through the most unspoiled scenery of the Krka National Park.

Cetina River
The banks of this Dalmatian river are dense with vegetation and the cliffs, beautiful waterfalls and caves along the way make it scenically unforgettable. Cetina river is situated in the peaceful countryside of Dalmatinska Zagora region and it i slowly passes through numerous canyons, spots and hills rising above it.

Accommodation in Croatia can be found here Apartments Croatia



Thursday, January 24, 2008

Discover the 3000 years of Zadar's history

Zadar is a place whose rich spiritual and material culture is best testified to by its walls and numerous sacral monuments, crowned by the symbol of the city: 9th - century church of St. Donatus. St. Donatus is the most monumental Croatian building of early Middle Ages. Replete with rich archives, libraries and outstanding treasuires of sacral music, Zadar is also a city in which the first Croatian novel came to be, and where the first newspapers in the Croatian language were printed. Zadar is also a city with the larges researched Roman forum on Croatian side of the Adriatic. The region of Zadar tells the story of the sources of Croatian cultural heritage better than any book.


Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Info about Northern Dalmatia

Most of Croatia's more developed islands are located in Northern Dalmatia. Islands are divided into two groups: the group of islands belonging to the Zadar and the other group to the islands belonging to the Sibenik region. These regions have around 500 islands and islets. The well-known islands of Northern Dalmatia are Silba Island, island of Pag, island of Ugljan, island of Murter, island of Pasman, Zlarin Island, Molat Island as well as the group of islands which make up the Kornati National Park and the Telascica Nature Park on Long Island. On many of these islands guests will have the chance to see the stone ruins of many historical towns as well as beautiful vineyards and olive trees.



Thanks to their very long history which stretches back to Roman times,towns of North Dalmatia abound in historical monuments. Zadar is full of traces of different cultures that succeeded one another over the centuries. The Biograd Riviera is one of the most attractive tourist destinations on the Adriatic coast. The town of Sibenik was first mentioned in 1066, its Cathedral of Saint Jacob (inscribed in UNESCO Heritage list) from the 15th century was the crowning achievement of Juraj Dalmatinac's architectural work. In the hinterland there is the Krka River with its picturesque falls and the Visovac Lake, in the middle of which there is a small island with a Franciscan monastery.

Paklenica National Park with its hinterland of StariGrad (OldTown) comprises of two canyons, Large and Little Paklenica. Paklenica National Park is a magnificent karst phenomenon, with the steep canyons stretching up to 400m high.

The Kornati National Park includes some 140 islands. On Long Island there is the largest cove on the Adriatic, Telascica. Kornati truly is a paradise for sailors and tourists.

Istria

Istria is the largest Croatian and Adriatic peninsula. It is located on the northeastern part of Adriatic, on the territory of Slovenia and Croatia (according to some opinions, Istria goes all the way to Trieste). The geographical features of Istria include mountain range Cicarija on the north, and Ucka Mountain on the east . The western coast of Istria is shallow and well-indented, while the eastern coast is steep and less populated.

Istria is one of the most frequently visited regions in Croatia. Mild climate, fresh air and clean seawater provide an active vacation in Istria all year round.

The natural features of Istria are numerous, of which Ucka Mountain, Brijuni Archipelago and the Limski Channel stand out.

The Brijuni Archipelago is located in front of town of Pula. It consists of fourteen islands, just over seven square kilometers total. Their coastline is exceptionally indented and they are covered with evergreen vegetation. They have been inhabited since Roman and Bizantine times, as testified by numerous architectural remains and mosaics. Brijuni National Park consists of sea surface with well-preserved sea life.



Ucka is a Mountain with two faces - forested east and karst west. When the weather is clear, there is an unforgettable view of the land and the sea from the 1400 m high mountain top.

The Limski Channel is a hydro-morphological phenomenon, created after the Ice Age. Its south side is overgrown with deciduous trees, while the north side is rich in evergreen trees. Since Limski Channel is full of fresh water springs, the sea surface is abundant with different species of fish, which spawn in the Channel, while shells have been artificially cultivated for a long time now.

Other natural attractions in Istria include the Raški Bay and the Motovun Forest in the Mirna Valley, one of the rare places with common oak growing in the littoral.

Wine production and olive growing are Istrian tradition - wine and olive oil are important ingredient in Istrian cuisine, as well as in Mediterranean cuisine. According to people of Istra, wine is the source of health, love and culture. Red soil and sea vicinity give wine a special flavor, color, and taste. Istra has been producing olive oil for centuries. It is distinguished by its greenish color and bitterish essence. It is a must for a healthy diet. There are many roads of olive oil and wine in Istria.

Vacation in Croatia ?

Croatia is Situated in Southern Central Europe,a roughly horseshoe-shaped country with a coastline 1,777 kilometres long. No less than 1,185 islands lie offshore, but only 66 of them are inhabited. Slovenia lies to the north, Italy to the west. Croatia's coastline is on the Adriatic Sea, one of the cleanest seas in the Mediterranean and world, and wonderfully warm.


You will find hidden treasures of untouched nature, three thousand years of history waiting to be discovered. In Croatia you will discover the beauty of the authentic Mediterranean, high quality of service and will make your holiday unforgetable.


The well-known American magazine National Geographic conducted a survey among its journalists and editors and proclaimed Croatia top destination in the world for 2006 ! Editors and journalists of the National Geographic magazine voted Croatia and Kornati islands in first place, in front of Patagonia in Argentina and the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.

According to the Lonely planet Croatia soared to the top of 2005. year's poll after a 2004. fourth-place finish. One staffer wrote, "Croatia appeals to a wide range of travellers with its rich diversity of attractions. And it has not yet been over-touristed, but it has developed an excellent tourism infrastructure"