Have a look:

In last weeks eddition of Guardian Travel, under the title Autumn in the Med, Istria is featured among other Medditeranean recommended destination. Here is an excerpt from the article:

Istria, a peninsula in the north of Croatia, enjoys a temperate Mediterranean climate, which means autumn days will be comfortably warm but nights cooler, perfect if you want to get out and about exploring. The region’s vineyards come alive in autumn, as this is a time for picking malvasia, teran and muscat grapes. Wine trail excursions can take you to the best cellars in the region. It’s also the start of the truffle season, which is celebrated with the two-month-long Days of Truffles festival. This kicks off in Buzet on 12 September – where a giant omelette with more than 2,000 eggs and 10kg of truffles is prepared in a huge pan – and continues until 8 November with fairs, demos of truffle searching, tastings and auctions..

Read the whole article here

In todays Independent, another article about travel to islands of Croatia has been published. The article is titled ’Isles of light: Croatia’s Dalmatian coast’ and subtitled ‘Setting a course around Croatia’s lesser-known islands, John Walsh makes a voyage of discovery – encountering beautiful surroundings, sheer luxury and overassertive locals’

The article continues with following paragraph :  I am swimming in the eastern Adriatic, and heading straight for a sheer rock. The sun is scorchingly hot on my back but the waters around are choppy and argumentative, as if warning me against what I’m about to do. I wouldn’t be doing it at all if I hadn’t been talked into it by Matthew, the Croatian teenager with the Boris Becker eyelashes, whose boat has taken us around the perimeter of the island and whose passengers are now splashing in the sea. …

Read the whole article here

The town of Hvar, is featured in today’s Telegraph. This is an excerpt from the article:

Hvar (pronounced ‘phwoar’, much to my children’s amusement) is the capital of Hvar Island in Croatia. It offers a perfect balance: sunbathing quietly during the day before getting dressed up to compete with the types whose yachts adorn the Venetian harbour.  - read the rest of the article here

In today’s Guardian article ‘Europe (without the euro)’, Croatia was featured as one of European ‘fantastic destination’ out of  the eurozone.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

Croatia:  The land of 1,000 islands, Croatia is a popular summer destination with its beautiful coastline, tranquil mountains and national parks.

Ecologically one of Europe’s best-preserved countries, exploring it takes you on a thousand-year journey through history, which has been turbulent, exciting and glorious.

Lie on golden sandy beaches and swim in romantic coves that are but a stone’s throw from ancient Roman monuments and streets as old as the emperor Diocletian himself… read the whole article here

The article and photo gallery titled ‘Mediterranean island guide: Croatia‘ with introduction ‘ Our Mediterranean island guide, updated each week with new destinations, features stunning images and fascinating facts about every major island in the Mediterranean. This week we tackle Croatia.’ is taken from Mediterranean Islands book by Charles Arnold ( www.mediterraneanislands.org )

Have a look here at beautiful Croatian Islands Photos .

In today’s article in Telegraph, titled ‘Sailing in Croatia: 1001 Dalmatians’ , Clare Mann goes sailing in the Dalmatian Islands off the Croatian coast and finds something for each family member.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

This was my first visit to Croatia and I was excited. There are a thousand or so islands along the Dalmatian coast, and as our plane made its descent to Split they were tantalisingly spread out beneath us in a wide ribbon. There can be no better way, I convinced myself from several thousand feet, than to explore them by boat – better still, as your own master and commander…

Read the whole article here and check more info about Sailing in Croatia

The heart-shaped island of Galesnjak, located in near vicinity of Zadar , was featured in yesterday’s Telegraph.

This is an excerpt from the article:

The 130,000 square yard islet of Galesnjak came to prominence after its unusual shape was highlighted on Google Earth.  Even the owner of the uninhabited island – now known as Lovers’ Island – didn’t realise how perfectly heart-shaped the island off the Croatian coast was until he was swamped with requests from couples to stay there. It seems many lovers from around the world consider it the ideal spot for a romantic Valentine’s Day break…

Read the whole article here

Under the title ‘Find a budget base in Croatia‘ , David Ryan writes about his Istrian experience. This is and excpert from the article:

Every holiday has a defining moment, a mental snapshot which recalls the mood, be it eye-glazingly good or teeth-grindingly bad. In Croatia, it came on the final evening.

Replete with excellent local seafood and Istrian wine, we sat and watched the promenaders on the quayside in Fazana. The sun had plunged behind the Brijuni Islands, trailing a palette of bright pinks and sombre blues; the water lapped against the harbour wall and the fishing boats bobbed. The town square was bathed in amber light and, from beneath the campanile of the 14th-century church of St Cosmas and St Damian, a male folk choir began crooning into the balmy night… Read the whole article here

In last week’s edition of the Time Out’s ‘City confidential’ section, Split is featured as the ‘Croatia’s second city and main port, with its centrepiece-a gutted Roman palace-provides the finest night of bar-hopping you’ll find on the whole Dalmatian coast.’ Here is an excerpt:
After dark, the Diocletian’s dark, unmapped passages offer wonderfully random bars 0 DJ bars, gallery bars, cocktail bars, bars with pseudo-Egyptian themes, bars in deserted open squares. There’s no excuse for restraining your request for drink. For relaxing start, pick any terrace cafe along the palm-fringed seafront, Riva. Following the day’s passage to sunset, bars at the eastern, harbour end nearest the market empty as those towards the west slowly fill… And if you are not ready to go to bed yet, nearby Puls and Academia Ghetto Club buzz till the 1am Old Town’s curfew. After this, a ten minute walk from the Riva past the bus station will bring truly dedicated drinkers to the all-night action at Bacvice beach. See large photo of the article + Read more about Split + see some photos of Split

‘Whiling away a few days on a private balcony overlooking the green Adriatic, on the tiny Croatian island of Rab is a sure-fire way to banish the winter blues.

The pretty Arbiana Hotel has 28 sunlit rooms looking out on romanesque belltowers and narrow streets lined with red-roofed townhouses, a slow food restaurant, tennis court and yachting.

It reopens for summer on March 20, and you can get a room for €149 per night B&B, for the first three nights, from March 20-24, through Charming Hotels (0039 069 7745 950, thecharminghotels.com), including a day’s free bike rental.

Fly to Pula in Istria (flyglobespan.com, thomsonfly.com and ryanair.com), rent a car to drive to Jablanac for the 12-minute ferry ride to the island. Travel details and advice at rab-croatia.com.’

“Champagne, chocolates, abundant red roses in an elegant room in a five-star hotel. A relaxing bath drawn by the butler from the bath menu, a city tour by limousine and a candlelit dinner in an Art Deco restaurant.

Here, on Valentine’s Day, is a romantic package that is available all year at the Regent Esplanade Hotel in Europe’s city of hearts, Zagreb. And at €499 (£370) for a couple for two nights with breakfast, it is a fraction of the price of similar packages in many European cities.

Zagreb might seem a surprising recommendation, but it exudes a lively style and knows how to welcome visitors, young and old, romantic or businesslike. When the good and the great started to arrive in increasing numbers aboard the Orient Express in the early 1920s, a suitably stylish hotel was needed to accommodate them – and up went the Regent Esplanade on a field close to the railway station….”

Read the whole article

In today’s Travel Supplement of Sunday Times, Kornati Cottages are recommended among 13 of the world’s most remote hotels. This is an excerpt from the article:

KORNATI COTTAGES, Croatia: Legend says that when God was making the earth, he tossed a handful of soil over his shoulder into the Adriatic – and where it fell, so rose the Kornati islands. George Bernard Shaw said that God created them “out of tears, stars and breath”. A colleague stayed here a week, and put his clothes on only to meet the Tuesday supply boat and to row to a neighbouring island cafe. You get the idea. Largely uninhabited, the 150-odd islands sprinkled between Zadar and Sibenik are a tiny turquoise slice of holiday heaven. Hotel heaven they are not, however, as there aren’t any. What there is, though – one, two- and three-bedroom, gas- or solar-powered fishermen’s cottages, if not on their own island, then on their own private bay – is a Crusoe dream, with rowing boats (£107 per week) and fishing rods (£36 per week) the only distraction from your reading.

Croatia for Travellers (020 7226 4460, www.croatiafortravellers.co.uk ) has seven nights, self-catering, in a one-bedroom cottage from £442, including flights with Croatia Airlines to Split and transfers.

Read the whole article + Read about Kornati Islands National Park + See Photos of Kornati

The article begins with paragraph: ‘All you need is this 13-page guide, full of holiday ideas for every type of couple.’ and follows by ‘Rowan Pelling gets us in the mood with her tips on how to get it right. And remember, romance isn’t just for Valentine’s Day..’

Under the ‘Glamorous romantic getaways’ subsection, at the 5th place, Vis Island is featured under the title ’Enjoy your own secret garden Vis, Croatia‘, followed by paragraph ‘Hidden behind the 16th-century Garibaldi Palace walls on the island of Vis, Villa Kaliopa is a secret garden of palms, sculpture and candlelit tables each out of earshot so you dont have to whisper your sweet nothings where smiley waiters present the days catch. Hire your own yacht or berth from Kaliopa harbour between May and September to see the Dalmatian islands at their best. Lazy Winch Yachting (01284 830505, lazywinch.com). Six days crewed island sailing in June from 425pp, breakfast and lunch included. Villa Kaliopa (00385 21 711 755) main courses from 25.’

Other featured destinations, among others, include Venice, Vienna, New York and Sicilly..

Read the whole article here

The article begins with paragraph: ‘We’ve trawled the brochures and websites to find this summer’s best holidays with every angle, taste and budget catered for’. It follows by ‘If you plan to stay at home all summer, you don’t need to read this. But if you think some sort of holiday might be an idea, you do. Because laid out below are 100 of the best trips that 2008 has to offer’

Under the ‘Romance’ subsection, at the 77th place, Hvar is featured for ‘glamour’, as ‘ritziest resort in the Adriatic’:

For glamour, head for Hvar, writes Sunday Times. Where? The beautifully preserved port in Croatia is the ritziest resort in the Adriatic. Croatian Affair (020 7385 7111, www. croatianaffair.com) has three love nests in the 15th-century gothic gorgeousness of Palazzo Jaska; from £355/£960 for a week. Fly to Split with Thomas Cook (www.flythomascook. com), then it’s a two-hour ferry.

In comparison with last year’s Sunday Times article written at the same time (the first weekend of January) when Croatia was not mentioned at all, this year’s article feels as a bit of improvement

Read the complete article here .

Here is an extract from the article:

Somewhere more exotic?…

On the Croatian island of Cres, you can combine a holiday in a warm and beautiful place with helping to save the endangered Eurasian griffon vulture and preserve a vulnerable forest.

Eco Centre Caput Insulae (00 385 51 621 877; http://www.supovi.hr/ ) has seven ecological trails created by Goran Susic, who founded the project 14 years ago to preserve the island’s biodiversity and natural heritage.

You can get to Cres via a bus or ferry from Rijeka (served by Croatia Airlines from Heathrow and easyJet from Luton) or Pula (Ryanair from Stansted).

Read the whole article

Here are some short excerpts from the article:

Jim Bassett could have put away his bike helmet for the season in October. Instead he packed for a bike trip in Croatia..

…Vermont Bike Tours set up the 12-day trip, complete with two very helpful young Croatian guides, Marko and Vanja. Bassett already knew and had biked with 19 out of the 23 in the group, “and the others were friends of friends,” he said. They found that many Croatians speak English, but their main languages are Croatian, Serbian and Slovene. The country lies between Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has a long coastline and 1,700 islands on the east side of the Adriatic Ocean, across from Venice…

..After flying from Frankfurt to Dubrovnik on October 16, they met up with some of their fellow bikers at their hotel, the Hotel Zagreb, “a delightful place in a very pleasant neighborhood.” Generally the hotels were very nice, he said, perhaps nicer than what he and Mary would have chosen for themselves…

..October 18 found the group on a bus to Split, about 100 miles away. A highlight was visiting Diocletian’s Palace, ruins of the edifice built by the Roman emperor Diocletian around the 3rd century A.D. Bassett explained, “This is a historical site of major significance. The palace is one of the most famous and integral architectural and cultural constructs on the Croatian Adriatic coast, holding an outstanding place in Mediterranean, European and world heritage.” …

Read the rest of the article + More about Cycling in Croatia

State secretary for tourism Zdenko Micic and Tourist Board director Niko Bulic said that the results exceeded official plans and expectations, describing this year’s season as “a season to remember.”

Bulic said that tourism revenue might reach EUR 7 billion, which would be an increase of 10 per cent compared to 2006.

Under the subtitle “Cave to Casbah: Adventure for All Ages” in the article “Trips to Help Shape the World” NY Times writes:

” The family vacation is increasingly taking an adventurous turn, with more parents looking for exotic alternatives to yet another trip to Disney World. Here are three far-flung destinations on some families’ to-do lists for 2008..”

After the paragraphs about Vietnam and Morocco, Croatia is described as follows:

“Croatia has not only the historic cities of Dubrovnik and Split to offer, but also the “Dalmatian Riviera,” where active families can take part in sailing, kayaking and even mountain biking trips around the various Croatian islands.

This region has some of Europe’s best seafood, though the kids might prefer bureks (pies filled with beef or cheese)”

The article was published in current eddition of NY Times Travel supplement. Link to the article

Under the title ” The 53 Places to Go in 2008“, in its travel supplement , New York Times writes about where to go in 2008 and at 11th place (see above image) recommends Hvar as “the St. Tropez of Croatia“

” What’s on your travel itinerary in the new year? From a new luxury hotel in Laos (where you can take in the view of ancient temples from a chaise lounge by the infinity pool) to the waterfront night clubs of Hvar (the St. Tropez of Croatia) to Death Valley (where recent heavy rains have some flower bloggers speculating on a dazzling spring bloom next year), the travel choices for global nomads have never been more varied. ” writes NY Times in the very introduction of the article..

With accompanied photo of Komiza Beach (btw – Komiza is a place on the Island of Vis – not Hvar), Hvar is described in the following passage :

” As Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast has become a new Riviera, Hvar has become its St.-Tropez: a tiny village that fills with yachts and international partyers over the summer. While the waterfront Carpe Diem (www.carpe-diem-hvar.com) remains the island’s night-life center, narrow stone alleys are lined with chic cocktail lounges and hotel terraces, including the rooftop pool at the new Adriana hotel, Croatia’s first Leading Small Hotels of the World member (www.suncanihvar.com/adriana).”

Link to the article + More info about Dalmatia and other Islands of Croatia

At the article page, there is also a nice 2 minutes video that introduces to the readers the Hotel as well as Croatian capital Zagreb.

Bellow is an extract from the article :

“The Regent Esplanade brought glamor and elegance to Zagreb in 1925 when it opened to cater to passengers of the famed Orient Express train route between Paris and Constantinople. Today the Esplanade offers a luxurious gateway to one of Central Europe’s hottest destinations—Croatia.

The gleaming black and white marble lobby and its glowing brass trim make it easy to envision Orson Welles, Maria Callas or Pablo Casals (all of whom were regular guests) striding through the doors while one of their entourage rushed to the mahogany reception desk. Vintage photos of the Orient Express and its passengers line the hallways on the upper floors.

A two-year renovation project completed in 2004 successfully married the vintage opulence with the modern amenities required of a first-class hotel in the 21st Century, such as Wi-Fi Internet access in every room and a fully equipped business center. There also is a compact, but very usable health club that offers massages, facial treatments, sauna and fitness equipment…”

Read the whole article and watch the video at this link + read about Zagreb and about Hotels in Croatia

The Regent Esplanade, Mihanoviceva 1, Zagreb, Croatia – www.regenthotels.com

They estimate that Croatia will close the 2007 tourism season with about 11.2 million guests, 56.2 million overnight stays and tou rism revenues in excess of 6.9 billion euros.

This confirms that the 2007 tourism season has been the most successful to date

It will be, however, as the experts at the CNTB are forecasting, surpassed by the coming season, which – based on the forecasts of business partners and the estimates of the tourism regions and businesses – should see a 3 percent growth in the number of guests and a 2 percent growth in the number of tourist overnight stays.

This increase, tourism analysts agree, should result in a 5 percent increase in tourism revenues, the value of which is forecast to be about 7.27 billion euro in 2008.

Dubrovnik is chosen with three other cities for Best & Worst of 2007: Breakout cities of the year by AOL Money and Finance :

This is how Dubrovnik is described: ” Dubrovnik, Croatia – Our third breakout city is as old as the others are new. Dubrovnik, founded in the 7th century, was once part of the Byzantine Empire, and later the primary competition to Venice as the cultural center of the Adriatic Sea. The quaint seaside town still features ancient architecture and a rich cultural history that blends the influences of the west and east.

It also offers the relaxing scale of a town of under 50,000 residents. Although Dubrovnik suffered dreadfully through a seven-month siege by the Yugoslav People’s Army during the war of the 1990s, it has been rebuilt in the spitting image of its traditional form.

Today, visitors are drawn by the town’s summer festival and film festival, historical sites such as the old fortress, and access to beaches and the nearby mountains. ”

However, at the moment, Dubrovnik is not doing well as far as voting is concerned (see above snapshot of the poll) as it collected 7% votes only :-(

If you want to cast your vote for the best and worst cities of 2007 you can do it at this link. 

The voting will continue through December 25 and winners will be announced on December 28.

Other cities included in this AOL’s poll are Dubai City, Macau and Austin, Texas.

The loan will enable the port to eliminate existing operational bottlenecks in handling bulk cargo and to increase its capacity to meet current and future market demands.

The construction of the terminal is part of the Ploce port expansion programme undertaken by the Croatian government, which the EBRD is co-financing jointly with the World Bank.

The loan will be guaranteed by the Republic of Croatia, while additional technical cooperation funding of EUR 50,000 has been provided by the Dutch donor fund for project preparation and assistance with preparation of the new concession agreement with the port operator.

By financing the Ploce Port expansion project, the EBRD and the World Bank will support the further development of trade along the Corridor Vc, one of the three major transport corridors linking Croatia to EU markets and improving coordination among all corridor participants in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Under the title “An island ghost town” , subtitled as “Hvar has it all – from quiet beaches and quaint fishing villages to seaside cafés”, Croatian Island of Hvar has been featured in Toronto Star papers.

The following is an extract from the article:

” Even on Sunday mornings the church bells are eerily silent in the crumbling stone village of Humac, and there’s not a prayer that the wooden doors of its quiet place of worship are going to be unlocked anytime soon.

This old shepherd’s village may boast one of the best views on this Dalmatian Island, given that it’s perched 350 metres above the sparkling blue Adriatic Sea, but there’s almost no one here to enjoy it except a couple of dogs and a lone donkey.

And that’s clearly the way that Miko Rubinic likes it. He’s farmed this land for decades and still harvests about 30 wagons-full of grapes a year from the sprawling vineyards of this true Croatian ghost town where the vines and lavender fields are centuries old and the very foundations of this unusual hilltop town are believed to go back to the Stone Age….

Remarkably, a good number of tourists manage to find their way here each summer, thanks to a couple of enterprising locals and a simple sign on the main roadway that points to Konoba Humac, a summer tavern/restaurant in one of the more well-preserved village houses where they serve up the Croatian specialty peka, a hearty stew cooked under a deep cast-iron lid on a wood stove. The restaurant does a booming busy in peak season, says Culic, despite the fact the village has no electricity and, judging by the plastic tubing snaking into an oversized rain barrel, no running water…”

The article also says following about other Croatian Islands:

“ There are too many Dalmatian Islands to mention, but here are some key ones accessible by ferry from the central Croatian city of Split.

VIS: Locals call this most distant and mountainous island “an oasis of tranquility,” mainly because the former Yugoslav military considered it a strategic stronghold and kept outsiders off until 1989. As a result, it’s virtually untouched. Its inlets and beaches are popular for boating, kayaking, swimming and sunbathing.

KORCULA: The birthplace of Marco Polo with a walled city sometimes described as little Dubrovnik, this island dates back to at least the 13th century and boasts a well-preserved old urban core, fortresses, palaces and churches.

BRAC: The largest of the Dalmatians is perhaps best-known for its Bol beach and limestone quarries. It’s from this stone that the U.S. White House got its name. From the noble summer houses of the town of Sutivan to the small city of Supetar, originally a Roman settlement, this island offers up a mix of late antique, Medieval and Baroque architecture.

SOLTA: This 19-kilometre-long island was first settled in about the 4th century BC and boasts some prehistoric and Roman ruins. It has rocky shores and fine bays and its sheltered western coast is a favourite anchoring spot for smaller yachts.” Link to article