It is quite amazing how much beauty and history is packed into such a small country as Croatia, and the long Adriatic coastline coupled with numerous stunning inland regions all adds up to a country that offers more than most would expect from it. Obviously the first place to start would be the capital city, Zagreb – the heart of Croatia sits on the river Sava. With the Upper Town region offering winding cobbled streets and a medieval flavour, tourist hotspots include St. Mark’s Church, the seat of Croatian Parliament the Sabor and the main square Trg Bana Jelacic. Travel to Lower Town to find the modern, commercial districts of Zagreb, including such sights as the Croatian National Theatre, the Museum of Arts and Crafts as well as Maksimir – one of Europe’s first ever planned parks.

Elsewhere, Croatia maintains the high standards of beauty and interest that the capital offers. Dubrovnik is one of the most striking and well-preserved fortified cities in the world, with the city’s 13th century walls still standing and protecting the Old City in its entirety – so valued is the city that it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is viewed by most, if not all, as the jewel of Croatia.

There are numerous other cities and regions open to visit throughout the country, from the inland beauty of forested regions such as Plitvice Lakes National Park – another UNESCO site – to the more obvious choice of the Adriatic coast or any of the one thousand plus offshore islands – each inhabited one with their own unique history and characteristics, with Vis, for example, is a former Yugoslav military base that only opened to foreigners in 1989 and offers little in the way of actual tourist attractions, but instead a lot of wild, untamed beauty. If a visitor does not want to travel to inhabited islands there are also any number of uninhabited areas, where days can be spent in total solitude – Croatia really does cover all of the bases, tourist-wise.