Croatia’s dazzling stretch of Adriatic bays, beaches, and rocky islets is well and truly buzzing with visitors, and with good reason. In many places, the Mediterranean lifestyle of harbourside strolls, seafood, and liberally poured wine continues. But Croatia’s post-independence energy means you’ll find little time to siesta in between thought-provoking galleries and some of Europe’s best summer music festivals. Croatian culture has manifold influences – Venetian merchants, Slavic folklore, rugged geography, devout Catholicism, and maritime adventurism – all of which contribute to this sun-drenched land of warm stone architecture where oleanders seem to bloom year-round and the water is implausibly clear.
