Croatia

Croatia is where the ruins of the Roman Empire, memories of the Venetian Republic, and style of the Austro-Hungarian era meet the exoticism of the Slavic East

Hemmed in between the Dinaric Alps and the sparkling Adriatic Sea, Croatia (us.croatia.hr) is blessed with ancient Roman ruins, lake-filled parks, Byzantine mosaics, wine-soaked hilltowns, and 1,240 miles of coastline lined by timeless fishing villages and dotted with 1,185 islands.

Zagreb: A scruffy, but interesting, welcome

Most folks arrive, though, via Zagreb (www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr). Croatia's dingy capital doesn't invite lingering, but if train schedules strand you overnight, take time to relax at a café amidst decaying Viennese Beaux Arts buildings, tour the many museums, and watch the faithful in the Cathedral shuffle on their knees around the glass tomb of beloved World War II-era Archbishop Stepinac.

Be sure you take the funicular up onto Gradec, a leafy hilltop district of baroque buildings, to see the modern sculptures in Ivan Mes[v]trovic[v]'s former studio and join the locals for an evening pub-crawl (be sure to stop at the 178-year-old tavern Pod Starim Krovovima at Basaric[v]ekova 9).

Istria: Italy, with a Slavic accent

From Zagreb, strike out west to the Istrian Peninsula (www.istra.hr). As a legacy of centuries when this coast was part of the Republic of Venice, Istria's string of castle-topped fishing towns recall the Italian Riviera in the era before mass tourism ruined them, and the catch-of-the-day costs $10 at dockside restaurants.

Porec[v]'s (www.istra.com/porec) sixth-century basilica glitters with golden mosaic—and its streets teem with Italian and Germans on week-long sun-sizzling beach vacations. That why I prefer the next major stop down the coast, Rovinj (www.tzgrovinj.hr), a compact town straight out of the Middle Ages. It has its share of tourists, too, but they don't quite overwhelm the place.

Pula (www.pulainfo.hr), near the southern tip of the peninsula, remains so Roman in character its ancient forum still serves as the main town square and its 2,000-year-old Arena rivals Rome's Colosseum as one of the world's best-preserved ancient amphitheaters and continues to host open-air spectacles in the summertime (though they've moved on from bloody gladiator battles to concerts and operas).

Inland Istria is still a heavily forested land peppered by tiny vineyards and farm fields. It remains (for now) gloriously ignored by 90% of the tourists who flock to the coast, leaving intrepid travelers plenty of room to enjoy its red Teran and white Malvasija wines (and the mistletoe-flavored rakija brandy, a dangerously potent grappa), its magnificent white truffles, and the sweeping panoramas from its medieval hilltop villages.

Many of these towns are (or were) half-abandoned and now serve as artist communities. Other villages hide unassuming little Romanesque chapels (get the kljuc, the key, from the little old lady who lives on the main village square; anyone can point her out) that are swathed inside with 15th century Gothic frescoes. Alongside the usual Bible scene themes are such wonderfully earthy touch as representations of the months of the year (according to a peasant's calendar of sowing, reaping, stomping grapes, and surviving the winter), and, my personal favorite, the Dance of Death, in which a conga line of skeletons leads a procession of people—ranging from beggar and solider to monk and cardinal to king and pope—to their inevitable earthly grave (look for the banker character somewhere in the middle; he's usually tying to bribe his skeleton to try and get out of dying).

Dalmatia: 101 islands to love

Heading south from Zagreb, or from Istria, to the Dalmatian Coast city of Split became far easier a few years ago once they finally finished a new highway (cutting the drive time from around seven hours to three and a half) and a high-speed rail link (trip time: 5 hours).

Along the way, stop off to explore the Plitvice Lakes (www.np-plitvicka-jezera.hr), one of the most beautiful national parks in all of Europe, a collection of 16 emerald lakes spilling into one another over waterfalls crisscrossed by boardwalks.

The historic center of Split (www.visitsplit.com) is actually a jumble of medieval houses occupying the converted ruins of Roman emperor Diocletian's 4th century palace—the emperor's mausoleum even became the city's cathedral (ironic, given that Diocletian was an avid persecutor of Christians).

At the very southern end of the Dalmatian coast is beautiful Dubrovnik (www.tzdubrovnik.hr), a Renaissance republic curling around a tiny harbor in a sea of red roofs atop 17th century townhouses and baroque palaces.

By far the most memorable way to get from Split to Dubrovnik is by ferry along the Dalmatian coast (www.jadrolinija.hr), threading Croatia's justly famous islands, and the best way to take that trip is slowly, over the course of several days, pausing at an island or two along the way.

The island of Hvar (www.hvar.hr) is draped in lavender fields and vineyards, and its main medieval town is fast becoming a hotspot celebrity resort for the likes of as Steven Spielberg, Bill Gates, and Princess Caroline of Monaco. Life on pine-forested Korc[v]ula, disputed (by Venetians) birthplace of Marco Polo (www.korcula.net), centers on an oversized fishing village port and its glorious Gothic-Romanesque cathedral.

You can ride the bus back to Split (passing through am 18-mile slip of Bosnia-Herzegovina along the way, which technically gives you bragging rights about having been to Bosnia), which is served by several low-cost airlines (see below).

Getting to Croatia

Though there are no direct flights to Croatia from the United States, you can transfer via another European city on most U.S. or European carriers; roundtrip prices start just under $1,000 from major East Coast cities.

You could also fly into Venice or Trieste in Italy and simply drive: depending on traffic, it's only about 3-4 hours by car from the Venice airport to Istria via Trieste (which is literally at the Slovenia border—the northern 15 miles of Istrian Peninsula are Slovenian—and just 20 minutes from Croatia, counting the time spent at passport control).

Another option is to fly into London or Vienna and grab a no-frills flight to Split, which is served by several carriers.

Sleeping in Croatia

Hotels in Croatia cost a good 20 to 40 percent less than in Western Europe. Even fancy boutique hotels top out around $170 per night for a double room (note that Croatian hotel rates usually don't include breakfasty).

However, I would rarely bother with a hotel when there are so many cheaper and more fun alternatives. Croatia's many sobe (private rooms for rent) go for $15 to $40 per double; larger apartman (apartments) cost only anywhere from $25 to $80 and have the benefit of including a kitchen so you can do some cooking on your own.

Outside the towns and cities, agroturizam (farm stays) offer a wonderful opportunity to observe Croatian life up close, and cost as little as $30 to $50 for a double room, with hearty, farm-style dinners adding just $10 to $15 to the bill (including all the house wine you can drink).

The local tourist offices (and the national one) can help arrange any of these.

Packages and tours

If you prefer to work through a travel agency, or to book a vacation package or tour, try Croatia specialist Travel Time (800-345-8728, www.traveltimeny.com). It offers weeklong air-hotel packages in Dubrovnik starting at $1,275 per person (from New York, Boston, or Philadelphia for that price).

A 12-day package that splits the time between Split (2 nights), Hvar (4 nights), and Dubrovnik (5 nights) costs from $1,480 per person including airfare from New York, Newark, or Boston (other gateways are available), dinners, ferry tickets, and airport transfers.