Croatia - International Special Reports

What's it like to visit Croatia?

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What’s it like to visit Croatia?

It’s only natural for people to inquire as to what you think about their homeland. It’s the kind of question you’ll hear everywhere you go. But Croatians always ask with an expectant smile on their face- as if they know your answer already. That a first-time foreign traveler to Croatia arrives with a set of preconceived notions about their country doesn’t surprise them. But they so enjoy hearing of your surprise at finding that things are the total opposite of expectations.

Americans, in particular, are prone to showing their ignorance about Croatia- mistaking it for Kosovo, thinking it’s at war, that there are landmines everywhere, or that it’s a fascist police state. Even the Croatia bound European traveler often has to explain to friends and relatives that they are not flying into a war zone.

At its most basic- the toilets in Croatia are sparkling clean, the streets nearly litter-free and astonishingly safe day or night. English is widely spoken.

There are no official State Department Warnings in place for Croatia, which means that there is no reason whatsoever for a foreign traveler to be deterred from taking advantage of Croatia’s world class scenery or cultural and historical offerings. The nearest military hot spot, Macedonia, is hundreds of miles away. There are as yet some landmines left over from Croatia’s war for independence, but they are exclusively located in off-the-beaten-path locations such as swampland areas in the far- eastern section of the country.

Franjo Tudjman, the none- too- popular first president of Croatia passed away in 1999. The current government, although it has its hands full, is a Westward looking, slightly left of center, progressive democratic body. The rightist party of Tudjman has splintered into near irrelevance. President Stjepan Mesic, elected in early 2000, is the most popular politician in all of Croatia.

Americans do not need a visa to visit Croatia. Departing Washington one will most likely fly from Dulles Airport to Frankfurt, Germany and then connect on to Zagreb. It is hoped that in the near future there will once again be direct flights to Zagreb from the United States, including service to the historic seaside cities of Dubrovnik and Split.

The costs associated with a visit to Croatia could best be described as being somewhere between a bargain and moderately priced. The Croatian Kuna, pegged to the German Deutsche Mark, has proven itself to be a remarkably stable currency. There are many places in which to exchange money, they all offer about the same rate.

Hotels costs in Croatia tend to be somewhat pricey as there are, at present, only a handful top of the line facilities; although, this will soon change as privatization and new development take hold.

Food costs are relatively cheap, however the overall quality is magnificent. Croatian’s take great pride in their national dishes, but also from the fact that their food has been largely spared genetic engineering. Meats and vegetables retain a depth of flavor most Americans have probably never experienced. People with vegetarian tastes be forewarned- this is meat and dairy country. Depending on how seriously you take your vegetarian diet perhaps you may wish to compensate by eating the abundantly available fresh Adriatic fish.