Steves Rick - Rick Steves Croatia & Slovenia

Rick Steves & Cameron Hewitt

CROATIA & SLOVENIA

Set sail on the shimmering Adriatic, for a remote island whose name you cant pronounce but whose wonders youll never forget. Corkscrew your way up impossibly twisty mountain roads to panoramic vistas of cut-glass peaks. Lie on a beach in the hot summer sun, listening to the lapping waves as a Venetian-style bell tower clangs out the hour. Ponder the fading scars of a recent war, and admire how skillfully the locals have revitalized their once-troubled region. Dine on a seafood feast and sip a glass of local wine as you watch the sunset dip into the watery horizon...feeling smug for discovering this place before all your friends did. Unfamiliar as they might seem, Croatia and Slovenia have what youve been looking for: some of Europes most spectacular natural wonders, a fascinating recent history, and a spirit of adventuremuch of it still off the beaten path.

Here in the land where the Adriatic meets the Alps, there are countless ways to have fun. Begin your adventure by flipping through this book, which covers Croatias and Slovenias best big-city, small-town, and back-to-nature destinations. Youll get all the specifics and opinions necessary to wring the maximum value out of your limited time and money. If youre planning a trip of a month or less, this book is all you need.

Just two decades ago, Croatia and Sloveniatwo of Europes youngest nationswere part of the union called Yugoslavia. Today theyre proudly independent and racing toward the future. Carefree Croatia, with a long and varied coastline, beckons vacationers with its dramatically scenic terrain, romantic old towns, sunshine-bathed pebbly beaches, and irrepressible seafaring spirit. Perky Slovenia surprises travelers with its tidy quaintness, breathtaking mountainscapes, colorful towns, and impossibly friendly natives. And for good measure, Ive also included detours into two other parts of the former Yugoslavia, each one offering a striking contrast to Croatia or Slovenia: the craggy coast of Montenegro, and a pair of diverse and fascinating Bosnian cities: bite-sized Mostar and bustling Sarajevo.

Use this legend to help you navigate the maps in this book.

Experiencing Europes culture, people, and natural wonders economically and hassle-free has been my goal for three decades of traveling, tour guiding, and writing. With this book, I pass on to you all the lessons Ive learned, painstakingly updatedin personfor this edition.

Rick Steves Croatia & Slovenia covers the predictable biggies and adds a healthy dose of Back Door intimacy. Along with strolling the walls around Dubrovniks peerless Old Town, youll poke your way into a hidden little tavern clinging like a barnacle over the sea. Ive been selective, including only the top destinations and sights. For example, Croatia has over a thousand islands. But why not focus on the very best? Thats Korula, Hvar, and Mljet.

The best is, of course, only my opinion. But after spending half of my adult life researching Europe, Ive developed a sixth sense for what travelers enjoy. Just thinking about the places featured in this book makes me want to sing klapa music.

Rick Steves Croatia & Slovenia is a personal tour guide in your pocket. Better yet, its actually two tour guides in your pocket: The co-author of this book is Cameron Hewitt. Cameron writes and edits guidebooks for my travel company, Rick Steves Europe Through the Back Door. Inspired by his Slavic roots and by the enduring charm of the Slovenian and Croatian people, Cameron has spent the last dozen years closely tracking the exciting changes in this part of the world. Together, Cameron and I keep this book up-to-date and accurate (though for simplicity weve shed our respective egos to become I in this book).