Alipour - Moon Croatia & Slovenia

the Croatian National Theater in Zagrebs Lower Town

Beginning in the mountainous Gorski Kotar and stretching across Croatias long eastern arm, inland Croatia is definitely the countrys undiscovered find. The region is dotted with picturesque villages, excellent restaurants, and seoski turizam establishments, where you can sleep like a local and wake up to the roosters crow. Dont-miss destinations include the vineyards that dot the countryside, the riverside town of Osijek, and the stork-filled Lonjsko polje. The easternmost regions around Vukovar are only 20-odd years past the Homeland War, and youll find friendly people eager to show off their towns to visitors.

This tiny peninsula, wedged between Croatia and Slovenia and only a stones throw from Italy, packs a lot of punch into its small size. You can sun yourself on a rocky beach in the morning, retreat to the green hills for lunch, and finish off the day with dinner next to a rushing stream or in a seaside medieval town, depending on your mood. Istria is most famous for three things, and you shouldnt miss any of them: the Roman amphitheater in Pula, the regions wines, and its truffles. But theres more to unearth here, from almost perfect little villages like Brtonigla and Hum to a taste of faded Tito-esque grandeur in the Brijuni Islands.

Home to the grand Austro-Hungarian coastal playgrounds of Opatija and Lovran and the laid-back port town of Rijeka, the Kvarner Gulf is less than a two-hour drive from Zagreb. Its real jewels are the stunning islands just off the coast, such as