Hewitt Cameron M. - Rick Steves Croatia and Slovenia 2012

Rick Steves & Cameron Hewitt

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 nationsbelonged to 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 updated for 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, Rab, 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 polka.

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 decade 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).

Key to This Book

Updates

This book is updated regularly. For the latest, visit www.ricksteves.com/update. For a valuable list of reports and experiencesgood and badfrom fellow travelers, check www.ricksteves.com/feedback.

Abbreviations and Times

I use the following symbols and abbreviations in this book:

Sights are rated:

Tourist information offices are abbreviated as TI, and bathrooms are WCs. To categorize accommodations, I use a Sleep Code (described on ).

Like Europe, this book uses the 24-hour clock. Its the same through 12:00 noon, then keep going: 13:00, 14:00, and so on. For anything over 12, subtract 12 and add p.m. (14:00 is 2:00 p.m.).

When giving opening times, I include both peak season and off-season hours if they differ. So, if a museum is listed as May-Oct daily 9:00-16:00, it should be open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. from the first day of May until the last day of October (but expect exceptions).

For transit or tour departures, I first list the frequency, then the duration. So, a train connection listed as 2/hour, 1.5 hours departs twice each hour and the journey lasts an hour and a half.

This book is organized by destinations. Each one is a mini-vacation on its own, filled with exciting sights, strollable neighborhoods, affordable places to stay, and memorable places to eat.

In the following chapters, youll find these sections:

Planning Your Time suggests a schedule for how to best use your limited time.

Orientation includes specifics on public transportation, helpful hints, local tour options, easy-to-read maps, and tourist information.

Sights describes the top attractions and includes their cost and hours.

Self-Guided Walks take you through interesting neighborhoods, with a personal tour guide in hand.

Sleeping describes my favorite accommodations, from good-value private rooms to cushy splurges.

Eating serves up a range of options, from inexpensive eateries to fancy restaurants.

Connections explains your options for traveling to destinations by train, bus, and boat. In car-friendly areas, Ive also included route tips for drivers.

Country Introductions for Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia give you an overview of each countrys culture, customs, money, history, current events, cuisine, language, and other useful practicalities.

The Understanding Yugoslavia