Anja Mutic - Lonely Planet Croatia

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Croatias rare blend of glamour and old-fashioned authenticity make this Europes it destination, where beaches and sunshine vie for attention with cultural treasures, ancient architecture and time-tested folk traditions.

Despite its reputation as Europes vacation hotspot, Croatia hasnt given in to mass tourism. The Mediterranean As It Once Was, motto of Croatias tourist board may be overblown in popular destinations where development has taken a firm hold but pockets of authentic culture can be found and theres still plenty to discover off the grid. This country in transition, on the brink between Mitteleuropa and Mediterranean, offers good news for visitors on all budgets: Croatia is as diverse as its landscapes. Some of the more popular Adriatic locales come with hefty price tags in the summer months, while continental Croatia costs a fraction of what youll pay on the coast. The chic and trendy outposts may make you forget that a brutal civil war raged through Croatia in the 1990s. The way in which the country has bounced back is a sign of its peoples resilience people who are remarkable hosts once you cross the tourist/local barrier.

Theres a buzz and undeniable star appeal to Croatias coast. Youll get plenty of glitz and glamour in Dubrovnik and Hvar, where night action and celebrity-spotting, designer cocktail in hand, is de rigueur, and fancy yachts dock in droves. For those wanting peace and quiet, hideaways aplenty wait to be discovered, including remote lighthouse islets, fetching fishing villages, secluded coves and Robinson Crusoestyle atolls. Families flock to the string of safe beaches, and there are activities galore for all ages.

Everyone visits the nearly 2000km-long coastline, with over 1000 islands, but most people skip the unsung beauties of inland Croatia. Enjoy a slice of pristine farmland in one of the rural hotels or agro-tourisms, roam rugged wilderness or get active hike, bike, abseil, paraglide, raft and canoe. Zagreb may play second fiddle to nearby Vienna, but this pocket-sized capital has an attractive cafe life, a brand-new contemporary art museum, ancient attractions and a jam-packed roster of festivals and events.

Croatia has been slowly crawling its way up to the top of Europes culinary rungs. Its chief assets are locally sourced, prime-quality ingredients from the land and sea, creatively prepared by celeb chefs or cooked up home-style in family-run taverns. Some of these gastronomic havens require a trek, but the minute you taste the food your palate will know it was worth it. The wine regions of Croatia are as burgeoning as the country itself, and its olive oils (particularly those of Istria) are getting top awards.

Plitvice Paradise

A turquoise ribbon of crystal water and gushing waterfalls in the forested heart of continental Croatia, Plitvice Lakes National Park ( ) is an awesome sight. There are dozens of lakes from 4km-long Kozjak to reed-fringed ponds all in an incredible hue thats a product of the karst terrain. Travertine expanses covered with mossy plants divide the lakes, while boardwalks allow you to step right over this exquisite water world. Follow hiking trails through beech, spruce, fir and pine trees to escape the crowds on the lakeshore.

CHRISTOPHER GROENHOUT

All That is Dubrovnik

Croatias most popular attraction, Dubrovnik ( ) is a Unesco World Heritage Site for good reason. This immense walled city was relentlessly shelled during Croatias 1990s Homeland War. Now, its mighty walls, monasteries, medieval churches, graceful squares and fascinating residential quarters all look magnificent again. For an unrivalled perspective of this Adriatic pearl, first take the cable car up to Mount Sr, then get up close with the city by walking Dubrovniks walls, as history unfolds from the battlements.

JEAN-PIERRE LESCOURRET

Party-happy Hvar

Come high summer, theres no better place to get your groove on than Hvar Town ( ). Gorgeous tanned people descend from their yachts in droves for round-the-clock fun on this glam isle. With aprs-beach parties as the sun drops below the horizon far out in the Adriatic, designer cocktails sipped seaside to fresh house tunes spun by DJs, and full-moon beach parties, Hvar caters to a well-dressed, party-happy crowd.

ANDREW BURKE

Marvel at Mljet

Cloaked in dense pine forests, pristine Mljet ( ) restaurant.

ANDREW BURKE

Blue Magic on Bievo

Of the numerous caves around the remote limestone island of Bievo (), the Blue Grotto (Modra pilja) is the most spectacular. The light show produced by this rare natural phenomenon will amaze you. On a clear morning, the suns rays penetrate through an underwater hole in this coastal cave, bathing the interior in a mesmerising silvery-blue light. Beneath the turquoise water, rocks glimmer in silver and pink, creating an unearthly eff ect. Swimming inside is a surreal must-have experience.

EMILY RIDDELL / ALAMY

De-stress in Cres

The Tramuntana region in northern Cres ( ) for a robust, hearty dinner of local lamb and delicious leafy salad, washed down with a glass of Dalmatian wine.

IMAGESTATE MEDIA PARTNERS LIMITED - IMPACT PHOTOS/ALAMY

Coffee Fix in Zagreb

Elevated to the status of ritual, having coffee in one of Zagrebs outdoor cafes is a must, involving hours of people-watching, gossiping and soul-searching, unhurried by waiters. To experience the truly European and vibrant cafe culture before Starbucks moves in, grab a table along the pedestrian cobbled Tkalieva, with its endless street-side cafes, or one of the pavement tables on Trg Petra Preradovia or Bogovieva. Dont miss the Saturday morning pica , the coffee-drinking and people-watching ritual in the city centre that forms the peak of Zagrebs weekly social calendar.