Croatia - Wikivoyage, the free collaborative travel and tourism guide - Croatie — Wikivoyage, le guide de voyage et de tourisme collaboratif gratuit

Croatia ​((hr)Hrvatska)
In the old city of Šibenik
Flag
Information
Capital city	Zagreb
Area	56 594 km²
Population	4 105 493 hab. (2018)
Density	72,54 inhab./km²
Nice	Croatian
Sea	Adriatic
Minimum altitude	0 m (Adriatic Sea)
Maximum altitude	1 830 m (Mount Dinara)
Form of State	Republic
Official language	Croatian
Other languages	Serbian, Italian
Change	kuna (HRK)
Electricity	230 V/50 Hz, European plug
Telephone prefix	385
Internet suffix	.hr
Flow direction	Right-hand drive
Spindle	UTC 1
Location
44 ° 32 ′ 24 ″ N 16 ° 19 ′ 48 ″ E
Government site
Touristic site
edit

The Croatia is a country of Balkans in Europe central and southern which stretches from the eastern end of the Alps to the edges of the Danube and the Adriatic Sea. Border with the Bosnia and herzegovina, the Serbia, the Montenegro, the Slovenia and the Hungary, it has been a member of the European Union since 2013. Its capital is the charming Zagreb, but the coastal cities of Split and Dubrovnik are more popular among international tourists. There are several climates in Croatia; the north-eastern part of the country has a continental climate while the coastal climate is Mediterranean, and that of the central and south-eastern mountainous parts

Understand

Regions

The regions favored by tourists are those by the sea. Dalmatia is the most touristic region, followed by Istria which benefits from its proximity to Italy and Slovenia. Most tourists therefore concentrate in the main cities of Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar, Trogir, Sibenik and Makarska on the Dalmatian coast or between Pula, Porec and Rovinj in Istria. The Kvarner Gulf located between Istria and Dalmatia is less frequented, despite very attractive islands like Krk.

Cities

• 45.815.951 Zagreb  – The capital deserves 2 days of visit. (last update Feb. 2018)
• 42.64027818.1083332 Dubrovnik  (last update Feb. 2018)
• 45.56027818.6702783 Osijek  – Capital of Slavonia. (last update Feb. 2018)
• 44.86666713.8333334 Pula  – Largest city inIstria. (last update Feb. 2018)
• 45.32972214.4322225 Rijeka  (last update Feb. 2018)
• 43.5116.456 Split  – where we find Diocletian's palace. (last update Feb. 2018)
• 46.316.3333337 Varaždin  – ancient baroque capital of Croatia. (last update Feb. 2018)
• 45.3519.0033338 Vukovar  (last update Feb. 2018)
• 44.11666715.2166679 Zadar  (last update Feb. 2018)

Other destinations

The islands

• 43.31111116.6655561 Island of Brač  (last update Feb. 2018)
• 44.96027814.4080562 Cres Island  (last update Feb. 2018)
• 43.15138916.6569443 Island of Hvar  – The island is sometimes called the Saint Tropez of the Adriatic (last update Feb. 2018)
• 42.93472216.8533334 Korcula Island  (last update June 2020)
• Island of Krk  (last update Feb. 2018)
• Island of Pag  (last update Feb. 2018)
• Rab Island  (last update Feb. 2018)

National parks

• 44.88044515.6160355 Plitvice Lakes National Park  – Visit the park at your own pace, it is large, there are several routes depending on what you want to see and how many hours you want to walk. Listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, since 1979 it is the most touristic national park in Croatia and it is considered the most beautiful. (last update Feb. 2018)
• 43.80194415.9727786 Krka National Park  (last update Feb. 2018)
• 43.833315.33337 Kornati National Park  (last update Feb. 2018)
• 42.783117.36678 Mljet National Park  (last update Feb. 2018)
• 44.366615.43339 Paklenica National Park  (last update Feb. 2018)
• 45.4216.6410 Lonjsko Polje Nature Park (Cigoc)  (last update Feb. 2018)

To go

Formalities

See as well: Traveling in the Schengen area

Although Croatia is not yet part of theSchengen area, it has adopted the same visa policy as the rest of the Schengen area.

By bus

The company Eurolines serves Croatia.

By plane

Air journeys between France and Croatia, provided by very few companies, are unfortunately overpriced, especially flights to Dalmatia (Split, Dubrovnik) during the summer period. towards Dubrovnik, especially in summer.

On a boat

Many boats taking the cars ensure daily connection between Italy and Dalmatia during the summer. The most frequent connection connects Split to Ancona, but many other lines exist.

By train

By car

• From France: Count a good day's drive starting from Lyon before crossing the Croatian border. Possibility of camping in Italy at Verona or at Garda lake, for example. Coming from the north, another route consists of passing through Germany, Austria and Slovenia via successively Munich, Salzburg, Villach and Ljubljana. In Austria and Slovenia, several long tunnels along the motorways will take you under the Alps. Please note: when crossing Slovenia you will need to buy a vignette if you are taking the motorway.

• From Belgium: from Brussels, it takes a good fifteen hours to arrive at the Croatian border of Maribor / Ptuj. Itinerary: Brussels-Cologne-Frankfurt-Nuremberg-Passau-Linz-Graz-Slovenia-Croatia. Tolls and taxes: nothing in Germany, vignette in Austria and tolls in Alpine tunnels, tolls in Slovenia (cheap) and Croatia (more expensive).

Circulate

By plane

There are airports at Zagreb, Zadar, Split, Osijek, Pula and Dubrovnik. Domestic lines are not very expensive if booked well in advance. The path Zagreb - Dubrovnik maybe interesting to do by plane because it is very long by road in summer. There is an inexpensive Pula-Zadar connection with Croatia Airlines.

By bus

The bus network is quite convenient, there are frequent buses between the main towns.

By train

The train network is neither very practical, nor fast, nor comfortable. Night trains between Zagreb and Split do not always have berths. However, it is possible to form a berth from two seats facing each other. Coming from Slovenia, it is possible to take the train from Rijeka to Pula.

By car

Motorways in Croatia are toll, and often quite expensive, but little used. Some of them are recent, so in excellent condition, but some sections are still missing or only two or three lanes (Motorway Zagreb/Belgrade, tunnels between Zagreb and Zadar, HighwayIstria). In rainy weather, beware of old surfaces that turn into a real skating rink.

Traffic is more difficult on the coast, especially between Split and Dubrovnik at the level ofOmiš.

However, just like in France, during the holiday periods, there can be major traffic jams on the motorway of Zadar to Italy via Zagreb and Rijeka. It is therefore advisable to inquire in order to avoid the days of large departures.

The path Dubrovnik - Zagreb is therefore quite long by road in summer (national coastal winding up to Split, then traffic jam). We can choose to go up by the Bosnia and herzegovina. This is the opportunity to visit Mostar, and eventually Sarajevo, then to go up towards the north by borrowing a rather charming valley. (Note: For the French, the identity card is sufficient to enter Bosnia. Check with the Bosnian embassy in your country.) Be careful when overtaking on the roads not to come face to face with a vehicle on the same lane as the one on which one travels, the Croats sometimes tend to monopolize the width of the road, especially when it is little used.

Speed ​​limits:

• Highway: 130 km / h
• Expressway : 110 km / h
• Route: 90 km / h
• City : 50 km / h

After four years of zero tolerance (0 g / l), the alcohol level authorized for driving dropped in June 2008 to 0.5 g / l

On a boat

Note the regular connections between the main ports which make it possible not to make the return trip by car or bus, while enjoying the beauty of the islands. Example Dubrovnik - Rijeka: 23 h of travel.

Hitchhiking

Not recommended, you risk waiting several hours on the side of the road. It is not in the culture of the country. The few people who stop will ask you for money. Prefer the bus, the taxi or the rental of a car.

Speak

Many Croats speak German, even Italian (more common in Istria, where part of the population is of Italian-speaking origin). But in general, English is the contact language and young Croats today very often speak very good English. Most people working in the tourism industry naturally speak English quite well, and even other languages ​​like Italian, German, or even French or Slovenian. Don't expect older people to speak English. There are a number of people (shopkeepers, homestay apartments or tourist offices) who know a few words of French, but it is all in all quite rare.

Croatian is not an easy language to learn, but people love it when foreign travelers use it for simple expressions such as thanks and polite expressions, numbers. It is quite easy to learn by heart to show up at the campsite ("10 people, 5 tents, 3 cars", to order at the bar, etc ... and of course the Croatians will not blame you for your mistakes in variations. C 'is a great way to make contacts, even superficial ones, and start conversations (which may continue in English). Some guides provide incomplete lexicons; people who want to go a little deeper will be able to bring a dictionary, ideally before departure, because in Croatia there are mostly English-Croatian dictionaries.There are many regional variations of Croatian, especially in Dalmatia whose local language has borrowed a number of words from Italian and to the Venetian.

Buy

The official currency is the Kuna, in the plural Kune, (abbreviated as KN), its value is slightly lower than that of the French Franc (about 7 Kuna for 1 € (~ 1.11 Fr. - price of 04/27/2021) (~ $ 1.5 C - class on 04/27/2021) (~ $ 1.21 - class on 04/27/2021) (~ 655.61 F CFA - price of 04/27/2021)). In tourist areas, euros are often accepted, however the prices are often a little more expensive in euros because of the rather large roundings. It's better to change money in Croatia with cash at the post office or at the counter of a local bank, rather than at the distributor where there are higher bank charges and commissions.

The word Kuna means marten. It is this small animal that was chosen to represent the currency of the country in memory of the time when we paid in marten skin. A kuna is divided into 100 lipa which means lime tree. Thus the marten is represented on one side of the pieces of kuna, while the lime tree is depicted on one side of the pieces of lipa.

Eat

The prices are often a little cheaper than in the European Union, but don't expect to pay nothing. A cheap restaurant, even in tourist areas, will offer you spaghetti dishes or pizza between 35-50 Kn. The service is included. It is necessary to think of adding to the prices of the dishes, the price of the drinks (approximately 20 Kn for a bottle of one liter of mineral water almost obligatory, it is necessary to insist a lot to be served tap water).

The food is often simple and the menus fairly sparse (risottos, goulachs, pizzas, meatballs, ham), but the products used are very fresh and are truly cooked and not reheated - for this reason, we often wait a long time in the restaurants. restaurants. Ajvar, cevapcici or pleskavica are also found, especially in the interior of the country.

Food is generally only served in restaurants, with cafes serving only as drinking establishments, ice cream parlors and sometimes tea rooms. In restaurants, the service is often quite confusing for non-Croats: slowness, disorganization, extreme detachment of the servers - very poorly paid - who sometimes refuse to serve a customer they find sitting too far away and who may even forget to bring the bill! This is a legacy from the communist period.

In food stores, there is a fairly small number of products, and almost none from organic farming. Some local products, like figs, are also hard to find in stores, people have them in their homes and they don't think about selling them.

Have a drink / Go out

It takes between 10 HRK (~1,32 € - course of 04/27/2021) (~ 1.46 Fr. - price of 04/27/2021) (~ C $ 1.98 - class on 04/27/2021) (~ $ 1.6 - class on 04/27/2021) (~ 866.61 F CFA - price of 04/27/2021) and 15 HRK (~1,98 € - course of 04/27/2021) (~ 2.19 Fr. - price of 04/27/2021) (~ C $ 2.97 - class on 04/27/2021) (~ $ 2.39 - class on 04/27/2021) (~ 1 299.91 F CFA - price of 04/27/2021) for a drink on the terrace of a cafe. In summer, given the heat, it can be nice to buy liters of fruit juice in a small supermarket.

Beer is usually bottled or served in glass 50 cl. To order 25 cl, ask for a "malo pivo" (small beer, as opposed to "veliko pivo"). The most popular beers are Karlovačko, brewed at Karlovac, the Ožujsko, brewed at Zagreb, and the Zlatorog, from the brewery Slovenian Laško.

In general, the bottles are returnable.

The maximum blood alcohol level allowed for driving is 0 g / l.

Ordinary Croatian wines, both white and red, are quite mediocre. In contrast, a new viticulture is emerging in all parts of the country, providing high quality products almost exclusively for export.

Housing

Many residents rent a room or an apartment ("sobe" and "pansion"). It is common to see the locals themselves waiting for you at the bus station or port, with their photo album of the accommodation they are renting. It is nevertheless advisable to be wary and for more security to prefer accommodation listed by the local Tourist Office.

Learn

To work

Communicate

European roaming

Since June 15, 2017, "European roaming" has been introduced. It allows all SIM card holders belonging to one of the European member countries to maintain the same pricing conditions as in the country of origin.

Telephone calls and Internet browsing are valid at no additional cost in all European countries, unless authorized by national authorities (generally minor operators) or when a data Gbit threshold is exceeded, which increases year by year. To use this service, simply activate the roaming option on your mobile phone.

The participating countries are those ofEuropean Union (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary , Ireland , Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, UK, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden), those ofEuropean Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and some Oversea territories (Azores, Canary Islands, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Madeira, Martinique, Mayotte, The meeting, Saint-Martin).

Manage the day-to-day

Health

Tap water is drinkable throughout Croatia (but not always pleasant to the taste, especially in the islands, the consumption of mineral water is often compulsory). Insects such as mosquitoes, horseflies and wasps are not more common than in any other country in Europe. Scorpions or vipers can be encountered, but no more than in the Nice hinterland or in Italy. Beware of tick-borne encephalitis in the Sava region for example or near rivers. Discover the precautions to be taken for health in Croatia.

Cigarettes are a scourge in Croatia, where the population is not informed about the risks of active or passive smoking. People smoke in their vehicles and in all public places other than churches. Signs prohibiting smokers are extremely rare.

European citizens

Citizens ofEuropean Union (EU), who fall unexpectedly ill during a temporary stay, studies or a professional stay, are entitled to the same medical care as in their country of residence. It is always useful to take the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which constitutes physical proof of your insurance in an EU country. However, if you do not have the card with you or if you cannot use it (as in the case of private assistance), you are still entitled to treatment, but you are obliged to pay the costs on the spot. , then you will ask for a refund on your return.

The countries in which health coverage is provided are all those that are members of theEuropean Union (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary , Ireland , Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden), those ofEuropean Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), the Swiss, the UK and the Oversea territories member of the European Union (Azores, Canary Islands, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Madeira, Martinique, Mayotte, The meeting, Saint-Martin).

security

No particular problem. The usual precautions are obviously still valid. Near the Bosnian border and in some islands, some areas have not yet been cleared. They are normally well signposted, but it is not recommended to leave the marked paths or visit houses in ruins.

Government travel advice

• Belgium (Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation)  (last updated Apr 2018)
• Canada (Government of Canada)  (last updated Apr 2018)
• France (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)  (last updated Apr 2018)
• Swiss (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs)  (last updated Apr 2018)

Respect

If you have any questions and want to know more about the people and their customs, be a diplomat and remember what these people endured and what they experience every day. Croatia is very different from that of France. Croatia is a recent country born in 1991 and truly independent in 1995 following a war which claimed the lives of 15,000 peopleThe Croats have known different difficult periods, different dominions (Austrian, Hungarian, Ottoman (Turkish), Italian and French with Napoleon), the 2 world wars like France and Communism. The war of independence from 1991 to 1995 was broken down into two parts, a war between Croats and Serbs from Croatia supported by the Serbian regime of Milosevic then abuses between Croatians and Serbs approaching ethnic cleansing.

Croatia is a country where the influence of the Catholic Church is very important. Churches are therefore not often open to the public of tourists, because it is forbidden to enter most places of worship with shorts, a skirt, a hat, or any outfit deemed incorrect ... 'take photographs there. In the largest churches in tourist towns, vigils are responsible for reminding recalcitrant people of these prohibitions.

Religious questions must be approached with caution, let us not forget that they are one of the causes of the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s. We can evoke themes such as faith, but when we approach subjects such as obligation catechism at school or the exorbitant power of the abbots in the villages, people begin to whisper ...