By H.E. Ms. Andrea Gustović-Ercegovac, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the Kingdom of The Netherlands.
Croatia is a Central European and Mediterranean country, member of the EU and just a 2 hour flight from Netherlands. It’s thousand islands form one of the richest archipelagos in the Mediterranean. Croatia is an ideal relaxation spot, whether you enjoy sailing off on the crystal blue water or trying out the excellent oenological and gastronomic offer with your family and friends.
Netherlands and Croatia have more than a few things in common: they are both coastal countries, opened to the world, with a long maritime tradition, passion for cheese, talent for football, good fish and brave and dedicated people.
Last year 14 million tourists visited Croatia and 78.5 mil. overnight stays were created. Excellent road infrastructure is great advantage, creating Croatia one of the closest Mediterranean destinations for European tourists.
What many modern tourists appreciate the most is the preserved nature, the sound of silence pierced only with the murmuring sound of summertime crickets. Due to its location but also care for natural heritage Croatia has a crystal-clean sea. Over 90 percent of Croatian beaches have been rated as excellent in high quality. On a relatively small space it has 8 national parks and 11 nature parks. Four national parks are situated in the costal and four in the mountainous region: Brijuni, Kornati, Mljet, River Krka, Plitvice Lakes, Risnjak, Paklenica and Northern Velebit.
Plitvice Lakes are the most popular continental locations, the national park is situated between mountains and its untouched beauty creates a mythical atmosphere. The beauty of the Park lies in its sixteen lakes, inter-connected by a series of waterfalls, and set in deep woodland populated by deer, bears, wolves, boars and rare bird species. The value of natural and cultural beauty of Croatia is also recognized by UNESCO in 1979 when the Old Town of Dubrovnik and Plitvice Lakes were included on the list of world heritage sites.
However the sunny coast is not the only thing worth seeing. Just to mention that the capital Zagreb won Best European Christmas Market title in 2015 and travelers from all over the world voted city of Zadar as the best European destination for 2016.
Curious Dutch tourist can find many historical sites, very well preserved, because for centuries Croatia was on the crossroads of many important historical events. With nine of its cultural phenomena, Croatia is the country with the most protected non-material heritage in Europe listed on the UNESCO list. UNESCO protected sites attract many tourists: Historical Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian, Old City of Dubrovnik, Plitvice Lakes, Episcopal Complex of the Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč, Historic City of Trogir, the Cathedral of St James in Šibenik and the Stari Grad Plain on the island of Hvar. It is also a country of many interesting castles. Many of them are built after the Ottoman wars and most of them are situated in the area of Croatian Zagorje and date from the Baroque period.
At the end I will conclude with the Croatian cuisine, which is diverse and well known as a cuisine of different regions, continental and costal. Meat products, freshwater fish and vegetables dominate in continental regions. Coastal regions feature seafood specialties, olive oil, prosciutto and cheese. Dalmatian vines, such as Babić, Malvasia, Prošek and Vrbnik Žlahtina are well known and can be bought in the Netherlands.
I strongly recommend the readers to visit Croatia. Above spending holidays in a pleasurable and warm atmosphere it also might help us to appreciate that the similarities bring us closer while diversity is what makes the world beautiful.
Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in The Hague http://nl.mvep.hr/nl/
Photography by Embassy of the Republic of Croatia The Hague.
