CROATIA: According to its geographic location Croatia is a Central European, Mediterranean country. It consists of three basic geographic units: the Pannonian-Peripannonian (moderate continental climate), the Mediterranean or coastal (Mediterranean climate), and the highland unit (mountainous climate).

As a tourist country it is known for its natural beauties and well-indented coast with a total of 1,185 islands, isles and cliffs. It has 2,600 sunny hours per year, which makes it one of the sunniest countries in Europe. Due to its geographic location between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, as well as in the delta of the Una, Kupa, Sava, Drava and Danube River there is great climatic variability, and therefore different flora and fauna.

Below is one of many exquisite itineraries available  for a unique Croatian yacht charter.

Day 1: Venice – Brijuni - Pula (75 miles)

Day 2: Pula – Losinj (37,5 miles)

Day 3: Losinj – Silba - Zadar (52,5 miles)

Day 4: Zadar – Pasman – Sibenik (53 miles)

Day 5: Sibenik – Veli Drvenik – Split (37,5 miles)

Day 6: Split – Solta – Brac (30 miles)

Day 7: Brac - Vis - Hvar (30 miles)

Day 8: Hvar - Korcula (45 miles)

Day 9: Korcula - Mljet (30 miles)

Day 10: Mljet - Dubrovnik (37,5 miles)

Day 11: Dubrovnik

VENICE (Italy): or Venezia, is the capital of the region Veneto and the protagonist of the region's most historical events. The city is absolutely unique because it has no roads, but canals, between which the various quarters are built, interconnected by narrow alleyways called 'calli', some of which lead to tiny squares called 'campi'.

Venice has two distinct and equally fascinating faces: an intimate city, with tiny backwaters and the world famous monumental city, with its impressive squares. The Grand Canal, the world's most beautiful and famous waterway, offers an unending succession of the most incredibly beautiful buildings, among which the 15th century Ca' d'Oro and the Baroque Ca'Rezzonico and Ca'Pesaro and the church Santa Maria della Salute (1631). The other famous monumental square is the Piazza San Marco, with the Libreria Sansoviniana (16th century), the Gothic Palazzo Ducale, the Clock Tower (Torre dell'Orologio - 1496) and the great basilica of San Marco.
Its present-day appearance is the result of numerous restorations performed starting from the end of the 11th century to the 14th century, although its origins date back to the 9th century. Its overall appearance is a beautiful combination of styles, with its Romanesque plan, Gothic decoration and mosaic work of clearly Byzantine influence.

Monuments

In front of the basilica stands the Correr Museum containing significant works of the Venetian school and the Galleria dell'Academia, with exquisite paintings. To the north of the Piazza San Marco complex lies another artistic-architectural complex of equal importance: the campo dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, dominated by its basilica, locally known as San Zanipolo. This is a veritable jewel of Gothic architecture. At one side of its façade stands the Scuola Grande di San Marco (school) and on the other side the Equestrian Monument to Bartolomeo Colleoni. Nearby you can find the Renaissance church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli (15th century). Another exceptional monumental complex is to be found on the opposite side of the Grand Canal, in the quarter known as San Polo, made up of two adjacent buildings: the church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari and the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. This church is one of Venice's greatest monuments for the impressing number of artworks adorning it. Its construction began in 1340 in the purest Gothic styles.

BRIJUNI: Do the Brijuni island even fall into the category of exotic places? In view of the competitors in this branch of the contest - definitely no. But due to uniqueness in the exotic terms - definitely yes. Namely, the Brijuni islands are something special and can't be compared with any other destination, not only on the Adriatic, but the Mediterranean as well. Brijuni's fundamental problem for the last fifteen years or so has been the defining of their future, which is simultaneously the problem of a political decision. All political parties, from those in times of Josip Broz Tito till today have shown incompetence in confronting the problems of Brijuni - led by the characteristic philosophy which left that problem to those coming after them. The lions, tigers and pumas have disappeared in the mean time. Only the amiable Koki is left in the birdcage. Herds of deer and mouflons have declined in number. The golf course has remained in its initial, primitive phase. To spend a day or two on Brijuni still remains an unforgettable adventure even today. Historical monuments from the antique to the Kupelwieser's period, from the Byzantine to Tito's era, can still be experienced in an attractive way even today.

Visitors in organized groups are happy to come here and explore the island of Veli Brijun via a boat from Fazana. Along with the safari park, Istria's largest antique residential complex in the Verige bay, the museum, there are also bicycle and horse rides, or perhaps explorations of the island in a more intimate way. However, so much of it isn't used or has been abandoned, an example being the queen's Elizabeth the 2nd magnificent chariot. The famous elephants, Soni and Lanki have had their stables renovated through donations recently, while the renowned dinosaur imprints can't even be seen by the majority of visitors. Namely, the approaches haven't been fixed up for the visits of larger groups, so a copy of them is planned and will be put at a more accessible location. The images of greenery, playful squirrels and rabbits, along with freely roaming herds of deer that graze on spacious pastures, are the unhidden pleasures that visitors of Brijuni will be able to take home as they leave a National Park of a series of islands and spectacular landscapes.

PULA: a town and port in the southwestern part of Istria; population 62,378. Situated in the inner part of a bay, divided by the islands of St. Catherine, St. Andrew and Uljanik into three port basins. According to the size of the constructed coast and level of equipment, Pula is the most important and biggest port in Istria, and the well-protected Pula Bay places it among the best natural harbors on the Adriatic. Due to its size, exposed location, two accesses (the one directly from the sea and the other through the Fazana Strait), low coastline and easy construction of fortification systems, provided the Pula Bay a special strategic importance.

The landscape of Pula includes low and open relief largely covered by red soil. The original forests of oak have been reduced to low shrubs; the surroundings of Pula were reforested with pine. The average air temperature in January reaches 5 °C and in July 23.2 °C; the average annual rainfall attains around 800 mm. In winter, the bora and the sirocco blow; the bora is sometimes extremely strong, and blows in the outer port.

Pula is the economic center with developed shipbuilding industry (Uljanik), textiles, metal industry and building trades as well as glass manufacturing. Tourist center (marina). The importance of Pula as a traffic intersection in the whole Istria has particularly increased by the modernization of the airport. Situated on the main road (M2, E751), and connected with Divaca by a railroad.

Pula offers a variety of excellent opportunities for tourists. Together with well-equipped hotels and other types of accommodation facilities, the tourist offer includes many sports grounds, recreational facilities and entertainment programs, terraces with live music, discotheques, casinos, inns and restaurants, as well as diverse excursions. The town disposes of two marinas, so that yachting tourism is increasingly developing. Pula is also a well-known congress center (the large congress hall in Hotel Histria). The town can be reached by various means of transport, and there is an airport in the immediate vicinity of Pula (6 km), constructed to meet the requirements of international air traffic.

Events: the Croatian Film Festival has been organized traditionally every year since 1954 in Arena (July), the Pop Music Festival "Arena" is also held in Arena (July), Art & Music Festival - the rock music festival (in August).

Pula is also a center of sport tourism because domestic and international sports teams and athletes find the favorable climate; quality sports facilities (tennis courts, sports halls, football stadiums, football fields, track-and-field courses, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, water sports facilities, etc.) suitable for winter training season. Apart from the traditional sports on the ground, there are opportunities to enjoy a variety of water sports.

LOSINJ: The climate of Losinj is very mild, due to its forests among other things, so it has developed into a health resort. Many of Europe's crowned heads came here in search of health and vitality, among them the Austrian Emperor, Franz Joseph, Prince Rudolph, and the Austrian heir-apparent Franz Ferdinand. So the building of summer residences started as early as the last century.

There are many reminders of the island's rich maritime past: strange vegetation brought from overseas, museums of sailing ships in Mali and Veli Losinj and rich island houses adorned with souvenirs of distant journeys. The oldest and most attractive tourist destination on Losinj is Cikat. Modern hotels stand in the shade of hundred-year-old pines, but there are also villas reminiscent of Monte Carlo built along classical lines by the last representatives of European aristocracy. Losinj's special feature is a colony of dolphins, and there are some 150 registered so far. Dolphins are one of the best indicators of the clean sea. Losinj was the first one in the Mediterranean to be proclaimed the dolphin reservation.

SILBA:The island of Silba is an oasis, maybe one of the last in the Adriatic. Silba still cannot be reached by car. This very fact makes it different and more attractive than other destinations. If the island were crowded with tourists it would no longer be what it presently is - a place with few restaurants and attractive beaches accessible at ten-minute walking distance. Promenades along low houses hidden in the greenery do not disclose their number, so it seems that there are less houses than they really are. The number of churches and chapels is surprising - this is a consequence of hundred-year tradition of navigation (navigation used to be the principal activity of the local people) and their happiness after their return home after countless storms. Namely, seafarers frequently built votive chapels and churches, so that today the number of these buildings is disproportionate with the population figures. The belvedere, a real tourist attraction, also witnesses this maritime tradition. Although it is rather old and in poor repair, it is an unavoidable spot for watching the surroundings from this highest point. In a similar way, seaside women used to watch the ships sailing with their husbands on board.

Tractors parked by the houses show that people are engaged in agriculture, which the local market cannot confirm. Namely, the offer of vegetables and fruit should be much better. Very limited possibilities for coming and leaving the island combined with the problem of finding a place to leave the car on land will for some time leave Silba in a class of undiscovered paradise.

ZADAR: a city and port in central Dalmatia; population 76,343. The old town, located on a sheltered peninsula with a suitable natural harbor, had good opportunities for establishing of traffic connections with the hinterland. Zadar had the most favorable combination of heavy sea routes from Ravenna, Venice or Trieste with the Eastern Adriatic system of channel traffic. More difficult navigation conditions for sailing ships at the open sea in regards to channel navigation have rendered Zadar a port of rest, where ships can be repaired and get their supply. Together with the development of steamships and motor ships, the port of Zadar became too narrow and too shallow for large vessels. Also, along with the concentration of traffic in the ports of northern Adriatic and with the development of Split and Sibenik, Zadar began to lose the advantage of its relatively easy connection with the hinterland. The development of traffic connections (the Adriatic Highway, 1959: the railroad Knin - Zadar, 1966, the port of Gazenica, 1968, and the airport, 1969), under new circumstances, has pointed out the advantages of the geographical position of Zadar.

The location of Zadar on the low littoral greatly contributes to its climate. An average air temperature in July is 25 °C and 6.5 °C in January; with 200 sunny days a year. Due to climatic conditions, the Mediterranean vegetation prevails (in town parks grow exotic subtropical plants).

The oldest part of the town had developed in the northwestern part of the peninsula (4 km long and 500 m wide on average), closing the Old Port and the Jazine bay. New suburbs, Vostarnica and Brodarica, are located mainly along the northeastern coast of the Old Port, outside the peninsula. In the northwestern part of the town is the tourist zone with hotels and restaurants (Borik). In the southeast, around the port of Gazenica, a new port-industrial zone is developing.

Many cultural institutions are located in Zadar: Faculty of Arts (1956); Historical Archives (main archives for Dalmatia, 1625), Institute of the HAZU (Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences), numerous museums, the Permanent Exhibition of Sacral Art (1976), Musical Evenings in the church of St. Donat (initiated in 1961). Zadar is located on the main road (M2, E65). Ferry pier; ferry lines with Preko, Zaglav, Mali Losinj, Rijeka, Split, Dubrovnik, Ancona. Zadar Airport is located in Zemunik Donji.

Zadar and the tourist region of Zadar are located in the very center of the Croatian Adriatic, in the most indented part of the Adriatic archipelago. At a smaller or greater distance from Zadar are the national parks Plitvice, Paklenica, Krka and Kornati, nature parks Velebit and Telascica, as well as more than 300 islands and islets. Natural beauties, numerous coves and beaches, cultural and historical monuments, restaurants and hotels offering selected national specialties make Zadar and its surroundings one of the most attractive tourist regions in Croatia.

Tourism in Zadar has a long tradition. More recent annals note that in June 1879 a group of tourists from Vienna visited Zadar; in 1892 the Society for the Embellishment of Zadar was established (it remained active until 1918), while "Liburnija" Hiking Club and the Tourist Association were established in 1899. Early in the 20th century, in March of 1902, Hotel Bristol (today's Hotel Zagreb) opened to the public.

Tourist attraction of Zadar is also based on the combination of yachting tourism, various types of accommodation and catering services, atmosphere, charming beaches and promenades, excursions to closer and farther surroundings, as well as interesting cultural, artistic and entertainment events and programs and on especially valuable cultural and historical monuments.

The historical part of Zadar is fascinating to all those who respect historical monuments and cultural heritage. The church of St. Donat, the symbol of the city, is a must in each itinerary, as well as the museums of Zadar: the Archaeological Museum (established in 1830), one of the most important in Croatia, with about 80,000 exhibits from the Stone Age to the late Middle Ages, the National Museum with the Art Gallery and the Department of Natural Sciences, the Maritime Museum with exhibits of the development of navigation in northern Dalmatia, as well as the Permanent Exhibition of Sacral Art with about a thousand valuable exhibits from the past centuries, known under the popular name The Gold and Silver of Zadar (Zlato i Srebro Zadra).

In numerous restaurants and taverns of Zadar tourists should taste homemade specialties. Among drinks, the first place belongs to the famous liqueur Maraskino. As early as the 19th century, this unique drink was a favorite drink at European courts (London, Vienna, Moscow) and has been produced in Zadar since 1821.

Zadar has top conditions for sports and recreational activities. It has numerous tennis courts, as well as a football field, basketball and handball courts. It offers great opportunities for water activities, such as sailing, windsurfing, rowing, scuba--diving, angling.

Numerous and rich cultural and artistic programs are also organized. They include the traditional Music Evenings in St. Donat, New Theatre Performances, Zadar Theatre Summer, as well as various visual arts exhibitions. The city celebrates the holiday of St. Krsevan, which is, at the same time, the day of Zadar (24th of November).

Excursions are regularly organized.

Zadar offers top yachting opportunities and services. Borik Marina is located inside the Borik Hotel Complex, in the Borik bay; it has 200 berths in the sea and 100 places on the land; it also owns a charter fleet.

PASMAN: The neighboring Island of Pasman is in fact fused with the Island of Ugljan. The narrow sea channel of Zdrilac could be forded in earlier times. In 1883 it was dug up and made navigable for small ships, and a bridge was added in 1973.

Pasman is quieter than Ugljan, but as both are covered with silver- green olive trees, they are almost identical. Real twins. The old fishing village of Tkon is on Pasman, with a naturist campsite. There are many nice small beaches on the sandy coastal strip known as Sovinja. The picturesque church of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows stands on the hill above Tkon.

SIBENIK: a city and port in northern Dalmatia, not far from the estuary of the Krka river into the Bay of Sibenik, connected by narrow straits with the Sibenik Channel; population 41,012. The city is arranged amphitheatrically around the natural harbor and on the surrounding hill slopes. The climate is mild. The average air temperature in January is 6.5°C and 24.2°C in July; around 2,750 hours of sunshine a year. Economy is based on industry (non-ferrous metals, aluminum), textiles and food processing as well as on shipbuilding and tourism. The city, with the old fortresses of St. Anne, St. John and Subicevac overlooking it, consists of the Old Town, characterized by narrow and steep alleys in the west, and the modern part in the north and southeast. Sibenik is a cultural center: the International Child's Festival. There is a department of the Faculty of Economics of the Split University.

Chief occupations in the Sibenik surroundings are viniculture, vegetable and fruit growing. Natural beauty of the region (Skradinski Buk, Roski Waterfall, the small island of Visovac on the Krka, the Kornati Archipelago) as well as the rich cultural and historical heritage of the city attract many tourists and excursionists. Sibenik lies at the intersection of the main roads Zadar - Sibenik - Split (M2, E65) and Sibenik - Drnis - Knin (M11.02); the railroad over Perkovic connects Sibenik with the railroad Zagreb - Knin - Split. Ferry connections with the neighboring islands (Prvic, Zlarin, Zirje, Kaprije, Obonjan).

The historic town of Sibenik, connected with the expansion and development of the early Croatian state, is rich in cultural and historical monuments. The most representative among them is the famous Cathedral of Sibenik, one of the most original architectural projects of the late Middle Ages, primarily linked to the local master Juraj Matejev Dalmatinac (George of Dalmatia). Sibenik is today a tourist center situated in the area where the best-indented archipelago in Europe (Islands of Kornati) and karts hydrographical phenomena (Skradinski Buk, Visovac, Roski Waterfall) merge into the ecologically and aesthetically most attractive tourist and recreational zone on the Croatian Adriatic.

Sibenik is the birthplace of one of the greatest world basketball players Drazen Petrovic. There are many recreational sports grounds, and Jadrija has beach-volleyball facilities. Water sports offer includes yachting and rowing. There are several diving clubs organizing diving courses and underwater photo-safari. The Dubrava Hawking Center organizes falconry courses lead by top experts. Hunting of small game (hare, pheasant, etc.) is organized for advanced participants. There is a horseback riding school in Jadrtovac.

Restaurants offer domestic specialties (lamb, grilled dishes, baked dishes - especially turkey). In the quarter called Dolac, in the town center, there are about a hundred cafés with music.

The most popular cultural events include the International Child's Festival (last week in June and first week in July), the Summer Organ School (in the second half of August) and the Sibenik Summer. The Day of St. James (25th of July), the patron saint of the city, is festively commemorated.

VELI DRVENIK: This islet close to Trogir is an attractive location for vacation without too much noise and crowds of tourists and there is not much local population either. In winter, in Veli Drvenik there are hundred persons at the most. If you go to visit the place on foot, this can also be an adventure because there are many neglected paths so one needs to be very careful where to put a foot.

Veli Drvenik has an architecturally interesting church with two facades - the old one and the new one - that overshadow one another. However, there is no priest in the village. Gallery Tramontana is also an attraction because apart from the possibility of purchasing original souvenirs you can buy homemade products such as olive oil, lavender oil etc. That is all about Drvenik. For the lovers of quiet, past times and more psychologically than physically distanced civilization, Drvenik is nevertheless a good choice.

SPLIT: a city and port in Central Dalmatia; population 189,388. Situated on a peninsula between the eastern part of the Gulf of Kastela and the Split Channel. A hill, Marjan (178 m), rises in the western part of the peninsula. The ridges Kozjak (780 m) and Mosor (1,330 m) protect the city from the north and northeast, and separate it from the hinterland. Split has the Mediterranean climate: hot dry summers (average air temperature in July reaches 26 °C) and mild, humid winters (average annual rainfall is 900 mm). Split is one of the sunniest places in Europe: the average daily insulation during the year is about 7 hours (in July about 12 hours). Vegetation is of the evergreen Mediterranean type, and subtropical flora (palm-trees, agaves, cacti) grows in the city and its surroundings. Marjan is covered with a cultivated forest.

The Spit Summer, a cultural event (open-air operas, plays and concerts), as well as music performances (Melodies of the Croatian Adriatic, Split Festival of Pop Music) take place every year. Split disposes of a variety of sports facilities, swimming pools and piers for sports boats and similar. Both stationary and transit tourism record a permanent increase. New port, hotel and tourist facilities have been constructed. The coves within the city offer several public beaches.

Split has four marinas: Split ACI Marina in the north-western part of the City Port; the sports boats pier Spinut on the northern coast of Marjan; the sports boats marina Poljud in the Poljud Port; the sports boat pier Zenta on the eastern coast of Split. The City Port of Split in the center of the city is used only for passenger and ferry traffic.

Split is not only an urban, cultural and traffic center of Dalmatia with road and sea connections to Dalmatia's numerous summer resorts, but it is itself often a tourist and excursionists destination. A city with a 1700-year old tradition, a variety of archaeological, historical and cultural monuments, among which the well-known Palace of Diocletian, inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage List, certainly occupies a special position, and the warmth and offer of a modern Mediterranean city. The first detailed tourist guide through the town and its surroundings, published in 1894, bears witness to the long tourist tradition in Split. To be able to grasp the historical significance of the city, one should first visit the museums of Split: the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments - a capital Croatian cultural project, established in 1893 in Knin; the Archaeological Museum from 1820, one of the oldest in Croatia; the Treasury of the Split Cathedral, including a valuable collection of religious art; the Ethnographic Museum, founded in 1910; the Museum of Marine History; the Museum of Natural Science. The Art Gallery, established in 1931, the Collection of the Franciscan Monastery in Poljud, the Mestrovic Gallery, and other are also worth visiting.

Split is a major sports center (the 1979 Mediterranean Games) with many famous and popular sports clubs and competitors. There are also many sports facilities for recreational purposes. The sports offer includes almost all types of water and other sports, from football, basketball and tennis to mountain climbing and rifle shooting, water skiing and rowing.

Worth visiting is Marjan Forest Park, the green oasis the citizens of Split have been proud of for generations, carefully maintained and cherished. The park includes promenades, vista points, solariums, nature paths, playgrounds and the Split zoo. A marvelous view is offered from the top of Marjan on the old and new parts of Split. It takes only 15 minutes of pleasant walking to reach Marjan from the historical core of Split through the old quarter Varos. The Marjan stairway, running along the crest of the hill, leads to another, higher top of Marjan, Telegrin, with a vista point offering prospect on the Split peninsula, Kozjak, Mosor, the Kastela Gulf, Salona and Klis, Trogir and Ciovo, and the islands of Solta, Brac, Hvar and Vis. The southern cliffs of Marjan represent in recent times a very good training ground for mountaineers and free climbers, who gather here every April on the occasion of the traditional Marjan Cup.

Split has a variety of restaurants and wine cellars, offering domestic specialties. There are many beaches and public beaches in the city and its surroundings, the most popular of them being Bacvice, a sand beach almost in the very heart of the town.

SOLTA: The Island of Solta lies opposite Split. The vegetation here is sparse, the coast steep and well indented. The largest town is Grohote in the inner part of the island. The largest port is Maslenica, with an anchorage for smaller boats and a beach with a modern hotel and campsite. The Croatian poet and humanist Marko Marulic lived in the beautiful bay of Necujam during the 15th and 16th centuries.

BRAC: Just out to sea from the city of Split, lies the island of Brac, the highest and third largest island in the Adriatic. Pine forests, olive groves, and vineyards are plentiful. The white stone of Brac has been used in many famous buildings, including the White House in Washington, DC. The Glagolitic stone "Pustinja Blaca” is the most peculiar architectural monument on the island and above Murvica there is the Drahonja Cave with valuable relieves carved into stone.

Traditional seaside pleasures are to be found in the numerous bays, on sandy and gravel beaches that form the long and well-indented coast of Brac. The beaches have something special, particularly the Zlatni Rat beach -- their gravel promontory shifts from side to side as the wind and waves constantly change their shapes. There are many seaside resorts on the island, such as Postire, Milna, Supetar, and especially Bol, one of the biggest attractions and the largest tourist center on the south of the island.

VIS. The island of Vis, known for its fishermen and seafarers, beautiful nature and growing tourist potential, lies far from the mainland and its troubles. Palm trees from the Vis nursery adorn many Croatian coastal towns. The Greeks founded their first colony on Vis (named Issa) and planted the first grapevine there as early as the 4th century. A Franciscan monastery was built on the remains of the Greek and Roman Theater in the small town of Vis in the 16th century. Two churches from the 16th and 17th centuries have been preserved, as well as a number of Renaissance houses.

The Island of Bisevo with an area of 6 sq. km is to the southwest of the Island of Vis. Many caves have been carved into its steep coast. Among these, the Blue Cave (Modra spilja) with entrances both above and below sea level should be singled out. When the sea is calm the light diffracts and paints the interior of the cave blue, and anything below the water line, silver. The effect rivals that of the well-known cave on Capri. The Medvidina cave is considerably larger, and has a natural monumental entrance. It is on the southern side of Bisevo. The approach corridor is 760 m long and leads onto the beach, a former habitat of the now almost extinct marine mammal, the Mediterranean monk seal. The Vis archipelago also includes the islands of Svetac (Sveti Andrija), Jabuka, Brusnik and the islands of Palagruza

HVAR: The island of Hvar is the longest Adriatic island and is situated to the south of Brac. Hvar has plenty of lavender fields, olive groves, and vineyards. Of historical interest is that the oldest (prehistoric) relief of a ship in Europe was found here. Also, the oldest community theater was founded here in 1612. Other architectural and historic attractions include the Renaissance cathedral with its original tower, treasury and paintings by old masters, the unfinished palace of the poet Petar Hektorovic, and many other "must-see" buildings.

The town of Stari Grad on Hvar was founded in 385 BC under the name of Pharos as a Greek colony. Attractions definitively include the remains of the Greek fortifications and the fortified castle of Petar Hektorovic with its ponds and arcades. The unique Fishing Museum and architectural harmony of Vrboska is also something that will attract visitors' attention. Hvar is, no doubt, an exceptional island, both in summer and winter. Due to its mild winter climate and rich subtropical vegetation, it has also been called the Croatian Madeira. An average of 2724 hours of sunshine per year.

KORCULA: Korcula undoubtedly holds a privileged position among Croatian islands. Here there are perhaps even more legends, tales and monuments than anywhere else. The island has a number of famous towns including Korcula, Lumbarda and Vela Luka. The oldest written monument in Croatia, the "Lumbardska psefizma", in Greek, was found in Lumbarda. According to legend, Korcula was established by the Trojan hero Anthenor in the 12th century BC. The Italian town of Padua also claims him as its founder.

Ancient Greek and Roman writers speak of the city of Korkyra Melania, established by Greek colonists from Cnidus, which had, according to the same sources, been minting its own money as early as the 4th century. The Latin version of the name is Corcyra Nigra, Black Corcyra, because of the thick woods on the island. Korcula is, after Lokrum and Mljet, the third most densely wooded island of Croatia. There is much evidence of a highly developed social life on Korcula even in the 13th century. The Statute of Korcula, signed in 1214, prohibited the slave trade for the first time in Europe. It also spoke about the order and management of the city. The Statute rules were in force until the arrival of French authorities in 1806. At the end of the 13th century, a battle was fought between the navies of Venice and Genoa in the channel near the city.

The famous travel writer, Marco Polo, who was, according to some sources, born in Korcula, was said to be involved. The people of Korcula were famous stonemasons, shipbuilders and seafarers. They left their mark in stone works, sculptures and buildings all over Dalmatia, but they saved their best works for their own city. There are late Gothic and Renaissance buildings from the 15th and 16th centuries, and Baroque examples from the 17th and 18th centuries. It took local builders 150 years to erect the cathedral of St. Marcus, the most valuable building in Korcula. In its long history, the town streets, laid out in a regular herringbone pattern, have seen many battles.

Nowadays, each summer they come to life with the old knight's dance of Moreska, dating from the 15th century. The dance evokes the battles with the Moors and was popular all over the Mediterranean. But today it has only been preserved on the island Korcula. Representing good and evil, the white and black kings fight with their armies for a maiden. Fortunately the white king prevails. In Blato, situated like Rome on seven hills, there is another, equally interesting knights' dance called "kumpanija" (company). It symbolizes the struggle for freedom

MLJET: The island of Mljet, the greenest and densely wooded of the Adriatic, has an area of 100 sq. km, and lies parallel to the Peljesac peninsula. According to a legend, Odysseus was cast by the sea onto the island of Mljet, ending up in the arms of Calypso. Due to its old thick forests of Aleppo pine, Karst caves, two picturesque salt water lakes (connected with each other and the sea) many sandy and gravel beaches, plentiful fishing grounds, the western part of the island (30 sq. km) has been proclaimed a national park.

There are some ten villages on the island with beautiful beaches and places suitable for harpoon fishing. There are remains of Illyrian castles and also many ruins from the Roman times, including a well-preserved part of an early Byzantine palace and an early Christian basilica in Polace. The most valuable monument from the Romanesque period is the monastery on the small island in Veliko Jezero. An island within an island! In the 12th century, the Benedictines built a Romanesque monastery, around which a Renaissance building with strong walls and a tower was constructed in the 16th century.

DUBROVNIK: a town, port and tourist centre of the southern Croatian coast; population 49,278. It lies at the foot of the limestone Srd Mount (412 m), in a valley enclosed to the southwest by the Lapad plateau and a smaller reef with the oldest part of Dubrovnik. The ancient town core was connected with the suburban zone on the other side of the valley by leveling and filling up of a marshy valley between the Gruz Bay in the north and Stari Porto (Old Port) in the south, as well as by the construction of the Placa (Stradun). Stradun thus became the center of the town and its main street, connecting two opposite town gates: the Ploce Gate in the east and the Pile Gate in the west. Upon the construction of the port in the Gruz Bay, Gruz was gradually annexed to Dubrovnik and became an integral part of the town. Later on, Dubrovnik extended also to the Lapad peninsula, to lower parts of the Srd slopes and outside the town ramparts toward Zupa.

The climate of Dubrovnik is characterized by warm and dry summers and mild winters. The average air temperature in the coldest month (February) is 4.6 °C and in the warmest month (August) 26.2 °C. The cold half of the year accounts for 68 % of the total annual rainfall; the spring accounts for 29, the summer for 14, the autumn for 26 and the winter for 37 rainy days out of the total number of 105 rainy days. Snow occurs extremely rarely; with 2,554 hours of sunshine a year, Dubrovnik ranks among the sunniest towns of southern Europe. In July it has 12.4 hours of sunshine a day, like Alexandria in Egypt.

The vegetation is subtropical and extremely luxuriant (olives, almonds, citrus fruit, rosemary, laurel, holm oak, pine, stone pine, cypress). Southeast of the old part of the town is a tourist zone called Ploce (hotels and beaches), west of it is Lapad (sports facilities, hotels, beaches, walking trails), while northwest of it is the Gruz port and Gruz. Economy is based on tourism and seafaring. The town has a number of cultural and educational institutions: the Nautical College, the Tourist College, the University Center for Postgraduate Studies of the University of Zagreb, the Institute of History of the Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Dubrovnik Summer Festival and other.

Dubrovnik has a town port, the port of Gruz and a marina. The old town port is protected by the Porporela breakwater; yachts drawing up to 3 m may dock in it; smaller ships are docked in the cove of Gornja Bocina. The port of Gruz is a trading port, situated 2.5 km northwest of the ancient town core of Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik Marina is located in Komolac, in the interior part of Rijeka Dubrovacka, about 4 km from the entrance to the port of Gruz. Dubrovnik is located on the main road (M2, E65). The Dubrovnik airport is located in Cilipi.

The sightseeing of Dubrovnik and its monuments requires several days. However, already a walk through Stradun, through narrow streets and small squares, monumental ramparts and fortresses, provides enough opportunities to experience the millennial beauty of its shell-shaped urban core, centuries of building, stone-cutting, carving and engraving, the history of the Duke's Palace, libraries, the oldest pharmacy in the south of Europe, etc.

Dubrovnik offers individual choice among numerous museums and galleries, which contain the jewels of Croatian heritage. Dubrovnik has a number of churches, monasteries and hotels scattered all over the town. Its coastal belt is adorned with several marinas, piers and promenades. Because of a magnificent view on the mediaeval Dubrovnik, a walk along the town ramparts is a must for each visitor.

A great number of Dubrovnik restaurants and taverns offer delicious specialties of local and international cuisine. Sports and recreational facilities include playgrounds, courts and requisites for all sports in the sea and on the ground, from tennis and table tennis to sailing and yachting. There are also several gyms and fitness centers with swimming pools, saunas, massage, aerobics, solarium, box gyms, etc.

Very famous are also Dubrovnik carnival festivities - so-called Dubrovnik "karnevo" (local variant of the word "carnival"), held ever since the early Middle Ages, when they were brought from the neighboring Italy. Another important event is the Feast Day of St. Blaise, also the Day of Dubrovnik (3rd of February). The feast takes place for the whole week, including religious ceremonies, a procession through the town, concerts, sports events, entertainment and carnival programs. Excursions to Dubrovnik during that week are regularly organized.