Planning a trip to Croatia
Information on interesting places can be obtained even before coming to Croatia: by letter, by fax or e-mail. One of the sources of information is Hrvatska turistićka zajednica (National Tourist Information Point) based in Zagreb (the. Ibler Square 10 / IV, tel.01/4699333, fax 4557827, info@htz.hr, www.hrvatska.hr). In Poland, the National Tourist Information Center of the Republic of Croatia operates in Warsaw (the. Chmielna 16/2, tel.22/8285193, fax 8285190, info@ chorwacja.home.pl, www.croatia. home.pl).
Croatia on the Internet:
• www.htz.hr – official website of Croatia;
• www.hrvatska.hr - Croatian tourist community (Croatian tourist agency; responsible organization 26 for promoting tourism in Croatia);
• www.chorwacja.hr – Polish version of the website www.hrvatska.hr;
• www.hznet.hr – Croatian railway, timetable;
• www.akz.hr – timetable of buses from Zagreb;
• www.autotrans.hr - bus timetable from Rijeka;
• www.ak-split.hr – timetable of buses from Split;
• www.jadrolinija.hr - Jadrolinia ferries;
• www.hak.hr - Croatian automobile club HAK;
• www.croatiaairlines.hr – Croatia Airlines planes;
• www.diving.hr – diving in Croatia;
• www.kvarner.hr - page to Kvarner;
• www.dalmacija.net – Dalmatian side;
• www.istra.com – side of Istria;
• www.adriatica.net – m.in. reservation of accommodation.
Other web addresses, e.g.. with information about localities, can be found later in this guide.
Information and maps
Tourist information offices In Croatia. The official institutions are called Turistićka zajednica. In large cities, it is most often Turistićka zajednica hail, and in smaller ones - Turistićka zajednica mjesta. There are also municipal offices – Tourist Board of Oraz Municipality Tourist Board of Županja. The quality of their services varies greatly (good are e.g.. in Rijeka, Zadar and inland, a bad one - e.g.. in Šibenik). Addresses of offices in individual towns (usually with an internet address) is given in the sightseeing part of the guide.
There is also a Croatian telephone tourist information service from April to the end of October (tel.62/ 999999, for calls from abroad, tel. 385/62/999999), advertised as "Croatian Angels" (Angels of Hmat). Information is provided in Croatian, English, German and Italian.
Tourist agencies. Many private agencies also deal with tourist information (they are not always objective). They organize trips, part of it mediates in the rental of accommodation, usually by searching for available beds in private accommodation or apartments (theoretically, because in the season on the coast you have to book in advance).
Maps and city maps. For those going to the coast, MGV's maps will be useful: Dalmatian coast - the northern and central part and the Dalmatian coast – central and southern parts (1:200 000).
It's best to get more detailed maps on the spot. Free publications of the so-called. county (units of administrative division), sometimes available from tourist information offices. Free country-wide spreadsheets are also popular (on a scale 27 1:1 000 000), with the main attractions marked on the reverse.
Some tourist information offices offer makeshift city maps (city plan), usually sufficient for sightseeing. You pay quite a lot for better releases (30—45 kn).
What to see in Croatia.
Having a week at your disposal, it is worth visiting the Plitvice Lakes first, and then go around Istria, to see such attractions, like the Euphrasian Basilica in Poreć, the amphitheater in Pula, Brijuni National Park, the smallest city in the world – Hum, Baredine people, and go on a boat trip on the Lim Channel. Another suggestion for a week-long trip is a ferry ride from Rijeka to Dubrovnik, during which it wraps, among others. to the town of Korcula. You can plan your trip this way, to stop at Korcula for the day and sail to Dubrovnik the next day. You need at least two days to visit the most famous city in Croatia. On the third, it is worth going to the island of Lokrum or climbing the Sró hill, which offers beautiful views of the city. You can come back by ferry or by bus along the coast (by car or by bus), visiting Šibenik and the National Park Krka or Zadar on the way.
Planning a two-week vacation, you can combine the above suggestions: first go to Istria, then take the ferry south. Another option is to extend the trip to Dubrovnik and visit not only Šibenik on the way along the coast, Krka National Park and Zadar, but also Stonu at the base of the Peljesac peninsula, Split and, obligatory, Plitvice Lakes.