Croatia Holidays: How to enjoy it most

Croatia's treasures are more enduring than trendy. Along its thousand-mile shoreline a shimmering sea winds around pebbly coves, reach at pine-fringed beaches. Istrian ports bustle with fishermen while kids leap into the spotless sea. In Dalmatia, cities vibrate with nightlife amid ancient Roman ruins. So, it is time  to go for a 10-day holiday in Croatia

Yachts fly up the coast, movie stars discreetly arrange to buy one of Croatia's 1185 islands and no Mediterranean journey is complete without a stop in Dubrovnik. The interior landscape is as fascinating yet though less visited. immerse in a thermal spa at Istarske Toplice in Istria. climb through pristine forests watered by mountain streams in the west. Let the waterfalls of Plitvice dampen your face. And then there's the traditions. The people that endured Roman, Venetian, Italian and Austro-Hungarian power has a exceptional and slightly odd individuality. You'll find a dazzling central European taste in the elaborate design of Zagreb, and Italian devotion to the good life percolates up from the coast, permeating Croatian cuisine and style. During holidays and festivals the country's Slavic character emerges, as vividly costumed dancers whirl about to a traditional folk tune.

Croatians retain a strong attachment to the land and customs that fed the hope of autonomy for so long.