WORLD PRESS ABOUT CROATIA

July - Croatia: movies in Motovun
Relax in cobbled squares and watch the films projected on to the walls of this sumptuous 15th-century Croatian hill town (think Cinema Paradiso). Now in its ninth year, the festival (motovunfilmfestival.com) is a cross between Glastonbury and Sundance, attracting 50,000 visitors each year. After a few days watching films, you can hit the Istrian beaches 12 miles away. Ryanair flies Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday to Pula from Stansted. Festivalgoers can camp under the stars, for free, at the Motovun Eco-Camp...

Guardian Unlimited, Saturday January 6 2007 Compiled by Tim Bryan

The Sunday Times July 23, 2006

Instant weekend: Zagreb
The crowds haven’t invaded Croatia’s quirky capital yet — but it can only be a matter of time, says Richard Green
Why should I go? Because it’s a terrific little capital, with quirky sights, good food and a great outoorsy vibe. It feels like Budapest or Cracow did after they’d been spruced up, but before they were overrun by western brands and mass tourism. The crowds will surely come soon — direct flights have made it temptingly accessible — but go this year and you’ll have it to yourself"...

..."So if you missed the golden age of the French Riviera, you've got a second chance. The Croatian Riviera has arrived, complete with four-figure hotel rooms and the stars who stay in them. Instead of quaint fishing boats, Dubrovnik's marina now fills ups with yachts of the my-helicopter-is-bigger-than-yours variety"...

 by Evan Rail published: July 9, 2006, New York Times  

National Geographic Adventure: Croatia - Destination of the Year 2006

The well-known American magazine National Geographic Adventure conducted a survey among its journalists and editors and proclaimed Croatia top destination in the world for 2006. On the list of destinations that "must be visited in the next year", the editors and journalists of the magazine voted Croatia and Kornati Archipelago in first place, in front of Patagonia in Argentina and the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.

After the war, tourism in Croatia started to develop intensively, said National Geographic Adventure. Centuries old cities such as Hvar, Korcula and Dubrovnik are packed with young and rich people, earning Croatia the right to be called the new Riviera. The famous American actor Tom Cruise visited Dubrovnik last year on his yacht. The Croatians are already used to celebrities visiting Croatia, such as the British Prince William and the American actor of Croatian origin John Malkovich. Nevertherless, Croatia offers much more than just sun and sea. "With Croatia back on the tourism map, a whole new range of travel options has sprung up, from cultural and culinary tours among the walled cities of the coast to climbing adventures on limestone sea cliffs, to specialized, clothing-free "naturist" excursions", emphasized Adventure.

From The Observer, 19th February 2006:
Croatia is awash with minute, barely populated islands but Lopud, one of the Elafiti islands, with its handful of bars, shops and restaurants and a couple of hotels, is one of the most charming. There are no cars on the island, hand-pulled wooden carts being the preferred form of transportation. Unusually for Croatia, Lopud has sandy beaches, the largest of which is Sunj, reached by boat or forest path.

From Frommer's website, 14th February 2006:

Take a dash of Dubrovnik, a bit of Bled, a smidgeon of Split and an ounce of Opatija, and you have the pearl of the Adriatic -- Croatia. We've rounded up the latest deals to Europe's current "It" spot.

Lonely Planet declares Croatia as destination No. 1 in world.

Croatia is hottest place in 2005: Lonely Planet, the travel book publisher, has picked Croatia as the hottest destination for 2005. Each year Lonely Planet employees around the world are asked to vote for the hot, as in ‘have to go there!,’ travel destinations. Croatia soared to the top of this year’s poll after a fourth-place finish last year. The Lonely Planet says the country’s appeal is its unique combination of culture, history, cuisine, accessibility and affordability. As one staffer wrote, “This is Croatia’s year. It appeals to a wide range of travelers with its rich diversity of attractions. It has not yet been over-touristed, but it has developed an excellent tourism infrastructure – so that it suits both adventurous travelers and those who need a degree of comfort in their planning.”

Times August 2004: "Where the villa living is easy"

Annabel Thorpe finds quality self-catering properties all the rage on Croatia's Istrian peninsula. … British are discovering that inland Istria combines a landscape of lush green hills and honey-coloured hilltop towns reminiscent of Umbria, and with the kind of tranquillity you'd only find in Tuscany on a rainy day in February. …Villas, dilapidated cottages, crumbling farmhouses; all are changing hands, as British buyers compete with returning Croatians to own their own piece of the Istrian idyll.

… Their newly built villa, Casteletto Parenzana, was only finished in June and they have already had their first guests. "There is nowhere else in Europe so peaceful," says Dorina. "At night we just sit out and watch the stars; although we have been back from England for some time, we still can't believe the night skies." Evenings at Parenzana are glorious; the heat of the day fades, the sun slips slowly behind khaki hills and the sky floods fuschia pink. Istrian earth is lush and fertile, and fields of crops stretch between clusters of toffee-coloured cottages. Silent hamlets freckle the countryside; some have only one or two inhabitants, elderly now, sons and lovers long gone, some to the war, some to work on the busy coastal strip. … The verdant hills that roll through Istria are scattered with towns; Venetian Motovun, Groznjan with its artists' community, Oprtalj with its 17th-century loggia and tiny medieval streets winding up to the peak. The villages may play host to tourist coaches by day, but nothing on the scale of Provence or Tuscany; by late afternoon they have settled back into a peaceful languor, with only the odd quiet bar, serving menestra (an Istrian take on minestrone soup) and cevapcici (meatballs) to locals and a few stray tourists.

…"Soft tourism" is a suitably gentle term for the development taking place in Istria; a wine route has sprung up, truffle-hunting trips are on offer, and most hilltop towns hold festivals in the summer, but all are low-key initiatives; the main attraction is the beauty and simplicity of the region. "We had no idea it would be so gorgeous," Jane Shirley told me, who was staying in a villa called Captain Morgan's with her husband, Paul, and four children. "We've been to Porec, but it was like any other beach resort. Up here it's unique; so quiet and everyone in the village so friendly. We chose Istria because it was that bit cheaper than Spain or Italy, but the villa is more luxurious than anything we've rented before."

The properties in Istria are a good metaphor for the region; spacious, beautiful, individual, of a far higher standard than you might expect. Istria as a whole is a surprise; "Where are all the battered Fiats?" asked my copilot Ali, as we drove past gleaming BMWs and four-wheel drives. Everywhere felt upbeat, a well-to-do country absorbing tourism into everyday life.

Travel Telegraph August 2003: 'Is Croatia the new Cote d'Azur?'

Croatia has been billed with equal vapidity as the "hottest new destination for 2003", "the new Med" and "the new Cote d'Azur", Celebrities are flocking there, we are led to believe, aboundoning Tuscany and St. Tropez faster than you say Hvar, Korcula, Brac. Even Princess Caroline of Monaco is reported to be buying an island in the area...

Elle (Germany) July 2003: 'Comeback'

...Croatia is this summer the trend holiday spot of the high society. … Croatia the new top destination of the jet set: the international jet set was spotted last year in front of the Croatian coastline. Caroline from Manaco was crusing with her yacht. Steven Spielberg and Bernie Ecclestone lunched in Dubrovnik...

Financial Times Mai 2002: 'Islands for sale: Affordable, unspoilt and just two hours' flight from London.'

...There are 1.185 uninhabited islands along Croatia's Adriatic coastline, and many are now for sale. Most overseas buyers are from Germany, Austria, Italy, and the UK. … There are people who spend millions on houses in London or New York, but all that money doesn't buy you good weather or privacy...

Conde Nast Traveller (UK) October 2002: 'The Eastern Riviera'

...Just as pioneers flocked to the Cote d'Azur in the 1950s, Greece in the 1960s and Tuscany in the 1990s, those on the pulse are now buying into the Istrian coast...

The Times July 2002: 'The new Tuscany'

...A wonderful coastline, crystal clear water and a house by the sea: what could you want more? Croatia, they told us, is the new Tuscany. The place to invest before it is discovered...

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