CROATIA

On the Balkan Peninsula is the bridge between the Central European and Mediterranean worlds, a country where fantasylands, medieval magic, and coastal dreaming become real. Skyrocketed into the mainstream media by popular shows and cruises that sail the Dalmatian Coast, these sneak peeks of Croatia are only the beginning. With the Dinaric Alps to the east, Adriatic Sea and Italy to the west, Slovenia and Hungary to the north, and karst plateaus, inland forests, and 1,100 miles of coastline with just as many islands and islets across its narrow span, it’s a land dense with sightseeing riches.

Roman, Byzantine, Frankish, and Venetian architectural influence; food infused with Turkish, Italian, and Central European flavors; and a climate that ranges from Mediterranean mildness to warm sirocco winds from Africa add to the experiential diversity of this affordable, independent young country. Then listen for the sound of tamburitz —an instrument similar to a mandolin— from the streets, sip the region’s Pag wine, and look for kolo dancing at festivals. From the capital of Zagreb to seafront Split and Dubrovnik, Croatia is the kind of destination that sets imagination alight.