Italy & Croatia: Mediterranean Bliss
Each year a flood of visitors come to Italy to enjoy the pleasures of la dolce vita. With many natural and architectural treasures, Croatia has re-emerged to become the sparkling jewel of the Adriatic.
Italy has drawn travellers in search of culture and romance for many centuries. From the northern snow-capped peaks of the Alps and the idyllic hilltop villages of the renowned central Tuscany and Umbria area, to the rugged southern shores of Sicily, lies a plethora of distinctive regions and people. From the sophisticated, vibrant cities to the simple elegance of the countryside, Italy’s culture abounds. As a united country, Italy is only a little over 150 years old which means that each region still has a strong cultural identity, resulting in a country of many different faces to delight repeat visitors. An exuberance for life and its simple pleasures endears Italy to its visitors; an appreciation of family, food, history and beauty are the core values at the heart of this popular country.
Croatia boasts one of the most dramatic stretches of coastline that Europe has to offer, with almost 6,000 kilometres of shoreline and over 1,000 islands, reefs and cliffs. Over-exploitation of the coast has been avoided and there are still enough sparsely populated islands, quiet coves and stone-built fishing villages to make you feel you are visiting one of the Mediterranean’s most unspoilt areas. This is the Mediterranean of years gone by – from the Istrian peninsula in the north along the glorious Dalmatian Coast down to Dubrovnik in the south.
