Hostel Eklata
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Croatia
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Information
Geographical position:
Croatia extends from the furthest eastern edges of the Alps in the north-west to the Pannonian lowlands and the banks of the Danube in the east; its central region is covered by the Dinara mountain range, and its southern parts extend to the coast of the Adriatic Sea.
Surface:
the mainland covers 56,594 km2; surface area of territorial waters totals 31,067 km2.
Population:
4,437,460 inhabitants; composition of population: the majority of the population are Croats; national minorities are Serbs, Slovenes, Hungarians, Bosnians, Italians, Czechs and others.
System of government:
Multi-party parliamentary republic.
Capital:
Zagreb (779,145 inhabitants), the economic, traffic, cultural and academic centre of the country.
Coastline:
5,835.3 km, of which 4,058 km comprise the coastlines of islands, solitary rocks and reefs. Number of islands, solitary rocks and reefs: 1,185; the largest islands are Cres and Krk; there are 47 inhabited islands.
Highest peak:
Dinara: 1,831 m above sea level.
Climate:
Croatia has three climate zones; the prevailing climate in the country’s interior is moderately rainy; on the highest peaks, a forest climate with snow falls, while the areas along the Adriatic coast have a pleasantly mild Mediterranean climate with a large number of sunny days; summers are dry and hot, winters mild and wet with significant precipitations. Average temperatures in the interior: January -2 to 0o C, somewhat lower at the highest altitudes; August - about 20 oC and about 12 oC on the highest peaks. Average temperature in the littoral: January - 5 to 9 oC, August - 22 to 25 oC; sea temperature in winter: 2 oC; in summer, about 25 oC
Currency:
kuna (1 kuna = 100 lipa). Foreign currency can be exchanged in banks, exchange offices, post offices, travel agencies, hotels, camps, marinas; cheques can be cashed in banks.
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 South Croatia that is Dalmatia is one of the oldest regional and
geographical parts of Europe.It stretches along the coast of the
Adriatic sea in the length of 400 kilometers. Italy borders Dalmatia in
the north and Montenegro in the south. Dalmatia represents the southern
part of Croatia and is therefore called south Croatia.The rulers and
the borders of Croatia have often been changed in the history but from
the 7th century on, the people of Croatia have remained unaltered and
established deep roots in their state, culture, history, art and
religion.
From the aspect of law, Dalmatian region formally doesn't exist and
that is exactly what makes it so special.. It is a geographical region
only. However, what distinguishes it most from other regions and states
is the fact that every Dalmatian has a strong sense of belonging to his
/ her Dalmatian roots.
Dalmatia consists of three regions - northern Dalmatia,central Dalmatia
and southern Dalmatia, each with its capital. The "capital" of the
northern
Dalmatia is Donatus' Zadar, of the central Dalmatia - Duje's Split and
of the southern Dalmatia - Vlaho's Dubrovnik. For centuries, Zadar,
Split and Dubrovnik have been the cultural, artistic and economic
centres of Dalmatia.
The relief of Dalmatia is another thing that distinguishes it from
other countries. Namely, Dalmatia has one of the most indented
coastlines in Europe, with more than a thousand of islands, islets and
reefs that stretch along the coast and are parallel to the mountains on
the mainland.
The climate in Dalmatia is under the influence of both the warm
Adriatic Sea and the mountains on the mainland. As a result summers in
Dalmatia are hot and dry whereas winters are short and mild. The
mountains protect Dalmatia from the impact of the continental climate
in the northern parts of Croatia.
Every day, Dalmatians enjoy the azure of the sky - the clearest and the
sunniest one in Europe. Towards the evening, the sunny sky combined
with the summer breeze called Maestral creates an enchanting mixture of
scent, colours and emotions...
The Adriatic Sea is the deepest and the most beautiful gulf in the
Mediterranean. The ancient Romans called it  "Mare Adriaticum" - the
name was given to it by the Greek geographers Scylax, Ptolemaeus and
Strabo. The fact that it has more than a thousand of reefs, islets and
islands makes it one of the most beautiful seas in the world. In
comparison with the rest of Dalmatia and Croatia, Central Dalmatia is
the most beautiful region.
You can find beauty everywhere-in the sea, on the coast, on the islands.
The fact that there are 4 National Parks (Mljet, Paklenica, Kornati and
river Krka) and 3 Nature Parks ( Velebit, Telasica, Biokovo) in Central
Dalmatia speaks for itself.
Beauty is everywhere.
All you have to do is to give yourself up to nature and its beneficial
influence and your stay here will be beautiful and unforgettable in
every aspect. The only dilemma you may find yourself in while in this
large "nature park" is whether to enjoy the sights created by nature or
those created by man.
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 Dubrovnik - the city of a unique political and cultural history (the
Dubrovnik Republic, the Statute from 1272), of world-famous cultural
heritage and beauty (inscribed on the List of World Heritage Sites by
UNESCO) - is one of the most attractive and famous cities of the
Mediterranean. Apart from its outstanding natural beauties and
well-preserved cul-tural and historical heritage, Dubrovnik also offers
high-quality visitor opportunities. It is also the city of hotels, of
high ecological standards and tourist programs, and is equally
attractive in all seasons. Its geographical isolation is compensated by
high traffic and communication standards - especially through air
traffic and fast hydrofoil boats.
The tourist development of Dubrovnik started before the First World
War; quite soon, the exclusiveness of its attractions made Dubrovnik a
powerful international tourist centre. The sightseeing of Dubrovnik and
its monuments requires several days. However, already a walk through
Stradun, through narrow streets and small squares, monumental ramparts
and fortreses, provides enough opportunities to experience the
millennial beauty of its shell-shaped urban core, centuries of
building, stone-cutting, carving and engraving, the history of the
Duke's Palace, libraries, the oldest pharmacy in the south of Europe,
etc. Dubrovnik offers individual choice among numerous museums and
galleries, which contain the jewels of Croatian heritage.
The Dubrovnik Museum in the Duke's Palace keeps 15,500 exhibits in its
cultural and historical department. A collection of furniture from the
17th-19th century, uniforms of dukes and councillors, aristocratic
garments and many other items are exhibited in the authentic halls of
the palace. The Maritime Museum (situated in the fortress Sveti Ivan)
has a number exhibits on a permanent display, related to the maritime
affairs of Dubrovnik and Croatia on the whole, with a particular
emphasis on the history of the Dubrovnik Republic. The museum of the
Franciscan monastery keeps all inventories of the old pharmacy, as well
as the works of Dubrovnik jewel-lers, painters and embroiders. The
museum of the Dominican monastery exhibits valuable examples of
Dubrovnik painting from the 15th and the 16th centuries, as well as
sculptures, jewellery, manuscripts, incunabula and notes (music).
The treasury of the Dubrovnik cathedral keeps the relics of St. Blaise,
patron of Dubrovnik, and numerous paintings and works of art. The Rupe
Ethnographical Museum presents traditional occupations and the rural
architecture of the region of Dubrovnik, national costumes and
hand-made textiles. Very attractive is also the Aquarium of the
Institute of Biology, situated in the fortress Sveti Ivan, comprising
interesting marine species. Dubrovnik has a number of churches,
monasteries and hotels scattered all over the town. Its coastal belt is
adorned with several marinas, piers and promenades. Because of a
magnificent view on the mediaeval Dubrovnik, a walk along the town
ramparts is a must for each visitor.
A great number of Dubrovnik restaurants and taverns offer delicious
specialities of local and international cuisine. Sports and
recreational facilities include playgrounds, courts and requisites for
all sports in the sea and on the ground, from tennis and table tennis
to sailing and yachting. There are also several gyms and fitness
centres with swimming pools, saunas, massage, aerobics, solarium, box
gyms, etc. Dubrovnik is famous for quality hotels. Most of them are
situated on the Lapad peninsula and in the area of Ploce, southeast of
the old town. The hotel complex Dubrava - Babin Kuk on Lapad has all
features of a small town. It has a shopping centre, a bank, an
out-patient department, many restaurants and cafés, and a street called
the "New Stradun", which connects all hotels.
Dubrovnik is the city of an outstanding cultural and artistic life.
The most important event in the cultural life of the city is the
Dubrovnik Summer Festival (10th of July - 25th of August),
traditionally held since 1950. It is a theatre and classical and folk
music festival, since 1956 included in the calendar of world festivals
and as such one of the most famous cultural events in the world.
Concerts and other performances take place on open stages in the town
(Gunduliceva Poljana, Drziceva Poljana, Lovrijenac, Revelin) or in
beautiful interiors of the most famous buildings (Duke's Palace,
cloisters, churches). The repertoire includes works of Croatian and
world classics, performed by the leading personalities from Croatia and
abroad, including a number of world-famous actors, directors,
conductors, etc. So far several hundreds of them have performed in
Dubrovnik. An important part of the Festival are performances of local
(Lindo, Lado) and foreign folk music ensembles. The artistic life of
Dubrovnik is characterized by numerous exhibitions taking place
throughout the year. Apart from already renowned galleries - the Art
Gallery (Put Frana Supila 23), its exhibition space Luza Art Centre
(Stradun), Sebastian - occasional and permanent exhibitions are also
held in other spaces as well. Very famous are also Dubrovnik carnival
festivities - so-called Dubrovnik "karnevo" (local variant of the word
"carnival"), held ever since the early Middle Ages, when they were
brought from the neighbouring Italy.
Another important event is the Feast Day of St. Blaise, also the Day of
Dubrovnik (3rd of February). The feast takes place for the whole week,
including religious ceremonies, a procession through the town,
concerts, sports events, entertainment and carnival programs.
Excursions to Dubrovnik during that week are regularly organized. In
the vicinity of Dubrovnik, in the gorge of the Ombla river, is Miho
Pracat ACI Marina; it has 450 berths in the sea and 250 places on the
land. Boaters may also use Dubrovnik Marina. DUBROVNIK, a town, port
and tourist centre of the southern Croatian coast. It lies at the foot
of the limestone Srd Mount (412 m), in a valley enclosed to the
south-west by the Lapad plateau and a smaller reef with the oldest part
of Dubrovnik. The ancient town core was connected with the suburban
zone on the other side of the valley by levelling and filling up of a
marshy valley between the Gruz Bay in the north and Stari Porto (Old
Port) in the south, as well as by the construction of the Placa
(Stradun). Stradun thus became the centre of the town and its main
street, connecting two opposite town gates: the Ploce Gate in the east
and the Pile Gate in the west. Upon the construction of the port in the
Gruz Bay, Gruz was gradually annexed to Dubrovnik and became an
integral part of the town. Later on, Dubrovnik extended also to the
Lapad peninsula, to lower parts of the Srd slopes and outside the town
ramparts toward Zupa.
The climate of Dubrovnik is characterized by warm and dry summers and
mild winters. The average air tem
perature in the coldest month
(February) is 4.6 °C and in the warmest month (August) 26.2 °C. The
cold half of the year accounts for 68 % of the total annual rainfall;
the spring accounts for 29, the summer for 14, the autumn for 26 and
the winter for 37 rainy days out of the total number of 105 rainy days.
Snow occurs extremely rarely; with 2,554 hours of sunshine a year,
Dubrovnik ranks among the sunniest towns of southern Europe. In July it
has 12.4 hours of sunshine a day, like Alexandria in Egypt. The
vegetation is subtropical and extremely luxuriant (olives, almonds,
citrus fruit, rosemary, laurel, holm oak, pine, stone pine, cypress).
Southeast of the old part of the town is a tourist zone called Ploce
(hotels and beaches), west of it is Lapad (sports facilities, hotels,
beaches, walking trails), while northwest of it is the Gruz port and
Gruz. Economy is based on tourism and seafaring. The town has a number
of cultural and educational institutions: the Nautical College, the
Tourist College, the University Centre for Postgraduate Studies of the
University of Zagreb, the Institute of History of the Croatian Academy
of Arts and Sciences, the Dubrovnik Summer Festival and other.
Dubrovnik has a town port, the port of Gruz and a marina. The old town
port is protected by the Porporela breakwater; yachts drawing up to 3 m
may dock in it; smaller ships are docked in the cove of Gornja Bocina.
The port of Gruz is a trading port, situated 2.5 km northwest of the
ancient town core of Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik Marina is located in Komolac,
in the interior part of Rijeka Dubrovacka, about 4 km from the entrance
to the port of Gruz. Dubrovnik is located on the main road (M2, E65).
The Dubrovnik airport is located in Cilipi.
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 For centuries the capital city of Dalmatia and today the centre of the
region. A city with a rich heritage of world importance, visible at
every step. The Roman Forum from the 1st century, St. Donatus’ Church
from the 9th century is the most famous medieval basilica and trademark
of the city.
The reconstructed Romanesque St. Grisigono's Church from the 12th
century and the St. Mary's bell tower from the year 1105; the St.
Anastasia's Cathedral from the 13th century; the People's Square with
the City's Lodge and Guardhouse from the 16th century, as well as the
mighty fortification walls with first class Sea(farer's) and Land gates
from the 16th century followed by the Three and Five Wells Squares and
many palaces, villas and other historic monuments.
Based on a three thousand year old tradition, the Zadar region has
evolved to take up 14% of the total territory of the Republic of
Croatia, and around 12% of the territorial sea, with as many islands as
there are days in the year plus an islands' surface area of
approximately 580 km square. Just offshore of the 1200 km long coast,
most indented coastline in the Mediterranean, there is an array of four
strings of islands beginning with the largest: Pag, Dugi Otok, Ugljan,
Pasman, leading to the smaller ones: Silba, Molat, Olib, Premuda, Iz,
Vrgada, Sestrunj.
I ts attractiveness is due greatly to its fantastic natural position in
the very middle of the Adriatic coast, and to the four National Parks
surrounding it: Plitvica Lakes, Paklenica mountain, the unique Rivera
Krka waterfalls and a string of wondrous islands called Kornati. No
less attractive are the nature Parks of Telascica, the canyon of the
Zrmanja River and the largest natural lake in Croatia –Lake Vrana in
the vicinity of Biograd. It is possible to reach the central Zadar
Riviera region equally easily from all directions and by all means of
transport.
The City of Zadar is not only known for its historical and cultural
monuments but also for its amply supplied vegetable and fish markets on
the peninsula (a part of the old city). The market is daily supplied
with fresh fruit and vegetables from the rich hinterland of “Ravni
Kotari”, the fruitful waters of Lake Vrana and the islands of Ugljan
and Pasman. Judged by the variety of goods on offer, it is one of the
largest markets in Croatia. The market is not only frequented for
supplies, but also for the bustle, the abundance of colours and the
haggle with the local women merchants.
In the direct vicinity of the “green market” is the fish market with an
exceptionally diverse offer of fish and seafood, as well as salted
sardines by the piece. The fish market is situated close to the
promenade, where lively coloured fishing boats of all sizes lay crowded
in the morning. The fishing tradition in these parts is very old (1995
marked the 1000th anniversary since the first written account of
fishing in Croatia – Sali / Dugi Otok) and the most famous fishing town
on the Adriatic is situated on the island of Ugljan.
Just as at the market, here too it is necessary to haggle with the
merchants, and, even if on that particular day you end up without fish
on your menu, you will still have enjoyed the scent of the sea and
heard the arguments of fishermen in the local dialect.
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Our favorite city. 1700 years old, beloved by Romans, Croatians, and by everyone who ever experienced it.
Take a tour of the old part of the town in the morning; walk around the
famous Diocletian's Palace in the very centre of the town; visit the
Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments or the Mestrovic Gallery in
the afternoon; in the evening,take a walk around the Marjan peninsula
and on your way back stroll around the old fishing part of the town
called Varos.
The Roman Emperor Diocletian founded the present-day Split in 295. Born
in Dalmatia, Diocletian had the imperial power in this area for more
than 20 years. During his rule he ordered the building of a summer
residence in which he planned to spend his old age.
The legend says that he gathered the leading astrologers of that time
and ordered them to choose the best site on the planet (from the aspect
of astrology) to build the palace on. The present day Split and the
legendary Diocletian' s palace stand on this very site. The palace is
well preserved-almost in its original form and it is inscribed into the
UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural monument with international
significance .
The palace is on the coast by the sea,with the picturesque mountain in
the background - a beautiful setting for a typically Mediterranean town
such as Split.
Split is the second largest town in Croatia and represents the centre
of Dalmatia in every aspect. It is connected to Zagreb, the capital by
air, by railway and a number of roads.
It also has an international port which connects it to the rest of the
Adriatic Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the rest of the world.
It is situated on a picturesque peninsula between the islands of Brac
and Solta and the Gulf of Kastela. A hill Marjan and the mountains
Kozjak ( 780 m) and Mosor ( 1330 m) protect Split from the cold air in
the continental part of Dalmatia called Zagora.
The fine Mediterranean climate enables the growth of various
Mediterranean and subtropical plants such as palms, agaves, cacti...
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 Sibenik lies almost in the middle of the Croatian Adriatic Coast, in
the picturesque and indented bay around the mouth of the river Krka,
one of the most beautiful Karst rivers in Croatia. Today Sibenik is the
administrative, political, economic, social and cultural center of a
county which stretches along the 100 kilometer long belt between the
Zadar and Split Rivieras, reaching up to 45 kilometers deep into the
hinterland.
The Sibenik region covers about 1,000 square kilometers and is composed
of an island and a coastal region, and its hinterland. The county of
Sibenik has 242 islands, islets and rocks. Most of this archipelago
lies in the n orth-west part of Sibenik's waters and is very indented,
bare and sparsely inhabited. The county of Sibenik has only 10 island
settlements. The most numerous group of islands are the Kornati, widely
known for their bizarre shapes and luxurious and magnificent landscapes.
From Sibenik bay the open sea and the islands are reached through a
narrow winding channel about 10 kilometers long and 300 - 1200 meters
wide. Although the coastal belt of the Sibenik region reaches only
several kilometers inland, to the Trtar mountain chain and Mt. Svilaja
in the south-east, 66 % of all its population lives here. After World
War II it went through very rapid urbanization. Almost all the
production edacities, business activity and strength of the Sibenik
county are concentrated here.
This region is characterized by limestone mountain crests (the Trtar
chain stretches towards the south-east, and in front of it is the lower
Sibenik-coastal chain), small valleys (Gornje and Donje polje) and
plateaus - the bases of agriculture. The vegetation is mostly spruce in
the hinterland, and maquis on the coast and islands. The Sibenik region
has a Mediterranean climate with hot summers cooled by the maestral
breeze, and dry winters.
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Dubrovnik
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