A generous nature, between land, sea and mountains
From north to south, Croatian geography and climate vary greatly. Continental Croatia and the Mediterranean coast are cut by the mountainous barrier of the Dinaric Alps, two distinct parts that have culturally shaped two faces. A third intermediate zone, with a semi-continental climate, is distinguished in the center, which is assimilated to the north. The country is divided into six territories (North Croatia, Central Croatia, Slavonia, Istria, Kvarner, Dalmatia), twenty županija, the equivalent of our regions, each headed by a župan (prefect).
Agricultural areas and preserved nature at the gates of Zagreb
The two mainland regions, proud of their mountains, have their own ski slopes, developed near Sljeme, Ogulin or Bilogora. The valleys and plains, criss-crossed by rivers, rapids and lakes, are home to prehistoric caves such as those at Krapina, where a large deposit of human bones dating back to the Neanderthal era, who lived there 125,000 years ago, has been discovered.
Since then, Zagreb's development has accelerated. The country's largest city, it is also the only one to have county status. North of the capital, the Zagorje and Varaždin regions were already known to the Romans for their sulfur-rich hot springs. Today, the spas of Stubičke, Krapina and Tuheljske still benefit from these curative virtues.
But it's also an unstable region, regularly hit by earthquakes. In March 2020, Zagreb suffered a magnitude 5.3 tremor, causing enormous material damage to public buildings and museums. In December of the same year, Petrinja, a municipality some fifty kilometers southeast of Zagreb, was hit by a magnitude 6.4 earthquake. Seven people died, at least 26 were injured and half the town was destroyed. Further earthquakes are expected in the region in 2021 and 2022, although fortunately of lesser magnitude (around 4.5).
Slavonia - not to be confused with Slovenia! - is bounded by the alluvial plains of the Drava, Sava and Danube rivers. This region is regularly subject to the whims of its more or less unpredictable waterways, which flood huge areas of marshland with their rich biodiversity, classified as nature parks (Kopački Rit and Lonjsko Polje). On the arable land, with its fertile clay soil, large fields of wheat, barley, corn, sugar beet and vineyards are cultivated. A land of legends, appreciated by tourists for its superb châteaux and wine roads.
To the west, other plains stretch towards Sisak, as far as Kordun and the Žumberak mountains, in the county of Karlovac. This town of four rivers has made the most of its water-based ecotourism. The areas bounded by the triangle formed by Karlovac, Rijeka and Knin include mountain landscapes (Gorski Kotar, Risnjak) and the Plitvička Jezera National Park, Croatia's most visited site, famous for its high-altitude lakes and spectacular waterfalls. Sandwiched between the Velebit and Dinara mountain ranges, the high karst plateaus of the Lika border Bosnia-Herzegovina. The limestone rock has been eroded by water, creating all kinds of astonishing geological phenomena. These include dolines, giant holes created by impressive land subsidence, often appearing in groups(ouvala) and forming chasms, lakes, lapiaz and other caves.
Istria and Kvarner share their natural heritage
Istria covers a peninsula located at the western end of Croatia, close to Italy and Slovenia. Known as the Tuscany of Croatia, the region is located at the foot of the Alps and borders the Adriatic Sea. A combination of coastal areas, archipelagos and hilly hinterland with picturesque hilltop villages. Istria shares, on its west coast, a wide bay, which gave its name to the region of Kvarner.
In the center of this bay, Rijeka, the first port and third largest city in Croatia, has been built. The gulf opens to several large islands, Krk, Cres, Lošinj and Rab. Administratively, Krk and Cres constitute the fourth large Croatian region, named Istria-Primorje.
In the natural park of Ucka, above Opatija (north-east) and along the Dinaric Alps, the mountain range remains very present. Coupled with the mighty Mount Velebit, it accompanies us from Rijeka to Makarska, on the masterful national road.
The real South Croatia is Dalmatia!
In the ancient Roman Empire, the province of Dalmatia stretched along the Adriatic coast, from the west coast of Istria to the ancient port of Ulcinj (Montenegro). This common feature is already affirmed: vegetation of altitude, Mediterranean atmosphere for the coast and the islands with cultures of fruit trees (olive trees, fig trees, lemon trees, almond trees), vineyards or semi-desert landscapes.
Today, for its Croatian part, Dalmatia extends over 350 km, from the island of Pag and the river Zrmanja, neighboring Bosnia-Herzegovina, to stretch to the peninsula of Prevlaka. The region is closed to the east by the Dinaric Alps, which closely borders the coastal towns and villages, ports and Dalmatian resorts.
Around Šibenik, Dubrovnik, Zadar and Split (the second largest city in the country), the four counties are good bases for tourists to stay on land and sea. One can organize full days in the Paklenica National Park (canyon), the Špilja Modrič caves, the Krka waterfalls, Biokovo, the mighty 1,762-meter-high Velebit mountain (Sveti Jure). The locals describe its dual nature well, "feet in the water, head in the lightning".
In Dalmatia, there are three sub-regions, each with superb marine sites, often protected, but threatened by the pollution that is rampant throughout the Mediterranean. Northern Dalmatia, the Losinj islands, Dugi Otok and its salt lake Telašćica, the Kornati archipelago; Central Dalmatia, very popular, opposite Split, the island of Brač and its famous beach Zlatni rat, Hvar, the islets Pakleni, Vis, Biševo; and finally, South Dalmatia, with the Pelješac peninsula, the Elaphite islands, Korcula and Mljet.
For a comparison of the different maps of the country (relief, regional divisions, infrastructure, transport - www.croatietourisme.com/geographie).
